HONORING VETERANS AND STRENGTHENING THE NEXT GENERATION
We celebrate Veterans Day to honor all American veterans for their service and sacrifice, both living and dead.
But beyond the day of remembrance, we should ask ourselves: How do we make this generation of veterans the most effective it can be? Education is an important part of that path, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
After World War II, it was largely enlisted veterans returning home with access to higher education through the GI Bill who set America on its path to becoming the most respected country in the world. Veterans built the post-war economy and launched the businesses that powered America forward. Somewhere along the way, that truth has faded, and too many companies have forgotten that military experience is not only relevant but invaluable.
To move forward, we need to return to the foundation of what it means to be a veteran.
The military doesn’t make bad people good or good people bad; it builds upon who they already are. Those formative 18 or so years before enlistment shape their morals, ethics, and values- traits that are almost impossible to change. What the military does is make good and bad people better by placing them in an environment where working together for something greater than themselves is the norm.
A common misconception is that the military is a highly controlled environment. It isn’t, and that misunderstanding hurts veterans with hiring managers who have never served. You can’t change people, but you can change how they act based on their environment. And the military’s environment, one built on accountability, teamwork, and purpose, tends to stay with veterans for life, almost always in positive ways.
The best way to predict the future is to understand the past. Our society has gone through several defining events over the past century: World War II, the Vietnam era, and 9/11 among them. Some may add COVID-19 as a fourth, though it may take time and leadership changes to understand its full impact.
Up through Vietnam, the late 1960s and early 1970s, our social fabric was held together by strong institutions: unions, churches, social clubs, the VFW and American Legion, sports leagues, even bingo halls and extended families. These organizations provided support, structure, and solutions before problems became crises. They gave us a sense of responsibility to each other, and the military was a natural extension of that culture. Now, those support systems are largely gone.
Veterans of that era faced the same struggles veterans face today, but they had a community to fall back on.
I remember my step-great-uncle, Lawrence. He ran a plumbing business, never missed Mass on Sundays, and spent most of his free time at the VFW. As a kid, I didn’t know much about him until one day I asked about a sword in the corner of his house. He told me, after a few beers, that it was a Japanese sword he brought home from his time in the 1st Marine Division during WWII (and had been at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu). He described the brutality of those battles in ways no book or movie ever could.
Later, I understood that the VFW and the men he drank with weren’t part of his problem; they were his lifeline. They were the ones who understood. That kind of support kept him going, and we’ve lost much of that today.
After Vietnam, those institutions that once guided our society - emphasizing service, shared purpose, and respect for others - gave way to a culture of “tune in, turn on, and drop out.” 9/11 restored some respect for veterans, but the structures that once supported them never returned.
We can’t go back, but we can move forward.
Mental health isn’t just a 988 crisis line; it’s about prevention. We need to get left of boom to build conditions that strengthen veterans before they reach the point of crisis. That starts with three pillars:
Transition: Every service member will eventually separate. A personalized, individual-based transition program should start the day they enter service.
Relationships: Maintaining relationships with people who share purpose and experience helps remind veterans that life and purpose don’t end when the uniform comes off.
Financial wellness: Meaningful work provides stability, dignity, and mental well-being.
Hiring veterans must go beyond corporate virtue signaling. Veterans bring leadership, accountability, and problem-solving skills that strengthen teams and improve performance. But job descriptions often unintentionally exclude them, and veterans often self-select out because their experience doesn’t match civilian language. Companies need to “walk the walk” and take a chance on those who don’t fit the standard model.
A 25-year-old rifle squad leader has more real-world leadership and risk management experience than many corporate managers.
David Chamberlin said it well:
“We shouldn’t paint all vets as having all these great qualities because it’s simply not true. And if people hire vets based on our oversell, they’ll lose faith in what we’re saying. I tell employers all the time to interview people thoroughly for the qualities they’re looking for and to involve other vets in the hiring process.” (Notice he uses the word qualities, not skill set or experience)
So how do we make things better? Start small. Give veterans interviews. Listen to them. They aren’t asking for handouts, just opportunities. Create an internal plan: when a veteran applies, make sure their application gets seen. Get to know them and see if they fit your team. If not, give them honest feedback. That alone means a lot.
Every company talks about hiring veterans and developing leaders, but few invest in it. Veterans bring that leadership at no extra cost. At Three Rangers Foundation, through our mentorship programs and Ranger Friendly Career companies, we’ve seen it work. Once a company hires one veteran, they always come back for more.
Remember where we started. We celebrate Veterans Day to honor all American veterans for their service and sacrifice, both living and dead. If you say their names, they will always be with us.
Mike