(NewsNation) — Get to know someone in uniform or a veteran. That’s the advice from former Army Capt. Allison Jaslow, who heads Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a group dedicated to improving the lives of post-9/11 vets.
“The more they know us, the ones who’ve served, the more we’re humanized,” Jaslow told “NewsNation Now.”
Noting that just 1% of Americans have experienced military service, Jaslow tries to share “first-person stories” from veterans in an effort to bring both sides closer.
“The military-civilian divide is wider than it’s ever been before,” she said. “You can’t be what you can’t see. They don’t see themselves as somebody who could serve. Maybe they just don’t know that that (military service) can be a path for them.”
One strategy, Jaslow suggests, is doing more to sell young people on the long-term benefits of military service, from job training to financial help under the G.I. Bill.
“It just gives you skills and toughness and resiliency that can help you lead a successful life,” she said.
