A war, the mall, and an ever-widening divide

In less than 10 days, the collective heart of our nation will take pause in somber reflection on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We will join in a National Day of Service to honor the memories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We will also remember thousands of service members who were killed fighting the Global War on Terror, as well as thousands more firefighters, EMTs and police officers who died as a result of their exposure to unthinkable conditions that fateful day.

Yet as our nation takes a moment to reflect, a rising number of those who have shouldered the burden of twenty years of war feel more and more disconnected from their communities and civilian neighbors. Evidence of the growing ‘military-civilian divide’ is increasing, compelling, and deeply troubling. 

As Tom Nichols pointed out in The Atlantic “The soldiers who served overseas in those first years of major operations soon felt forgotten. ‘America’s not at war’ was a common refrain among the troops. ‘We’re at war. America’s at the mall.’”

Last year, the Blue Star Families’ Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that nearly 75 percent of active-duty respondents don’t feel connected to their local communities. Another 79 percent strongly believe that those not serving in uniform have no understanding of the military service experience, or the sacrifices made by service members, veterans, and their families. A 2018 poll found that only one in five Americans were even aware that the war in Afghanistan was still ongoing, and 42 percent believed that the Global War on Terror had ended. 

Importantly, the costs and consequences of this widening divide extend beyond the challenges faced daily by service members, veterans, and families. The Department of Defense and its senior leadership have repeatedly characterized the growing military-civilian divide as a top threat to national security. 

All this is to say that within the space of two decades, an entire generation of Americans have grown into adulthood knowing nothing but a nation at war. At the same time, for the majority of those who have come of age since 9/11, our wars have been out of sight and out of mind. The question, naturally, then becomes “What are we doing about it?” but the answer is as challenging as the issue itself to digest.

A host of military and veteran nonprofits that were born in response to 9/11 have done a good job of bringing attention to the divide, along with many other challenges that military families face. In the wake of the deaths of 13 service members, the final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and a corresponding media frenzy supporting those who fought there, highlighting the problem isn’t enough. When the attention dies down in a few weeks, Americans will be back at the mall, and we will still be at war.

The hard truth is data and awareness without subsequent action are meaningless. For too long we’ve patted ourselves on the back for identifying and giving name to an issue. We’re comfortable getting loud about it for a little while, but when it comes time to take that problem off its pedestal and really put our hands on it, the crowd goes quiet. We are failing, time and again, to put our discussion to work to drive action. 

There are encouraging signs of nonprofits moving in that direction, working together toward a common goal. During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, six veteran-led organizations formed a coalition to administer vaccines. Literally thousands of veterans found a renewed sense of purpose and assumed leadership roles in the face of global adversity. Moreover, they connected with their civilian neighbors in a meaningful way, embracing countless opportunities to serve alongside them and talk about their own service in the military. 

In the coming weeks leading to 9/11 and in the weeks thereafter, Americans from all walks of life, in and out of uniform, will have opportunities to reemerge from COVID and come together in service to their communities and one another, too. One such opportunity, called Welcome Week, will be led by Blue Star Families, the nonprofit that has done more to bring the civ-mil divide to the public’s attention than any other organization in the country. 

Blue Star Welcome Week, which will be held the last week in September, was created to recognize the approximately 600,000 active-duty and transitioning military families who move to new communities each year. It is an exciting opportunity for military and Veteran families across the country to get to know their communities better, form connections with their neighbors, and feel a sense of belonging in their new homes.

For military families, uprooting frequently has its impacts. Blue Star Families’ research shows that most military-connected families do not feel a strong sense of belonging to their local communities. This matters because when families do feel a sense of belonging, everything else improves — financial security, mental health and wellness, resilience, and even military retention. Together, we can make a difference for those who serve, veterans, and their families, simply through participating in Blue Star Welcome Week. Participation can range from a simple act of signing a virtual welcome card to organizing a community-wide service project that connects military families with their civilian neighbors. 

Engagements like these coming out of COVID that offer military and civilian families a shared experience of service will not only restore the human connection and create common ground — if done repeatedly in communities nationwide, they will also bridge the civilian-military divide.

Kevin M. Schmiegel is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who previously founded Hiring Our Heroes and led two other national military nonprofits. He is now the president of KMS Strategies.