Percentagewise, Montana had 8.1 recruits for every 1,000 young people in the age group of 18 to 24. Mineral County had the highest recruiting rate of any in the nation and three other counties, Granite, Madison and Pondera, ranked in the top 10.

"Montanans have always been great soldiers," was the comment of Army National Guard Maj. Garth Scott of Helena.

His statement was backed up by the director of the State Veterans Affairs Division, Joe Foster, who said Montana has 108,000 veterans. That's the second-highest total, per-capita, in the United States.

One reason for such high participation is that Montana's young people have traditionally been healthier and better educated than the national profile. There have been fewer rejections for military service.

Demographics also enter into the picture.

Because incomes are relatively low and jobs harder to find in rural areas, greater numbers of young people are attracted to the military. That's certainly true in the four counties mentioned above.

The patterns go back to the time of World War II, when 57,000 Montanans reported to active duty through enlistment or the Selective Service system. Ten percent of the state's population went to war.

Although the numbers have been lower since the draft was discontinued in the mid-1970s, Montana has maintained a strong participation rate.

I'm not going to get into the current debate about military service being too risky in a time of war.

That's because when Uncle Sam drafted me more than 50 years ago, there were no choices. Everyone had an obligation to serve and there were few exceptions.

I spent two years in the Army and returned to civilian life. As it turned out, it was a good trade-off because the G.I. Bill paid for my college expenses.

Today it is very much a matter of choice for young Montanans and their parents.

According to recent statistics, only two to three percent of high school graduates will enter the military. The vast majority have other goals in mind, such as entering the work force, going to college or getting some technical training.

The difference between the past and now is that young people have a greater range of choices.

Reach retired Tribune editor Bob Gilluly at 1919 W. Park, Anaconda, MT 59711, or at bomagi44@yahoo.com.

Originally published February 5, 2006