Politics October 11, 2016
Imagine picking two 30-ish men out of a random crowd of Americans. They are roughly the same age, of the same ethnicity, grew up in the same area and have similar education levels … only one has served in the armed forces and the other hasn’t. Will all of these similarities cancel out the glaring differences between civilians and veterans? Research from Pew Social Trends implies that the answer is a big N-O. In fact, when asked if the public understands the problems that service members face, 77 percent of veterans and 71 percent of civilians didn’t think so.
This difficulty to relate to one another forms the basis of an increasingly common social phenomenon: the civilian and veteran gap. What exactly is the gap? Why is it happening? And how is it making veterans’ return home even worse than war? Here are all the stats, facts and personal stories that you need to know.
What is the gap?
Let’s take a quick trip back to high school English class. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “gap”? According to Merriam-Webster, it’s something like “a space between two people or things.” The social gap between civilians and veterans introduces this definition into Americans’ daily lives. A literal space can exist between civilians and veterans, making it hard to live in the same area or pursue the same jobs or hobbies. As Adam Tiffen from Task and Purpose explains, however, the social divide mainly refers to the fact that “Americans today, at all levels of society and government, are more disconnected from the shared sacrifices made by members of the military than ever before.”
Why does it happen?
Why has this social gap in America become so common? There are plenty of possible reasons. According to Pew Social Trends, the decreased family connections to military members might be to blame – and they have plenty of statistics to prove it, including:
The less personal connections people have to the military, it seems, the less they can empathize with and relate to men and women in the military.
Adam Tiffen offers a few other explanations for the “civilian-military divide.” He points out that, since America ended the draft, more of those entering the military come from families with histories of military service. Just imagine if your college only allowed people to major in their parents’ majors. Diversity within majors would nosedive just like military diversity (in terms of represented socio-economic levels) has declined.
Ironically, the technology that has connected people from all over the world has also contributed to the disconnect between military members and civilians. First, the decrease in federal military spending has decreased wars’ impact on American taxpayers. With fewer military family members and yearly costs, the armed forces truly have become “out of sight, out of mind” for most civilians. Technology has also changed how the military works. Instead of fighting in battlefields, service members can now work in subfields like nation building or cyber security. Nowadays, understanding the plot of “Interstellar” may seem easier than understanding what a veteran did for a living.
Regardless of the exact cause, one fact is certain: The gap between the average American and the average American service member is becoming too large to ignore.
How does it hurt service members?
Have you ever left home for the summer – or for a year at college – only to come back and feel out of place at your hometown and with your previous friends? For many veterans, this story sounds all too familiar. Sergeant Major James Moore mainly blames the two groups’ different priorities, telling The Atlantic, “It is difficult to go back into a society of ‘What’s in it for me?’ when a Marine has been taught the opposite for so long.” As a result, a veteran’s previous home may no longer feel like one … and the people he or she has fought to protect may seem like a different breed instead of fellow Americans.
The gap between civilians’ and veterans’ experiences, beliefs and lifestyles can also make it difficult for veterans to find work in the public sector. Do you remember the first time you filled out a resume or attended a job interview? You probably didn’t know what “buzz words” to use, what skills to stress or how to answer the age-old question, “What’s your biggest weakness?” in a positive way.
Veterans often similarly struggle to play the employment game. As Leo Shane III at Stars and Stripes explains, a “language barrier” exists between troops who boast accomplishments like ribbons or military certification classes and civilian companies that don’t know the difference between a captain and a colonel. Veterans are also disadvantaged by computer programs that often search for civilian titles like “senior adviser” instead of military terms like “senior NCO.”
This lack of employment opportunities can hurt more than veterans’ wallets. Researchers have found that unemployed veterans are more likely to experience depression and substance abuse, reject help for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and become homeless. In a way, the gap between civilians and service members is creating another battlefield, one in which veterans fight to relate to civilian friends, find a job and face personal demons.
How can it be fixed?
What can you – or anyone – do to close the harmful gap between civilians and veterans? Stars and Stripes reports that in March of 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created the Personal Branding Resume Engine, in which veterans can input their military accomplishments and receive personalized resumes, business cards and job interview pitches.
For true change to occur, however, The Atlantic calls for more adjustments, such as a reinstating the draft similar to Germany’s current system, which requires eighteen months of military service or two years of public service for every man and woman. The ROTC program should also be expanded, military officers should be encouraged to attend civilian universities and, most importantly, the “new middle class” should have much greater involvement with the military.
For Adam Tiffen at Task and Purpose, this last idea is the most practical and influential choice. Promoting military service across all social and economic classes would increase young Americans’ knowledge of and appreciation for the military, even if they don’t have personal ties to any service members. Once America expects everyone to engage in some form of national service – in the military or as a civilian volunteer – America can start bridging the gap between civilians and veterans.
