"The pay grades in the military are a separate issue ..."

Which I was not referring to when I mentioned persons of the lower economic strata. I was referring to the fact that the military is primarily composed of lower class persons who see the military as either "a good job" or as a step in getting "a good job". For the most part, persons of privlege do not go into the military. The volunteer army is not truly reflective of the diversity of the US.