| The events of September 11, 2001 created a spike in accessions to the United States Armed Forces. Since then, over two million people have served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and other post-9/11 efforts. As aspirations change and contracts expire, many of these men and women are coming home. Which aspects of military service endure into civilian life and what role do they play in reintegration? How do people understand and react to someone's military past? This study examines how different interpretations of military service shape the professional and social reintegration experiences of post-9/11 veterans. Forty-two interviews with veterans, nine months of observing veteran communities, and a national survey experiment with the American public show that veterans and civilians view different facets of military life as enduringly relevant in veterans' post-service lives. Findings extend research on "exes" and "ex-roles" by showing that multiple sets of traits can endure from former roles. Findings also show how each set of enduring traits reflects a distinct underlying logic with respect to how organizational experiences create lasting legacies. A new concept, "institutional legacies," is proposed to capture the range of enduring traits and meanings that give former organizational membership social value. The study concludes with a discussion on how findings reveal a potential platform for veterans and civilians to enhance mutual understanding. |
