More than half the troops in a new poll had an unfavorable opinion of President Barack Obama's leadership of the military. (Jorge Villalba/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama will leave office on Jan. 20 with negative reviews from most members of the U.S. military.
More than half the troops in a new poll had an unfavorable opinion of Obama's leadership of the military for the past eight years, and about 36 percent said they approved of his performance as commander in chief, according to the latest survey by the Military Times and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.
Nearly 49 percent of service members who voted in the November election cast their ballots for Republican Donald Trump, who was very critical of Obama, while 29 percent voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton, who was Obama's secretary of state.
Seventy-one percent said the military needs more personnel than authorized under Obama in conjunction with Congress. Fifty-nine percent said Obama's withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq has made America less safe, and 54 percent said moves to draw down U.S. forces from Afghanistan have made America less safe.
Forty-three percent said the United States should deploy more troops to combat zones compared with 32 percent who favored reductions in those forces, and 25 percent who said the current deployment figures are acceptable.
On the other hand, 69 percent supported Obama's advocacy of building strong alliances with other countries to project U.S. influence. Sixty-four percent backed the use of special forces instead of large-scale military operations to bolster U.S. national security, and 60 percent approved of Obama's use of drones.
The survey found that 29.1 percent of military personnel rated the president very unfavorably and 22.4 percent rated him somewhat unfavorably – 51.5 percent negative. Eighteen percent rated him very favorably and 18.4 percent somewhat favorably – 36.4 percent positive. About 12.1 percent were neutral.
About 60 percent of women and 57 percent of minorities in the military approved of the job performance of Obama, the first African-American president.
Obama's objectives have included reducing reliance on military force abroad and cutting back U.S. interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, promoting equality in the armed forces for women, and allowing gays to serve openly in the military. His supporters also point out that he ordered the raid that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
Obama's critics say he wasn't aggressive enough in fighting international terrorists and stopping gains by U.S. enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he didn't support big boosts in the military budget.
Ken Walsh covers the White House and politics for U.S. News. He writes the daily blog "Ken Walsh's Washington," for usnews.com, and "The Presidency" column for the U.S. News Weekly. He is the author of the book "Celebrity in Chief: A History of the Presidents and the Culture of Stardom." He can be reached at kwalsh@usnews.com and followed on Facebook and Twitter.
Recommended Articles
The 10 Worst Presidents
Dec. 31, 2014
Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House.
Editorial Cartoons on Donald Trump
June 14, 2012
Photos: Obama Behind the Scenes
Sept. 10, 2014
A collection of moments subtle and grand of the 44th president of the United States.
House Panel Calls for Changes to Health Bill
March 16, 2017
All Democratic recommendations failed, and the bill will advance next week.
Can Trump Trim Military Waste While Increasing Its Budget?
March 16, 2017
Experts say truly reforming the executive branch requires reigning in the government’s biggest bureaucracy – the Department of Defense.
Top Republicans Buck Trump’s Budget
March 16, 2017
Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio are among those pouring cold water on the president’s blueprint.
Spy Agency Requests Aren't in Trump Budget Proposal
March 16, 2017
The budgeting process is taking longer due to the White House transition, official says.
Warm Wall Street Welcome Could Fuel Faster Rate Hikes
March 16, 2017
Markets embraced the Federal Reserve's Wednesday rate boost, and that could encourage the central bank to keep hiking.
10 Things to Know About Cory Booker
March 16, 2017
The first black senator from New Jersey has many wondering if he'll run for president in 2020.
The Silent Secretary?
March 16, 2017
Only time will tell if former Exxon chief Rex Tillerson is simply bringing a new, lower key approach to his new job, or is allowing himself to be sidelined by the president.
'No Indications' Trump Tower was Tapped
March 16, 2017
The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee threw more cold water on the president's claim of wiretapping.
Pentagon to Employees: It's March Madness or the Troops
March 16, 2017
Department of Defense employees have been warned about following college basketball games at work.
Schiff: Trump May Have Disclosed Information That Would Be Classified
March 16, 2017
The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee says Trump’s mention to Fox News of a CIA hack, if true, would have been considered a leak if it came from anyone else.
Trump Calls Out Obama by Name in Budget Document
March 16, 2017
Harsh rhetoric in what is supposed to be an optimistic document appears to break from prior White House protocol.
Cheerios Pulls Mascot ‘Buzz’ In Environmental Protest
March 16, 2017
The U.S. company says it wants to draw attention to the astonishing collapse of the bee population.
Winners and Losers in Trump's 'Skinny Budget'
March 16, 2017
The president has called for a series of deep discretionary cuts along with a $54 billion defense spending boost.
As ICE Cracks Down, Scams Ramp Up
March 16, 2017
Immigration authorities aren’t the only ones targeting immigrants who are in the country illegally.
Budget Committee Advances GOP Health Care Bill
March 16, 2017
Three conservative Republicans voted against the measure.
Trump Budget Proposal Would Boost School Choice
March 16, 2017
The president's spending blueprint calls for an influx in school choice spending, but is short on details.
Trump Says NYT, Fox News Sources for Wiretapping Claims
March 16, 2017
Neither news outlet has reported that Trump Tower had been wiretapped.
