Does war mask domestic economic troubles?

It seems that just preceding a large troop deployment outside the U.S.
there is a sluggish job market. It picks up seemingly in proportion to
the temporary job vacancies created when the troops are overseas and
when they are recalled the job market seems to go bust again. Has
anyone noticed this phenomena? This comes from veterans of several wars
who describe the same tight job market when they returned home. Is part
of the function of war to create job vacancies at home?

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