With President Biden’s inauguration and the beginning of a new Congress, this is the moment to think of the nation’s 18 million military veterans and their families. For those who have borne the battle, who wore the uniform in our nation’s defense: How can we be better?
In policy and advocacy circles, the weeks and months ahead will be marked by talk of the new administration’s priorities for veterans. We’ll hear of plans and legislative priorities for better care, job training, and other support. But before we dive into priorities, first, we should pause and consider our guiding principles.
In such a time of national tumult and hardship, why should veterans’ concerns remain a top priority? And what’s in it for the rest of society? To be sure, it starts with our moral obligation to care for those who’ve borne the battle — the Department of Veterans Affairs motto.
But will moral obligation alone guarantee veterans’ good health, fiscal sustainability, or healthy civil-military relations? Will it ensure a thriving veteran population and example of honored citizenship and upward mobility that calls young people to serve their nation voluntarily in the years to come?
With the election behind us, before we get back to policymaking, let’s advance a set of guiding principles that build upon our usual point of departure. I’ll offer three to start.
The first principle, good veteran and military family policy should benefit everyone. Innovations that support veterans should translate to all. Numerous medical breakthroughs have come with VA advances in research and care. Many social service innovations also have their roots in serving veterans. Consider that federally-funded college education, modern home-ownership incentives, and a healthcare safety net all took shape in the United States, aiming to serve veterans.
Everyone should also understand that relationship between the subsequent costs of war and other government priorities. The current financial cost of war since 9/11 totals over $6.4 trillion, not accounting for veteran medical care costs that may not peak until mid-century.
Our conflicts have no end in sight. Thus, our ability to serve veterans well and still meet other government priorities will largely depend on our capacity to create sustainable, efficient programs. Good veteran policy includes fiscal stewardship that doesn’t crowd out other needed government resources.
The second principle, veterans and their families are a valuable asset to our nation. The voting public must understand that veterans aren’t victims in need of our saving. In fact, on average, veterans are more educated, have higher earnings and are less likely to be unemployed than nonveterans. They are more likely to start a business and more likely to be in industries critical to our nation’s competitiveness, such as STEM.
Public policy should recognize this. Veterans are ready to be a part of the solution, providing critical talent to our economy and dedicated service to our communities well after their time in the military.
The third principle, a thriving veteran population with equal opportunity to pursue their post-service aspirations is the surest incentive to sustaining a capable, all-volunteer force and the security of the United States. Many experts agree that our AVF is the most effective and well-trained force in U.S. history. Since 1973, our nation has placed its security in the hands of a small group of people willing to defend it. Yet, this model is showing cracks. In 2018, the Army missed its recruiting goals for the first time since 2005. Further, despite the fact that many veterans are succeeding, the veteran population still faces major challenges. The nation knows that 17 veterans take their lives every day.
Seventy-nine percent of Army recruits have a relative who served before them. The next generation of volunteers has their eyes on today’s military veterans. Their well-being will impact potential future volunteers’ decisions to serve. Ensuring that today’s veterans are well supported and empowered is our surest incentive to sustaining an all-volunteer force into the future.
The next administration would do well to start with these principles. In doing so, they are starting with “why” before jumping to “how.” Solutions aimed at serving veterans are always well-intentioned, but if we start here, they could be even more effective too.
But it’s not just on Biden. It’s on the rest of us too. These principles are the values that ought to guide society, unified in its effort, toward an envisioned end state where veterans are more empowered to thrive and the nation is more secure.
Dr. Nick Armstrong is senior director for research and analytics at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and adjunct faculty in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
