I think as far as service is concerned most military members skew right. The reason for this attitude is simple...MONEY!
The right has always been more hawkish and military members feel that in their everyday life.
Currently, Pelosi would like the DOD budget cut. How will she accomplish it? Let's say she leaves the op numbers the same because of the wars, that means it comes from other areas. These areas would be all from the benefits side which include housing, medical, even daycare. Now imagine being a service member living on base in a house with lead paint. The military can't afford to renovate the home, so you must sign a waiver saying you accept the house knowing there is lead paint. You have a 2 yo at home, don't you think they become angry that they were placed into the situation that for financial reasons they need to live on base, but at the same time as they are willing to die for the country, their family is at risk? Maybe it means that the on base/post hospital will now refer out pregnant spouses because they close OBGYN. Referring them out means they must utilize tri-care for all medical reasons...she breaks her arm and they must pay $$$, if the base hospital took her it would have been free. Maybe it means that they change the per diem for TDY/PCS...they force you to move across country and you have to shell out the bucks to stay in a hotel because it is more than they are paying. I can tell you from experience, the per diem never comes under what you spend, and that means staying with 3 kids in a 1 room at Days Inn. Why do you think so many of the SMART members buy RVs...it is so they can DITY and not stay in a room that you wonder what have you done?
The military is no different than the "real world", when you are told to make due with less your attitude will change. If the news media is saying that the dems are the ones that want your pay reduced and the repubs are against it, who will you support? It's all about the $$$. Old craniums still remember back in 96 when the republicans were in charge under Clinton that they got very nice pay increases for several yrs. Republican controlled congress also changed the retirement scale back.
Many military members that retire go contractor world. It takes 1 yr to retire as an officer, during that time the military member is interviewing with companies like Lockheed, Grumman, Rand, Raytheon, Booze-Allen, SAIC, etc. They don't hire because this administration converts the jobs from contractor to govt (lower pay) comes back and bites the dem party...$$$. They tell all of their co-workers of their issues and it trickles down with resentment to the dems. Fear goes a long way in how you view a party.
For people who have been active duty in the past several yrs, they can tell you of how benefits changed under dems and under republicans. Not speaking Presidents, just MOCs.
The other thing that hurt the dems, IMHO was the adage I support the soldier, but not the war. There are many soldiers who cannot differentiate the 2 ideas, because as a soldier they must follow their orders and it appears to them that by following the order they are not being supported. It is an IMAGE conundrum.
Finally, as an Independent who leans right...this administration ticked me off last week with the remark that Obama's administration is winning the war in Iraq. Really? Wasn't it the SURGE that changed the success of the war? Did Obama vote for the surge? Has our president come out and verbally stated the surge worked? Was it not Hillary Clinton who had the famous remark of "Suspension of disbelief" when addressing Petraeus or as the left called him Betray-Us? How about our Veep? Pelosi? Reid? Not to be antagonistic, but somebody explain how it was this administration who voted against the surge claim that they are winning the war without giving Bush the credit for the surge? Just have to ask how the dems can defend the claim with a straight face.