The Civilian-Military Divide on Campus
What it's like trying to straddle two worlds and close the gap.
The gap between civilians and the military is palpable at college campuses across the country and the difference between a freshman with four years of military experience and even their similarly aged college senior couldn’t be starker. During more than two decades of war, the American population has sacrificed nearly nothing while an increasingly homogenous warrior caste has borne the brunt. To make up for it, the nation has chosen to place the military on a pedestal — something harmful to our democracy.
The onus to close the civ-mil divide is on the veteran, not the other way around. The military and veterans, as our former General Martin Dempsey said, need to reach out.
Most civilians will never understand any of the experiences of the modern veteran of the global war on terror. This is a good thing; we don’t need or want everyone to know how pungent the smell of an HMMWV on fire is, or how a human body turns to mush that feels like oatmeal after an IED, or even what it feels like to have someone shoot at you.
So how do we close that divide? Sebastian Junger has some excellent ideas for civilians to share the moral burden. Sharing our stories is vital for healing within and through our…
