 Some bronies are enlisted personnel in various United States Armed Forces , who have included the various " cutie marks " symbols from the show as insignia on their uniforms or equipment , despite not being appropriate practice for most branches , or worn only during training operations . Margaret Loesch , the CEO and President of The Hub , noted from an email from a group of United States enlisted personnel in Afghanistan explained how they came by the show through way of their daughters , but found the emphasis on teamwork and covering each other 's backs resonated with their military onset . An informal statistical census suggests that as of September 2012 , there are between 7 and 12 @.@ 4 million people in the United States that would identify themselves as bronies . 
