Our Veterans

Suzanne Gordon is Senior Policy Analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute and the author of many books, most recently, Wounds of War: How the VA Delivers Health, Healing, and Hope to the Nation’s Veterans.Steve Early is a freelance journalist, labor organizer, lawyer, and the author of, most recently, Refinery Town: Big Oil, Big Money, and the Remaking of an American City. His work has appeared in theNew York Times, the Washington Post, and theNation, among others.Jasper Craven is a freelance journalist who covers the military and veterans. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, theNew Republic, and theBaffler, among others.

"This chilling account explores the physical, economic and psychological consequences of military service on veteran health and takes a critical look at the many players involved in shaping veteran life in the United States." (New York Times) "This little book is jam-packed with information that is not only fascinating, it promises to be incredibly helpful to any vet who will take the time to read it. . . Every veteran involved with the VA will find that Our Veterans is a reference book they can access as an unprecedented toolbox full of information that will come in handy in every confrontation with the Department of Veterans Affairs." - John Ketwig (The Veteran) "The civilian community is largely unaware of the harm to all caused by the specialized problems facing our current veterans, and the growing drive to privatize the VA. Nor is it aware of the rising movement against this trend. Anyone having concerns about these issues will find Our Veterans to be an essential source of information. It provides a thorough, well-written analysis of the situation, and the direction we need to take in response." - Ronald Citkowski (Against the Current) "The strength of this book is its honesty about the whole field of military service and its effects on those who survive it; as well as, those who don’t. The authors demonstrate through this, and previous activities, their concerns for the well-being of those who have served. Their writing is straight-forward, clear, and honest." - Kim Scipes (Stansbury Forum) "As Suzanne Gordon, Steve Early and Jasper Craven make clear in their new book, Our Veterans, thinking about veterans as a monolithic group with the same experiences, same outlook and same needs is wrong. The extensively researched and sourced Our Veterans sets out to explain why." - Janis Hashe (East Bay Express) "The authors of Our Veterans have taken a deep dive into a large and little understood corner of the social safety net. Their detailed depiction of how the forces of neoliberalization interact with the unique history, culture, and politics of this sector is an important contribution to our understanding of how working people are affected by these forces in all aspects of their lives." - Mark Dudzic (New Labor Forum) "The authors bring extensive research, a strong progressive analysis, and powerful advocacy to this expansive review of veterans’ issues. . . . Our Veterans illustrates the dangerous impact of the U.S.’s massive military on many service members. It also shines a light on the many ways in which corporate greed and privatization are encroaching on our public resources, including the resources to robustly support our veterans when they come home." (New Politics) "An important addition to the literature about American veterans in the forever-war era. ...  I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the complicated and interconnected world of veteran policies, politics, and processes, then work to make them better."- Jim Craig (Journal of Military History) "The book combines impressive research, deep knowledge of the world of veterans’ care, and attentiveness to social and historical context. The authors consistently allow veterans’ voices to be heard, lending their argument a sense of authenticity and credibility."- Bob Bussel (Labor) "Our Veterans is refreshingly unapologetic in its advocacy for the men and women who have served our nation. The book also fills a considerable void in the sociological literature by skillfully intertwining veteran policy analysis with questions that are specific to race, class, and gender in our armed forces. Much has been written about these changing demographics, but little has been said about how these categories are mediated, complicated, and sometimes undervalued within the confines of our all-volunteer military. Our Veterans is also one of the few efforts that hitches the aspect of performative patriotism to intentional efforts to misinform and manipulate veterans into accepting and embracing policies that are determinantal to their best interests." - Marco Durazo (Contemporary Sociology)

• List of Abbreviations  ixPreface  xiiiAuthors' Note and Acknowledgments  xviiIntroduction: Friendly Fire  11. A Toxic Workplace  272. Life and Work after the Military  573. Stolen Valor  854. Last Stand of the Legion Post?  1085. The New VSOs  1346. A VA Healthcare Struggle  1557. Playing the Veteran Card  1768. Veterans and the 2020 Election  199Conclusion: Rethinking Veterans Affairs  222Notes  253Selected Bibliography  311Index  317