text: Active Duty Military Attending the RNC A   recent report  filed by the Associated Press contained a startling bit of information:      About 15 percent of the 4,800-plus delegates and alternates to the convention in New York are veterans, organizers said Monday. An additional 3 percent are active military personnel.      This report was   displayed prominently  on the Republican National  Committee's website, and   lauded gleefully  by the fine folks at Free Republic, among others    As it turns out though, it's actually not such a good thing to have active-duty military anywhere near a political convention - if you value your democracy.  In fact, up until just a few days before the convention, it was quite illegal for active-duty military even to attend.  And yet, there it was in black and white.  Active duty military members were not only attending, but participating as delegates in the RNC.  How could this happen?    