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.
More from CNAS
-
Mental health care isn’t one-and-done — like any journey, you have to commit
Commentary
The "suck it up and drive on" mentality permeated our years in the U.S. military and often led us to delay getting both physical and mental health care. As veterans, we now un...
By Kayla M. Williams & Kyleanne Hunter
-
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
