October 26, 2017

Want to Honor the Vets? Go See This Movie.

Ancient Greeks knew war intimately, thanks to frequent conflict at the time and norms about military service that existed back then. Despite or maybe because of this intimacy with violence, audiences numbering in the thousands flocked to amphitheaters to watch tragedieslike Ajax. The soldiers in the audience experienced the movies as a form of catharsis; the citizens watched out of duty to vicariously experience the wars fought in their name.

Fast-forward two millennia. Our country has been at war for 16 years, but the verities of war remain known only to an American warrior caste: the 3 million men and women who have deployed since 9/11 and their families. In airports, at baseball games, and in shopping malls, Americans express nothing but gratitude and respect for the troops. Indeed, political debates have erupted recently over what expresses respect for the troops more: free speech or patriotic salutes. And yet very few Americans know much about the realities of our wars anymore, nor about the troops who fought them.

Read the full op-ed in Slate.

  • Podcast
    • November 23, 2024
    What Trump’s Pick for Secretary of Defense Could Mean for Inclusivity in the Military

    Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at CNAS joins to discuss the Trump administration nominee for secretary of defense....

    By Dr. Kyleanne Hunter

  • Commentary
    • Defense One
    • November 22, 2024
    To Improve Recruiting, Make Medical Standards Match Retention Ones

    Standards exist for a reason, but excluding people who could thrive in the military unnecessarily impairs readiness....

    By Kareen Hart & Taren Sylvester

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • November 20, 2024
    Sharper: Trump 2.0

    Donald Trump's return to the White House is widely expected to reshape America's global priorities. With personnel choices and policy agendas that mark a significant break fro...

    By Charles Horn & Gwendolyn Nowaczyk

  • Podcast
    • November 18, 2024
    Team America

    Kate Kuzminski, Deputy Director of Studies, and the Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society (MVS) Program at CNAS, joins to discuss President-elect Donald Trump nomina...

    By Katherine L. Kuzminski

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia