Adverse Childhood Experiences and Military Service

To the Editor The article by Blosnich et al¹ on the association of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with military service perpetuates the common and damaging stereotype that individuals who serve in the US military are more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds than those who have never served. Despite the authors’ recommendation for balanced messaging, their conclusion that military enlistment may serve as an “escape from adversity” or “a route for a subset of persons to escape dysfunctional home environments” is an ill-advised sweeping generalization.