9/11 was over a decade ago and veterans from the wars have something to say. Here's the deal: the Pew Research Center wanted to figure out how post-9/11 has impacted lives by surveying a total of 1,853 veterans, (including 712 who served in the military after the attacks of September 11, 2001), and the general public (2,003 adults).
•The majority (96%) of veterans of the post-9/11 era are proud of their military service.
•More than 4 in 10 veterans have reported difficulties readjusting to civilian life.
•37% of veterans have suffered from some sort of post-traumatic stress.
•Of those who had emotionally traumatic or distressing experiences, 3 in 4 say they are still reliving them in the form of flashbacks or nightmares.
•Only 1/3 of post-9/11 veterans say that, given the costs and benefits to the U.S., the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have both been worth fighting.
•On the flip side: 1/3 of post-9/11 veterans say that the wars were not worth fighting for.
Who was serving? Only about 1/2 of 1% of the U.S. population has been on active military duty at any given time during the past decade of sustained warfare.
More Good Stuff from the Pew Study:
•More than 8 in 10 post-9/11 veterans and 74% of the public say the U.S. should not return to the draft at this time.
•9/11 veterans are more likely than the general public to say they have no particular religious affiliation (30% vs. 18%)?
•More than 9 in 10 civilians express pride in the troops and 3/4 say they thanked someone in the military. But 45% say neither of the post-9/11 wars were worth the cost and only a quarter say they are following news of the wars closely.
Folks, have you been following the wars? Have your beliefs shifted over the course of the decade?
