Religious Affiliation and Military Service in the United States

Those who serve in the armed forces are shaped not only by incentives and opportunity structures but also by institutions that cultivate norms of duty, authority, and collective obligation. This study argues that religious institutions function as such socializing agents and play a measurable role in military enlistment in the United States. Complementing existing research that focuses on denomination or belief as key indicators, we introduce an institutional framework that emphasizes participation in religious communities. The focus is not on the affiliation but instead on the socialization offered and conducted in those institutions. Religious communities cultivate behavioral dispositions, such as discipline, hierarchy, and collective orientation, that align with the demands of military service. As such, they are associated with an increased likelihood of enlistment. Using data from the 2024 Cooperative Election Study (CES), we employ logistic regression models to distinguish between religious identity, institutional engagement, and individual religiosity. The results show that, per our sample, religious identity and evangelical affiliation are not significant predictors of enlistment. Instead, regular participation in religious institutions is strongly and consistently associated with a higher likelihood of military service. These findings suggest that institutional socialization can be an important factor in explaining the relationship between religion and military service.