Despite an unprecedented pace of operations in the past five years, National Guard and reserve members responding to this year’s Military Times Poll say their job satisfaction is high.

And the overwhelming majority would sign up again — and would suggest that others do the same.

Two-thirds of those responding have served at least one combat tour and 13 percent were in a war zone at the time they responded to the e-mail poll, conducted between Dec. 10-17. This is the first year that the Military Times Poll has surveyed Guard and reserve members.

Like their active-duty counterparts, reservists were optimistic that the U.S. will succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they are just as skeptical of the president’s war management.

The poll drew 945 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The sample was drawn from subscribers to the Military Times newspapers and should not be construed as a reflection of the entire Guard and reserve force. The sample is older (average age 42) and longer in service (average of 18 years) than the force as a whole. But it does offer insight into how members of the career Guard and reserves feel.

In both the active force and the Guard and reserves, 57 percent said there was little or no conflict between their family life and their military duties.

But when asked if they were satisfied with the amount of time they spent with their families, half the active force expressed dissatisfaction. Only one-fifth of the Guard and reserve did.

— Tobias Naegele

DISCUSS: The poll results