Veterans More Involved Helping Others Than Civilians Are

Veterans more likely to volunteer, vote, serve community than civilians 
The Washington Times
By Jacqueline Klimas
Thursday, April 30, 2015

“They have learned to put service before self, to bridge differences to accomplish shared goals. “What they now need is a new purpose. At a time when our country faces so many challenges, we need to make the most of what veterans have to offer.”
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald

Veterans are more likely than similar civilians to volunteer more hours, to vote consistently and to serve in civic organizations, according to a report released Thursday that advocates hope will counteract the perception of veterans as “broken heroes.”

The report found that veterans, even those who may be struggling with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are eager to contribute to their communities and can make neighborhoods safer and friendlier.

“For years, we’ve been working to make sure veterans are perceived as leaders and assets. Now we have empirical evidence,” said Chris Marvin, managing director of Got Your 6, a veterans group that sponsored the report. “The statement that veterans are civic assets is no longer an opinion; it’s a fact, and it’s backed up by data.”

In addition to volunteering more hours annually — 160 for an average veteran volunteer compared with 120 for a civilian — veterans are more likely to trust most of their neighbors, the report found.

Veterans also are more likely to vote in local elections, contact their public officials and discuss politics frequently with families and friends.

Former service members came under fire this week after a CNN anchorwoman suggested that veterans who left the service and became police officers may be partly to blame for law-enforcement violence against minority communities around the country.

“I love our nation’s veterans, but some of them are coming back from war, they don’t know the communities and they’re ready to do battle,” Brooke Baldwin said live on air while reporting on the riots in Baltimore.

John W. Stroud, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, called Ms. Baldwin’s comments insulting to those who served the country in the military and urged others to contact CNN to voice their disgust. Ms. Baldwin has since issued an on-air apology.
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