November 11, 2009
For more information:
Mary McNaught Yonkman -- 202-280-8693 -- mmcnaught@civicenterprises.net
John Bridgeland -- 202-626-6645 -- bridge@civicenterprises.net

All Volunteer Force: Civic Lives of Our Newest Generation of Veterans

Washington, DC—“All Volunteer Force: From Military to Civilian Service,” a report released today, written by Civic Enterprises, and underwritten by Target and the Case Foundation, finds that the overwhelming majority of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan want to serve again on the home front. However, they feel disconnected from the communities to which they return home. This first ever nationally representative survey that focused on their transitions home and civic lives highlights that only 13 percent of veterans strongly agree their transitions are going well. Yet those veterans who said they had volunteered since returning home had better transitions than those who had not. The report is released today in conjunction with the launch of ServiceNation’s Mission Serve initiative, at which First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will highlight the need to better use the talents and skills of veterans to meet our communities’ most pressing needs.

Among the top line findings:
• Nearly 9 out of 10 veterans said Americans could learn something from their example of service, yet only half considered themselves leaders in their communities as a result of their military service.
• Nearly 7 in 10 veterans had not been contacted by a community institution, local non-profit, or place of worship after their return home.
• 92 percent of OIF/OEF veterans agreed that serving their community is important to them.
• Veterans said a diverse range of issues was important or very important to them: helping military families (90 percent), being involved with disaster relief (88 percent), working with at-risk youth (86 percent), and being involved with the environment/conservation (69 percent).
• 7 in 10 non-volunteering veterans said they do not have enough information of meaningful service opportunities.

In the Foreword, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen highlights that this report reveals not only the vast array of skills that this generation of veterans has, but also that we as a nation must do a better job of engaging them once they return home. “Our young troops and their families have done everything their country has asked of them. Their lives have been changed forever by war, but their dreams haven’t changed at all. They want to raise their children, own a home, go to school, find work and even find new ways to contribute. Most of all, they want to be good citizens. They want to reconnect and renew their relationship to their local communities,” he wrote. “Let us ensure each of them has ample opportunities to do so. We will have a stronger generation of veterans and a stronger nation for it.”

This report elevates the voices of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and shares their perspectives on their civic lives as they transition from battlefields abroad to communities at home. By doing so, we hope the data and policy recommendations in “All Volunteer Force” spark a national effort around the civic engagement of our nation’s newest generation of veterans that will unleash the civic talents of these extraordinary Americans for their own benefit and the benefit of the American people.



Civic Enterprises is a public policy firm that helps corporations, nonprofits, foundations, universities and governments develop and spearhead innovative public policies to strengthen our communities and country. For more information, visit www.civicenterprises.net.

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,743 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information, visit www.target.com/veterans.

The Case Foundation, created by Steve and Jean Case in 1997, invests in people and ideas that can change the world. The Foundation champions initiatives that connect people, increase giving, and catalyze civic action.
For more information, visit www.casefoundation.org.

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