Blacks who want to make a career in the military generally focus on working in, say, logistics rather than in combat arms. See Moskos and Butler& #39;s "All That We Can Be."

But if you want to be a Marine 4-star general, you need to be a fighting man.

That& #39;s how the Marines work. https://twitter.com/nytpolitics/status/1300590209587965952">https://twitter.com/nytpoliti...

Back in 1990, 7% of US Army generals were black. But the 1980s Cold War Army didn& #39;t fight much, but sat waiting in the Fulda Gap. This benefited the careers of blacks in logistics. Since then, we& #39;ve had lots of small wars, which helped combat arms officers, who tend to be white.

Moskos & Butler& #39;s book on blacks in the Army 25+ years ago pointed out that black career soldiers tend to have sensible career plans focusing on getting organizational jobs that will get them post-Army government jobs and eventually collect 2 pensions.

In contrast, a lot of the white recruits wanted to "play Rambo for four years, then go to college."

The Army is an interesting counter-stereotype situation where the blacks tend to be more prudent and the whites more death or glory.

Moskos & Sibley said that by 1990 many black enlistees in the Army were 2nd or 3rd generation. Serving in supply in the Army was becoming a bit of a hereditary career for a part of the black lower middle class.

It& #39;s pretty sensible but means black careers top out ~2 stars.