Motley:  Generalizations are always dangerous..and I think you make several which are unwarrented.

However, I will agree that military service has been a very good opportunity for many young men and women of all races and ethnicities to change the course of their lives for the better.  When I taught/counseled at a Riverside County, Cal. probation facility one of the Parole Officers was also an Army Recruiter.  Many of the young men who finished the Twin Pines Ranch program and received their High School diploma went directly into the military.  They didn't return to their home, old neighborhood and old "friends" for even a day.  It worked extremely well.  The discipline and order of the military allowed them time to transition toward "outside" life, develop more solid values and prepare for their future.  So, yes, indeed, most minorities who enter the military do very well.  Personally, I wish we had a mandatory two-year national service system for all 18 year olds. (continued)