May 29, 2017
Military is trending regional and 'all in the family.' We need more diversity.
As tensions rise in several regions, possibly leading to new U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and other combat operations, it’s worth pausing to truly consider who fights our wars.
Across the spectrum of military ranks and occupations, “service in the military, no matter how laudable, has become something for other people to do,” then-Defense secretary Robert Gates said in a speech at Duke University in 2010. He pointed to the relatively few students who would be considering military service upon graduation as symptomatic of the growing civil-military divide.
With an active-duty force comprising merely 0.4% of the U.S. population, this divide between the military and the rest of society is unsurprising. However, and despite the services’ continued efforts, two trends are making it harder to bridge the divide: increased regional and familial concentration within the armed forces.
Read the full article in USA Today.
More from CNAS
-
State Veteran Benefit Finder
Reports
In the post-9/11 era, a “sea of goodwill” made up of organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors has formed to support veterans, servicemembers, their families...
By Carole House, Emma Moore, Brent Peabody & Kayla M. Williams
-
From Sea to Shining Sea
Reports
In a new online tool, Carole House, Emma Moore, Brent Peabody, and Kayla Williams catalogue benefits for the veteran community offered by each state so that stakeholders can e...
By Carole House, Emma Moore, Brent Peabody & Kayla M. Williams
-
Kayla Williams Discusses Veterans Issues on Washington Post Live
Video
On Wednesday, November 6, Kayla M. Williams joined Elliot Ackerman and Washington Post reporter Alex Horton on Washington Post Live for a conversation about issues facing Amer...
By Kayla M. Williams
-
End harassment at VA hospitals
Commentary
When I ran the VA’s Center for Women Veterans, one of my highest priorities was changing the culture throughout the organization to be more welcoming of women veterans, who ma...
By Kayla M. Williams
