Political Soldiers: Sources of Iraq War Veteran Support and Opposition to War by David Flores A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology) in The University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Professor Howard A. Kimeldorf, Chair Professor David G. Winter Professor Alford A. Young Jr. Associate Professor Anthony S. Chen, Northwestern University David Flores © 2012 All Rights Reserved To Ceciclê, and in memory of my mother Estela ii Acknowledgements It is a pleasure to thank those who made this dissertation possible. First, this study would not have happened without the time and effort of Iraq War veterans who volunteered to share their personal experiences of warfare and political activism. Both members of Vets for Freedom and Iraq Veterans Against the War welcomed me into their respective communities as a fellow vet even though I left the military in 2000 and did not participate in the Iraq War. I have worked tirelessly to stay true to their stories and hope that they find this dissertation representative of their views. This intellectual journey began when I met David Ramirez, my counselor at Southwestern Community College who recognized my potential as a scholar from the moment that I walked into his office. He introduced me to research universities and changed the trajectory of my future. Maria Lucero Padilla and Dr. Harold Campbell in the Student Support Service office at the University of California at Berkeley. Maria understands the trials and tribulations of first generation students, but more importantly, she knows how to inspire us to thrive. Dr. Campbell, continue to do the important work that you do; it is truly making an impact. The George A. Miller Scholars Program for first generation, low-income community college transfer students and The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program. My undergraduate mentors at UC Berkeley Professors Barrie Thorne, Martin Sanchez-Jankowski, and Margaret Weir. My community of UC Berkeley iii alumni scholars who have supported me over the years, Martin Olea, Alfredo Garcia, Maria Cruz, Winford Adams, and Juan Esteva. I owe my greatest intellectual debt to my dissertation chair, Howard Kimeldorf. He was the first to welcome me to the University of Michigan and remained supportive throughout my graduate training. His enthusiasm for this project remained high from its inception and at times exceeded my own; particularly at the crucial moment when I shifted from conducting fieldwork to writing the dissertation and felt that I didn’t have anything sociologically interesting to write about. I finally learned how to do sociological research as we tirelessly mapped-out different patterns of social processes on the whiteboard and on countless sheets of paper. Moreover, his “old school” method of written feedback via the red pen helped sharpen my arguments throughout several phases of this project. This study would not be where it is today without the long-term support and guidance of my dissertation committee members. Alford Young Jr. has supported me and my work throughout graduate school. His ability to draw out theoretically significant findings from kernels of narrative data gave me the strength to continue writing about the significance of experience in sociological research. On a personal level, he made sure to check-in on me just to talk about life and fatherhood. Anthony Chen’s critical eye toward sections of my writing where I needed clarify my arguments, or deepen my analysis made this study better and more convincing to critical readers. In addition, he encouraged me to expand the policy implications of my work because he strongly believes in this study’s importance for both sociologists and policy makers. David Winter was always enthusiastic about my work and invited me to give guest lectures to his courses on the iv psychological aspects of war and peace. I was fortunate to have a Psychologist on my committee who is an expert in the analysis of human personality with a passion for the history of warfare. He always welcomed me into his office and carefully listened to my ideas providing feedback that was intelligent, practical, and on point. My personal and scholarly support system at the University of Michigan believed in both the merits of my project and my ability to perform research at the highest level. Kim Greenwell, Eric Eide, Zakiya Luna, Sarah Jerick, Amy Cooter, Mariana Craciun, David Hutson, Camilo Leslie, Yan Long, Atef Said, Ethan Schoolman, Jamie Small, Jessie Streib, and Claire Whitlinger. In particular Marco Garrido, Sun-Jae Hwang, Byung-ho Lee, Drew Meyers, and Dr. Gloria Martinez who provided me with a sense of belonging in both academia and as personal friends. Dr. Debbie Mitchell, Dr. Luis Sfeir- Younis, Dr. Bill Shea, and Arny Stieber held me accountable for doing research for the public good. I have been fortunate to receive generous funding throughout graduate school and in support of this project. The Rackham Ronald E. McNair Scholar Fellowship, the American Sociological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program, the Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Rackham Dissertation Finishing Fellowship funded my graduate training. The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and Veterans for Peace – Chapter 93 awarded research grants that made it possible for me to travel across the country to conduct interviews. v I thank my family for their love and support. My father, Gilberto Flores, left school after eighth grade in order to work and provide for his siblings. He taught me the value of waking up early each morning to put in a hard day’s work and to live my life with honesty and integrity. My mother, Estela Flores, died two months prior to the completion of this study. She did not completely understand the details of my work, but always encouraged me to thrive and ponerle muchas ganas! I miss her more than words can describe. My siblings, Gilbert and Carmen who have taken care of my parents in my absence, which has allowed me the opportunity to continue my education outside of California. Gilbert, you taught me discipline, responsibility, and how to value family over work. You have always lived up to your role as the older brother and leader of our family. Carmen, you keep me grounded. When my head gets too big with academic ideas, you always reel me back in and remind me of where I come from. And last, but definitely not least, I thank my wife Ceciclê and two daughters Sophia and Olivia. Ceciclê has never doubted my ability to succeed and is an amazingly supportive life companion. We drove five days in my father’s old van from California to Michigan, in the middle of summer, without air conditioning, and arrived in Ann Arbor without a place to live so that I could begin graduate school. Over the past eight years, we started a family and shared many wonderful moments in Ann Arbor. I look forward to the moments that await us in New Mexico. My daughters Sophia and Olivia made the process of writing this dissertation so much more enjoyable. Their laughter and unconditional love made me realize the importance of maintaining a balanced life and taking the time to just play. vi Table of Contents Dedication ........................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Appendices ...............................................................................................................x Abstract .............................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 Introduction .........................................................................................................1 Gary and Brad: Divergent Political Attitudes ................................................................. 5 Political Attitudes ........................................................................................................... 8 Theorizing Events and Experiences as Mechanisms .................................................... 13 Research Problem ......................................................................................................... 20 Data Collection and Methods ....................................................................................... 24 Chapter 2 Expectations and Experiences of the Military and War ....................................30 Military Service and American Life ............................................................................. 32 Experiences that Failed Expectations of Military Service ............................................ 40 Experiences that Met or Exceeded Expectations of Military Service .......................... 52 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 3 Experiences of Combat .....................................................................................68 Sociological Studies of War ........................................................................................