Executive Summary

The central message of this report is that a new generation of veterans is returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan without sufficient connections to communities, is enthusiastic to serve again, and points the way forward for how our nation can better integrate them into civilian life. Although the 1.8 million veterans are from every corner of our nation, they are strongly united in their perspectives regarding civic responsibilities and opportunities as they return home. What's more, the findings show that OIF/OEF veterans are underutilized assets in our communities, and their continued service is likely to improve their transition home. We believe there is significant potential to increase volunteering and civic engagement among this generation of veterans.

Transition Home

The transition from military to civilian life is critical to the long-term welfare of the veteran. Existing research has appropriately focused on the provision of health care, employment and support for families. What is missing has been an understanding of their civic lives and the roles community institutions and their own service on the home front can play in their successful transition from military to civilian life.

• Only 13 percent of OIF/OEF veterans strongly agreed that their transition home was going well, and just 9 percent strongly agreed the needs of their family were being met.
• Nearly nine out of ten OIF/OEF veterans (89 percent) strongly agreed or agreed that Americans could learn something from the example of service of Veterans, yet only half consider themselves leaders in their communities as a result of their military service.
• Nearly seven in ten respondents (69 percent) said that they had not been contacted by a community institution, local non-profit, or place of worship. Fifty-four percent of veterans had been contacted by a veterans service organization. Sixty-nine percent were offered a service, while only 21 percent were asked to serve. Those veterans who were volunteers were twice as likely to have been contacted by a community organization than those who did not volunteer.

Ready to Serve

The service commitment of the veteran does not end on the battlefield, but continues after the return home. OIF/OEF veterans were united in their views on community service and the obligation of other Americans to serve.

• Ninety-two percent of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that serving their community is important to them and 90 percent strongly agreed or agreed that service was a basic responsibility of every American. Non-white veterans were more likely than white veterans to say that they strongly agreed or agreed that serving the community is important to them (98 percent versus 92 percent) and that public service was a basic responsibility (95 percent versus 88 percent).
• Even while they were serving in active duty, 70 percent of OIF/OEF veterans felt motivated to volunteer in their communities. Fifty percent of veterans said they had volunteered since returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, while Census data shows the percentage of Americans volunteering hovers around 27 percent.
• Veterans were interested in meeting needs in their communities and many wanted to serve on multiple issues, with 95 percent wanting to serve wounded veterans; 90 percent wanting to serve other veterans and military families; 88 percent wanting to participate in disaster relief; 86 percent wanting to serve at-risk youth; 82 percent wanting to help older Americans; and 69 percent wanting to help conserve the environment.

Motivations and Means

Harnessing the potential of OIF/OEF veterans requires an understanding of their motivations and perspectives on how they can most effectively be engaged.

• Veterans are self-motivated; almost half of those surveyed (42 percent) indicated their principal motivation for serving was themselves. This greatly outpaces any other influence, such as a friend (13 percent), a spouse (11 percent), or other family member (10 percent). These findings show greater self-direction among veterans than the motivations to serve among the general public.13
• Nearly seven in ten veterans (69 per cent) who have not yet volunteered said it was because they had not been asked to serve and/or do not have enough information on meaningful service opportunities (68 percent). Only 16 percent said they had no interest in serving. Four out of five (78 percent) of those asked to serve by a veterans organization have volunteered.
• The greatest increase in volunteering among OIF/OEF veterans occurred when they had been home at least two years. While only 28 percent of veterans who were home less than six months volunteered, 47 percent of veterans who were back one to two years volunteered and 61 percent of veterans who were home two or more years volunteered. Organizations should ask veterans to serve and establish a relationship between one and two years after they have returned home.
• Veterans strongly agreed or agreed that they are also motivated to serve by respected veterans (76 percent) and an educational award (65 percent), while only 36 percent strongly agreed or agreed that a small stipend for their service would motivate them. Existing research shows that, unlike OIF/OEF veterans, civilians cite tax benefits, small stipends and other financial incentives as strong motivational factors for serving.14

Helping Communities and Themselves

Veterans not only have the capacity and skills to help address problems in communities; there is also good evidence to show that such service will help veterans themselves.

