By Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Over the next five years, more than a million military service members will return to civilian life. In the years immediately following World War II, the successful reintegration of veterans into our communities and civilian workforce was a key factor in the remarkable post-war growth of the U.S. economy and expansion of the middle class. Our challenge is to repeat this success story. As today’s veterans make the transition from fatigues to professional attire, by all means we should welcome them home as heroes. But we also must recognize that they have skills, experience, and values that can help reinvigorate our communities and economy. Less than one percent of Americans have served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Pew Research Center, 84 percent of those service members do not believe the public understands the issues that they and their families are facing. Seventy-one percent of the civilian population agrees. Read Full Article