The military has been recognized as one of the most crucial institutions in setting the parameters of national citizenship, and in helping facilitate the expansion of these boundaries to include racial minorities. Historically, it is during periods of war and strong external threat that notions of shared American identity become most salient. It is also during these periods that racial minorities can demonstrate their patriotism through military service, and thus make a claim for the full benefits of social membership.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/asbookchapters/1020/thumbnail.jp
