15 % of the military are from California originally , and 20 % of the active military are based in California . They also have the largest contingent of national guard in the United States . You do not want make the military choose a side , you probably won ' t like the result . <| sep |> rocking back in forth in fetal position you don ' t need this , you don ' t need this <| sep |> The priority for the fleet was the protection of the carriers and once the landings were underway the role of the limited British aircraft was to protect the landing areas and support the ground offensive . Ships were deliberately put at risk to achieve this despite the apparent failings in air defence systems . This was because the Task Force was 7 , 000 miles away from home , with no operational reserve , extended lines of communication and the aim of liberating sovereign territory the situation demanded risks and the force had to be prepared to take high casualties because of the importance of their task . Even the Queen ' s third child was put at risk flying helicopter sorties as a decoy for Exocets ! Not for nothing was the war referred to as a damn close run thing .