The next greatest generation
If I asked you today if you know someone who served in the U.S. military, how would you answer? Too often, the response is, “No.”
The National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics projects the number of veterans from recent conflicts to jump by 26% in the next three years. These are your friends, high school classmates, and neighbors. Like you, they came of age after Sept. 11, when terrorism invaded the U.S., driving increased security but also increased patriotism and civic engagement. It was this desire to tangibly support their country that propelled many to volunteer for military service, even though it meant deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan.
We were all affected by the events of Sept. 11. Twelve years later, there is still much more than can be done. To me, a good place to start is by connecting with those in your generation that served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Tom Brokaw called the generation of soldiers who fought in World War II “the greatest generation any society has ever produced,” fighting for their country because it was “the right thing to do.” He further credits this generation for returning home and building the U.S. into a global economic and political force.
Brokaw published his book in 1998, long before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan escalated. He may feel differently today, as I do, in that there is a new “greatest generation.” I believe that two million Afghanistan and Iraq veterans, nearly two thirds of whom are Millennials, are poised to become our nation’s next “greatest generation.”
I know this from personal experience. I led thousands of Millennials during multiple tours in Iraq, including as the Brigade Commander in the volatile Diyala Province for 15 months in 2006-2007. I watched my troops carry out remarkable feats of bravery and perform selfless acts of courage. They demonstrated all the qualities one could want in the toughest of situations — smarts, guts and compassion.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced veterans with skills in science, technology, and medicine and worldviews on politics and religion. The Boston Bomb victims benefited from the application of tourniquets and the emergency room skills of soldiers and medics who served in Afghanistan. The fictional Skynet in the Terminator movies is being made a reality by young soldiers specializing in satellite and drone warfare. And a major strategy in both wars has been a movement to connect with local civilians on a personal level and make them part of the global community, an effort that is enacted on a daily basis by the young men and women on the front lines.
The U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan officially ends this year and shortly, most of our soldiers will be home. I worry about the future for these heroes and their families — not necessarily their future tomorrow or the day after — but their future five or 10 years down the road. Want to help the next greatest generation? Go to my Buzz blog and read a list I’ve put together of small, simple acts you can do to make them feel at home when they come back.