• Fifty-five percent of respondents who volunteer said their transitions were going well, compared to 47 percent of non-volunteers. The difference held for their family's transition, with 48 percent of veterans who volunteer saying their family's needs were being met, while only 38 percent of non-volunteers said the same. Our youngest veterans are having the hardest time with their transitions and finding meaningful service opportunities, with 47 percent of veterans 29 years old or younger saying their transitions were going well, while 57 percent of veterans 30 years or older strongly agreed or agreed with the same statement.
• Thirty percent of non-volunteering veterans were willing to give 11 hours or more a month (the equivalent of more than three work weeks a year) to serving their communities. Another 32 percent of non-volunteering veterans were willing to give 6-10 hours a month. In the aggregate, this represents 1.1 million non-volunteering veterans who are willing to give significant time serving their communities.
• OIF/OEF Veterans have learned skills during their military service that are relevant to meeting the needs of nonprofit organizations, with 61 percent citing management and supervision skills; 61 percent highlighting their ability to lead diverse groups of people; and 63 percent highlighting team building skills.

Unleashing the Talents of Veterans

The perspectives of OEF/OIF veterans on their transitions home and their interest in serving and connecting to their communities offer a foundation for action on the home front to meet them where they are. This generation of veterans has spoken. It is time for our nation to respond. To help these veterans, we need to:

In the Nation

• Change our national dialogue and view veterans as civic assets, not charity cases. Veterans, policymakers and leaders from various sectors should organize efforts around treating veterans as civic assets in their communities. All avenues to invest leaders in an understanding of veterans toward their civic lives and the common solutions to unleash their talents should be undertaken — including congressional hearings, White House conferences, summits of state and local officials, and public forums among veterans service organizations, non-profit and faith-based institutions, and communities. In all cases, the perspectives of OIF/OEF veterans should be central to the discussions. Such action should include resurrecting the "On the Home Front" initiative taken after 9/11 and enlisting returning veterans and other volunteers in providing support to military families who need help with everything from home repairs to keeping small businesses operating. A national public service announcement campaign should be conducted to educate the public on how returning veterans are civic assets to their country and should be better integrated into their communities to share their leadership and inspire others to serve their nation.
• De-Stigmatize PTSD/TBI, while Maintaining High Screening. Working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and organizations specializing in PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), we must educate nonprofit organizations on the need to de-stigmatize PTSD/TBI and put in place appropriate procedures to engage veterans in volunteer service opportunities, while maintaining standard protocols for screening volunteers. In an effort to further limit the effects of PTSD/TBI and other health issues, new research should be commissioned to marshal existing and new evidence showing that volunteer service and civic engagement can improve job prospects, health and well-being, and family stability.
• Provide High Quality Service Opportunities through the Veterans Service Corps. The Corporation for National and Community Service should build and implement the Veterans Service Corps by providing high quality service opportunities for veterans that reflect the perspectives of OIF/OEF veterans on how and when they would like to serve their communities and the skills they could bring to various efforts. The service opportunities available through the Veterans Service Corps should reflect the specific interests that OIF/OEF veterans shared, such as working with at-risk youth, helping prepare the nation for disaster relief, assisting older Americans, conserving the environment, and addressing poverty and homelessness. Opportunities should also be provided to veterans through the new Education Corps, Health Corps, Opportunity Corps, Clean Energy Corps and the existing Citizen Corps for disaster relief and homeland security.
• Expand Troops to Teachers. Congress should pass the Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act, which would expand the little-known program Troops to Teachers by decreasing the program's eligibility requirements from six years of active duty in the service to four years to attract younger members of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. A study of Troops to Teachers should examine the impact of these teachers on student attendance and academic achievement and on the well-being of the veterans themselves.
• Strengthen the Transition of Wounded Warriors. The Army's Warrior Transition Units and the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Units should incorporate community service as a key element of the recovery and transition process. These units are designed to transition wounded service members to productive, meaningful lives beyond their military service. These units should track the progress wounded veterans are making as a result of their greater engagement in volunteer service and civic life.
• Conduct an Annual Survey of Veterans and Civic Life. The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), a Congressionally-chartered nonprofit created after World War II to strengthen citizenship on the home front and that annually releases the Civic Health Index, should make returning veterans a central focus of its annual survey. The NCoC should test what indicators relating to veterans might be useful to include in the annual collection of civic health data by the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Engage Veterans in Social Innovation. Working in partnership with the new White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and non-profit groups like New Profit, efforts should be undertaken to raise awareness in the social entrepreneurship community about this generation of veterans — their attitudes and behaviors about civic engagement and the unique skills they bring from their military training and experience. This will enable social entrepreneurs to both chart innovations around the needs of veterans and their families, while also utilizing veterans as assets in their efforts.

