For many veterans who served in combat, their experiences strengthened them personally but made the transition to civilian life difficult.
Veterans of prime working age generally fare at least as well as non-veterans in the U.S. job market, though there are differences in the work they do.
Today’s active duty military is smaller and more racially and ethnically diverse than in previous generations. More women are officers.
What it means to be a military veteran in the United States is being shaped by a new generation of service members. About one-in-five veterans today served on active duty after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Their collective experiences – from deployment to combat to the transition back to civilian life – are markedly different from those who served in previous eras.
About two-thirds of U.S. veterans say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, while 58% say the same of the war in Afghanistan.
A new Pew Research Center survey of veterans finds that a majority (57%) approve of the way Trump is handling his duties as commander in chief, with about half (48%) saying his administration’s policies have made the military stronger.
The U.S. is one of 23 countries where the military draft is authorized but not currently implemented. An additional 60 have some form of an active conscription program.
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrates its 70th anniversary this month, Americans overwhelmingly say being a member of NATO is beneficial for the United States.
Overall, 43% of Americans say withdrawing American troops from Syria would be the right decision, while 45% say it would not.
After 17 years of war in Afghanistan, more say U.S. has failed than succeeded in achieving its goals
About half of U.S. adults say the country's mission in Afghanistan has mostly failed in achieving its goals, while about a third say it has mostly succeeded.
