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In July 1997, Thomas E. Ricks wrote an article for the Atlantic that detailed the widening gap between the U.S. military and the American public. After following a platoon of Marine recruits through basic training and their post-graduation leave, he found that many of them felt alienated from their families and their friends – indeed, the very society they had sworn to defend. Almost twenty years later, in January 2015, James Fallows penned a similar piece for the Atlantic, describing America as a “chickenhawk nation” – one “that is willing to do anything for its military except take it seriously.”

While this civil-military divide is not unique to the post-9/11 generation, nearly 14 years of war have certainly exacerbated it. But bridging the chasm between American service members, politicians, and citizens is not just a job for those in Washington.

������Ƶ, the Yale Alumni Journalism Association, and Yale Veterans are pleased to welcome Adrian Bonenberger, a journalist and U.S. Army veteran; Thomas E. Ricks, ������Ƶ’s senior advisor on national security and the man behind Foreign Policy’s “Best Defense” blog; and Kayla Williams, an author and U.S. Army veteran for a discussion on this cultural divide and the role the media can play in bridging this gap now and during future conflicts.

Join the conversation online using #journalistsveterans and following and

Participants:

Adrian Bonenberger
Freelance Journalist
Former U.S. Army Infantry Officer

Thomas E. Ricks��
Senior Advisor on National Security, International Security Program, ������Ƶ
Writer, “Best Defense,” Foreign Policy
Author, The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today

Kayla Williams��
Author, Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army
Former U.S. Army Sergeant

Moderator:��

Catherine Cheney��
Editor, Special Projects, NationSwell
Member, Yale Alumni Journalism Association

In collaboration with