(NewsNation) — Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, a new Gallup poll shows the number of U.S. adults who say they’re proud to be an American has stayed low.
While the number is low compared to previous decades, it’s actually a slight uptick from last year, with 67% of adults saying they are extremely or very proud to be American, as compared to 65% in 2022.
Back in 2001, around 90% of Americans said they were proud to be from this country, with the poll coming not long after 9/11. In 2003, the number dropped to 87% and by the start of the pandemic, it had dipped to 63%.
The results fall along party lines, with 60% of Republicans saying they are extremely proud to be American, while only 29% of Democrats say the same.
Age is another factor, with older adults having more pride, particularly Americans over 55.
NewsNation spoke with Shannon Shakir, who served in the Army. Her husband also served in the Marine Corps. Shakir made the decision to enlist at the age of 35 after having had six children. In Shakir’s view, the military creates leaders.
“America is a place where you get to enjoy the freedoms and the culture. And the military is a part of being able to provide that sense of security, that pride, that ownership. And so it was something I definitely wanted to be a part of,” Shakir said.
The Pentagon says only 9% of young adults between 16 and 21 would consider military service, a number that’s down 13% from the pandemic. The army had its toughest recruiting year since 1973, on track to be about 15,000 soldiers short of their goal of 65,000 new recruits.
The Navy is short by about 10,000 sailors and the Air Force down around 3,000 airmen. The Marine Corps said they saw 33,000 new Marines go through boot camp in 2022 and they expect the same result in 2023, which is right on target.
But the Pentagon acknowledged they’re seeing struggles when it comes to getting young men and women to sign up. Efforts to close the gap include outreach to veterans groups, more campaigns targeting young adults and even considering legislation to help meet recruiting goals.