Mike, regardless of what the 'DON' has said in the past it isn't relevant today. If 1 out of every 100 kids that go to the drag races to see the Army car were to sign up for the military the numbers would not be relevant, and I can guarantee you that they do not get 1 our of 100 to sign up. The money to DSR is a waste of our money that could be used in a better place.
I have a nephew who is a 1st LT in the 5th BCT 101st Airborne Division. He has been a Black Ops officer, which used to be the Green Berets), for three years and had made one trip to Iraq and 2 to Afghanistan and was on orders to start Ranger school three mondays ago. On the friday before he was to report his battalion commander called him in and said Ranger school had been cancelled. Not him going to Ranger school but the entire Ranger training program had been closed and those currently in Ranger school are being reassigned without finishing school. If we can't afford to train the military we certainly can't afford to waste money by sponsoring a race car?
I would willing go up against the Shoe on this one face to face. The Joint Chief's of Staff of all the military branches also agree that things like this are not justifiable. How DSR kept the Army sponsorship is baffeling. It doesn't pay for itself and never will. It just takes money away from our service people who defend our country.