Changing the Veteran Stereotype

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Permalink Reply by Shawn Hurt on January 29, 2008 at 10:32am

I think politicians tend to show case the worse case scenarios in everything for political gain (especially in election years). These things get picked up by the media because they follow the politicians.

This is not a bad thing if it mobilizes people to help those in need. The reality is that individuals in the military are a cross section of the nation as a whole (mostly good, a little bad and sometimes on rare occasions - the ugly). When we move on after the military our lives take many paths.

Both of my parents are veterans and have lead successful post military lives. I built a business after leaving the military and attribute a lot of my success to the leadership and skills I developed on active duty.

I think the best thing each of us can do as individuals is to do our best in all things and when people ask "Why have you been successful?" Tell them that your experience in serving your country helped make you better person (Husband, Wife, Parent, Business Owner, Employee, etc).

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Permalink Reply by Luke Barringer on March 31, 2008 at 12:32pm

This topic is something that is very meaningful to me. I joined because the service wanting to make a difference and be part of a team of the elite men and women of the United States. Well, as we all know this wasn't a reality. There are many people in the armed forces that don't take life seriously and will do things that show very poorly on the rest of us.

I am still proud of my service and wouldn't trade it for any schooling or civilian job. The loyalty and devotion that you learn are like nothing else that you will find in life. My resume has my military experience on it and never once have I gone to an interview where that wasn't a huge factor on why they wanted to talk to me.

I do wish the media would showcase more of the successful veterans and not the ones that don't do anything with themselves after the service. In the end of the day, we all know what the media thrives on and can't do much about it.

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Permalink Reply by Darrell Clevenger on September 28, 2008 at 10:58am

Just keep being out good nature selves and it will finally come back around, things come and go, military was king in WWI and WWII but then fell apart in Vietnam, now we just have to wait out turn for things to come back around.

Just keep up the great jobs we are all doing to make good inpressions and being great citizens.

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