The Harris Poll has ranked the relative “prestige” of a variety of occupations for many years.  This year, “military officer” climbed from last year’s drop in prestige in the poll, with 51% saying that the profession held “very great prestige.”

The Harris Poll noted the following interesting trend in its analysis:

While some of the numbers may fluctuate from year to year, one thing remains constant…

The professions that are at the top of the list…are not considered to be high-paying jobs…The ones at the bottom are ones that may have a lot of fame attached to them – athletes, actors, entertainers – or are ones that have the potential to earn large salaries – business executives, stockbrokers, real estate agents.

People do not equate money and fame with prestige. These are two completely separate concepts to the American public.

The Department of Defense news release notes that 200,000 active duty officers serve in the military (which numbers approximately 1.5 million).

Being a member of the military, or a veteran, is a position viewed with respect in the US.  Being a military member, or a specialist like a fighter pilot, Navy SEAL, or other unique field, can lend one with a significant platform and credibility that supports a Christian witness, despite (or perhaps because of) the challenges they may experience in their profession.