Veterans: Resources for Faculty and Staff

The Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans by Louis Hicks (Editor); Eugenia L. Weiss (Editor); Jose E. Coll (Editor) In this book, 50 experts study the lives of U.S. veterans at work, at home, and in American society as they navigate issues regarding health, gender, public service, substance abuse, and homelessness. The aftermath of modern war includes a population of veterans whose needs last for many decades--far longer than the war itself. This in-depth study looks at life after the military, considering the dual conundrum of a population benefiting from the perks of their duty, yet continuing to deal with trauma resulting from their service, and of former servicemen and servicewomen trying to fit into civilian life--in a system designed to keep them separate. Through two comprehensive volumes, essays shed light on more than 30 topics involving or affecting former servicemen and servicewomen, offering a blueprint for the formal study of U.S. veterans in the future. Contributions from dozens of experts in the field of military science cover such issues as unemployment, homelessness, disability, access to higher education, health, media portrayal, criminal justice, substance abuse, guns, suicide, and politics. Through information gleaned from surveys, interviews, participant observations, secondary analyses, and content analyses, the chapters reveal how veterans are able to successfully contribute to civilian life and show how the American workforce can benefit from their unique set of skills. Considers the changing demographics of U.S. veterans as compared to previous generations of military personnel Shows the impact that veterans are having on federal, state, and local government organizations Describes how servicemembers transition from active duty to veteran status Includes cross references for ease of use

Generation Vet by Sue Doe (Editor); Lisa Langstraat (Editor) Part I. Beyond the military-civilian divide: understanding veterans -- Veterans in college writing classes: understanding and embracing the mutual benefit / Sean Morrow & Alexis Hart -- Uniform meets rhetoric: excellence through interaction / Angie Mallory & Doug Downs -- "Yes sir, no sir" : not just how genre and agency interact in student-veteran writing / Sue Doe & Erin Hadlock -- Faculty as first responders: willing but unprepared / Linda S. De La Ysla -- Part II. Veterans and public audiences -- "I have to speak out": writing with veterans in a community writing group / Eileen E. Schell & Ivy Kleinbart -- Closer to home: veterans' workshops and the materiality of writing / Karen Springsteen -- Signature wounds: marking and medicalizing post-9/11 veterans / Tara Wood -- Exploring student-veteran expectations about composing: motivations, purposes, and the influence of trauma on composing practices / Ashly Bender -- Part III. Veteran-friendly composition practices -- Recognizing silence: composition, writing, and the ethical space for war / Roger Thompson -- A new mission: veteran-led learning communities in the basic writing classroom / Ann Shivers McNair -- The value of service-learning for student veterans: transitioning to academic cultures through writing and experiential learning / Bonnie Selting -- "Front and center": marine student-veterans, collaboration, and the writing center / Corrine E. Hinton.

Through Veterans' Eyes by Larry Minear As of early 2010, more than two million U.S. troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the American public is neither much engaged in the issues of these two wars nor particularly knowledgeable about the troops' experiences, which have ranged from positive and energizing to searing and debilitating. Based on scores of interview--some culled from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and others conducted by the author himself--Through Veterans' Eyes presents a composite narrative of the experiences of U.S. service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Minear quotes more than 175 veterans by name and includes a dozen of their own photos from the conflict theaters. Thematic chapters cover duty and service, politics, cultural and ethical challenges, relationships to local populations, and reentry into American society. Neither pro-war nor anti-war, Minear's approach encourages veterans to express their views on issues critical to the nation. What has motivated U.S. military personnel to enlist? What specific challenges have they faced in Iraq and Afghanistan? What have been the impacts of deployment on their families and communities? Is their experience changing their views of their country and the world? What lessons may be learned from their stories? Veterans' candid responses to these and other probing questions deserve pondering.

What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes War is as old as humankind, but in the past, warriors were prepared for battle by ritual, religion and literature, which also helped bring them home. In this narrative, the author weaves accounts of his combat experiences with thoughtful analysis, self-examination, and his readings from Homer to the Mahabharata to Jung. He talks frankly about how he is haunted by the face of the young North Vietnamese soldier he killed at close quarters and how he finally finds a way to make peace with his past. He discusses the daily contradictions that warriors face in the grind of war, where each battle requires them to take life or spare life, and where they enter a state he likens to the fervor of religious ecstasy. He also underscores the need for returning veterans to be counseled properly.

Health and Economic Outcomes in the Alumni of the Wounded Warrior Project by Heather Krull; Mustafa Oguz The Wounded Warrior Project has developed programs to help care for injured service members and veterans. This report describes how project alumnus respondents are faring in domains related to mental health and resiliency, physical health, and employment and finances.

150 Best Jobs for the Military-To-Civilian Transition by Laurence Shatkin This one-of-a-kind book—based on a survey representing 1.5 million recent veterans—helps today's returning military find the best job matches for their training, interests, personality, gender, and more. With 46 best jobs lists and 150 detailed job descriptions, the book covers the best-paying and fastest-growing occupations held by recent veterans.