For all his frustration over military interventions, Langston said the election issues for him are “healthcare, jobs and economic stability.” A lifelong Republican, he voted for Gingrich in the primary but now supports Romney. “The economy is still faltering, the job rate has not gotten any better regardless of the hype, and the gas prices are killing us,” he said.

Overall, like the rest of the nation, former soldiers are deeply concerned about the future. Only 24 percent in the Reuters poll said the country is headed in the right direction, with 60 percent saying it is off on the wrong track.

Langston said social issues will not influence his vote. As for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the now repealed policy that forced homosexuals out of the military, he came around to supporting repeal after initially opposing it. “An individual has a right to be who they are,” he said.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, a majority of veterans now agree with him.

With the unpredictability of foreign involvements and the fragility of the domestic economy, it is too early to say who will eventually win the veteran vote.

Karen Grafton, who voted for Obama in 2008 based on his promise to end the Iraq war, now says, “I want someone to get us out of this economic turmoil. That’s No. 1. I’m not sure he is the person to do that. But I don’t blame him. He inherited a mess.”

Asked about Obama’s handling of his job, 27 percent of veterans approved, and 37 percent disapproved, with the rest undecided.

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