2006 VFW Magazine - Veterans of Foreign Wars

membership
Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Are Largest Group of New Members
Nearly 40% of VFW members
recruited last year were 40 or
younger. It’s the continuation of an
upbeat trend that started in 2003.
The response VFW recruiters used
to get when they asked younger
vets about their impression of
VFW was less than flattering.
“When I think of VFW, I picture old
men sitting around swapping war stories
and playing pitch, maybe drinking,”
said Kevin Danciak, a 34-year-old vet of
the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Somalia,
Haiti and Bosnia. “I think these stereotypes
would keep me from joining a
Post.”
That mindset is hopefully fading as
more young men and women become
eligible for the nation’s oldest major veterans
organization and begin to discover
they’re eligible for one of the most elite
groups of American war veterans.
“I have to admit that it turned out to
be a lot different than I expected, but for
the better,” said Jada Bass, an Iraq vet
and member of Post 9050 in Enderlin,
N.D. “I was surprised to find out that
there were actually other people my age
from my own unit who were members
of the same Post.”
It appears that more and more of Bass’
peers are learning the same lesson.
Statistics compiled by VFW’s Membership
Department show the largest block of
veterans recruited last year, nearly 30%,
were under the age of 30. Those recruited
in the 31-40 age bracket represented nearly
19%. The next-largest group, nearly
18%, was the 51-60 age segment.
Still, even with these encouraging
numbers, most VFW members are older
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As of July 2005, 433,398
service men and women had
been separated from active
duty: 185,230 regular and
248,168 deployed Reserve/
National Guard members.
than 70. So when younger vets think of
VFW Posts in their communities or see
advertisements in VFW magazine
aimed at the largest demographic section
of readers, they understandably
wonder if VFW is an organization a 20-,
30- or even 40-year-old veteran would
feel comfortable joining.
“A younger vet looks at the magazine
and loves the articles,” a 40-year-old
Persian Gulf War vet said, “but every
other ad appeals to a demographic
between 65 and 90.”
That’s precisely why it’s up to VFW
recruiters to sign up Iraq and Afghanistan
vets and explain why it’s so important
they join and carry on the
organization’s legacy.VFW’s older members
have been working to improve veterans
benefits for many years, and the
youngest generation needs to take over.
One area where younger vets say
VFW can enhance its attraction for Iraq
and Afghanistan vets is communication.
They say VFW should offer more information
on how the organization helps
veterans, such as how to obtain VA benefits,
as well as how a stronger VFW can
more effectively influence future veteran-friendly
legislation.
They also say VFW should promote
itself better to non-members through
appearances at large public events and
specially tailored messages for specific
groups of veterans.
Last fall, in response to a question
posed by VFW magazine that younger
vets don’t feel welcome at VFW Posts
dominated by older cliques of veterans,
many current members said the young
vets should visit a Post. A Vietnam vet
asked, “I wonder if these younger vets
know the meaning of the words honor
and pride Do they not make an attempt
to get involved”
That question was answered by an
activated National Guardsman who
spoke to a VFW magazine staff member
in Iraq earlier this year.
“There’s no difference in WWII,
Korea, Vietnam and Iraq vets,” the soldier
said. “They bleed the same, they
feel the same, they serve the same.” ✪
© 2006 VFW Magazine • WWW.VFW.ORG • 31