The NYT has an article today on the fact that the desertion rate in the army is considerably higher than had previously been reported. However, the article goes on to point out that the desertion rate is still less than 1 percent, which is far lower than 3.41 percent rate reported for 1971 during the Vietnam War.

It might have been worth noting that today’s army is composed of people who have voluntarily enlisted, while the army in 1971 was largely comprised of draftees. This fact could explain a substantial portion of the difference in desertion rates.

–Dean Baker

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Read more about Dean.