In States

• Replicate Successful Models among Governors. States, such as Minnesota and Washington, have launched innovative initiatives to engage veterans throughout their states in meaningful service activities. Governors should examine the benefits of creating models similar to Warrior to Citizen, VetCorps or Veterans Service Corps at the state level.
• Incorporate Veterans into the Cities of Service Initiative. Mayors across America are initiating new efforts to mobilize volunteers to help tackle local challenges, especially in tough budget times. Veterans, who have unique skills and leadership qualities, should be systematically engaged in these new service efforts.

In Communities

• Create 10 Community Pilots. Working in partnership with the Cities of Service initiative where Mayors are already engaged, efforts should be undertaken to create 10 community pilots, many in places where there is a strong military presence, such as Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, California; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Clarksville, Tennessee; Oak Harbor, Washington; and Fort Riley, Kansas. Pilots should also be created in rural areas where returning veterans often face the highest sense of isolation. These pilots should be partnerships between the military, nonprofits, veterans service organizations, faith-based groups and elected officials that aim to ensure veterans have meaningful opportunities to serve alongside fellow citizens.
• Engage Faith-Based Institutions in Veterans Outreach. One weekend in 2010, every church, mosque and synagogue in America should encourage the minister, rabbi or imam to dedicate a portion of the service to introducing a military service member to the congregation. The faith leader could highlight the service member's role in the community and suggest that civilian members of the congregation, and military members of the congregation share a meal together in the next month. Faith-based institutions should intentionally reach out to veterans with meaningful service opportunities for them and their families.
• Strengthen College Efforts around the GI Bill and Federal Work Study Program. Working with Campus Compact, coalitions of colleges, community colleges, HBCUs and HSIs should be built around the GI Bill to support veterans returning to college campuses, and ensure those coalitions think critically about service opportunities for students who are veterans. Best practices should be shared among colleges that are successful in integrating veterans into campus life, especially through leadership and service opportunities. The Federal Work Study program should make special efforts to engage OIF/OEF veterans on campus in leading or participating in community service activities.
• Facilitate Veterans Service and Innovation Online. We must ensure that organizations looking to engage OIF/OEF veterans meet them where they are: online. Community organizations should work in partnership to ensure that service opportunities are available to veterans online, and other means of online communication are utilized to better connect veterans. A summit on Technology and the Veteran should be held to bring together the most innovative thinkers and organizations around how to use technology to enable veterans to recreate communities of veterans who can communicate with one another, highlight their needs and those of military families, and find opportunities to work together in communities.
• Recognize Veterans for their Service on the Home Front. Veterans have uniforms that are full of commendations for their military service. Efforts should be undertaken to provide recognition for their outstanding service on the home front. More nonprofits should be made aware of two honors — the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and the President's Volunteer Service Award — and the steps they can take to ensure veterans receive proper recognition for their service to the community, while making it easier for nonprofits to nominate service members for these two honors and for all branches to bestow those honors on deserving individuals.