Are organizations such as the American Legion and VFW serving or alienating current Veterans?

Both these organizations are in need of the younger generation, they both need new membership and leadership.

In the Vietnam era each organization alienated many young vets through a membership base that was reluctant to view a Vietnam vet's service as equal to their own during WWII or Korea. That isn't the case any longer, the Vietnam and Desert Storm vets who largely comprise our current leadership structure embrace all those who served, and we're actively looking to pass on the reins to this younger generation.

As a person who has reached out to IAVA repeatedly, and not received a response, and who has offered use of our post facility to Sub Vets, Marines, and other veterans groups (with positive response) I fail to understand why the younger generation doesn't see the value in joining these organizations.

Some have cited that neither do the community outreach or veterans service missions that they feel is important. In both cases that impression is far from the actual fact. In other cases it's because the younger vets state that they don't want to sit around, drink beer, smoke and watch war movies all day. I've yet to see that as the standard model for any post I've visited.

I suspect it's because there is a common misconception that has a hold on the younger vets' general understanding of these organizations. In fact I'd urge them to take two hours from one of their days in the month and check out a local post. Most of the posts I've been to are laid back, some have bars, some don't; some have Legion Riders, or Rolling Thunder, some have other groups. Some are involved in kids baseball and scouting. All support general principals of Americanism, and respect for those who have and who do serve.

Finally, I'd appeal to the very practical reality that these organizations are wealthy in terms of political clout and money. Many of the younger vets I've met are passionate about specific veteran service projects. Many are trying to create organizations around these specific projects. What I'm not sure is fully appreciated is the ability for these vets to become officers in their local Legion and / or VFW posts and join those projects to the overall organization's service infrastructure and to leverage the increased lobbying power and considerable resources that the Legion and VFW have to help advance their service programs that much quicker.

I don't think the American Legion or the VFW do enough to get younger veterans into their ranks. My first experience with the VFW wasn't a pleasant one.

I'm a member of the VFW, American Legion, FRA, and DAV but I'm not active in any of them. What I am active in though in a Motorcycle Association I just joined, the CVMA, or Combat Vets Motorcycle Association. Our motto is "Veterans Helping Veterans."

Most are not as no one knows much about VFW, legion, and others are just places to get beer cheap.
I moved to Alpine, Texas and discovered the Legion is very involved in local town. Makes it a busy and vital post. Makes it worth my time.

The biggest issue that the older organizations have is their ability to connect with younger Veterans. Normally, most VFWs and Legions stay to themselves, sitting in a bar and smoking. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is my personal feelings that younger Veterans want more than that. We want to get out and do things, experience life, enjoy time with those around us out side of some dark smoke filled room. From my experiences, the majority of these organizations are just happy sitting on a stool and trading war stories and only interact with thee public on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Of course there are some great posts that are highly active in their community doing great things, yet it is the others that put a bad taste in the mouth of younger Veterans.

I have not joined, but have become involved in a Veterans' Memorial Museum that is active in community events, parades etc. as well as a daily place where vets come to hang out for coffee, conversation, etc. at 42, I am one of a handful that are by far the youngest ones there.

Hello "Brothers and Sisters in Arms",

I apologize now this will likely be a long post.

VSOs in general have a uphill battle against the current culture of our nation. VSOs were largely founded on an all but gone community culture that many veterans of previous conflict/wars shared. This is the reason most VSOs need to make changes to accommodate younger veterans, the old ways need to change with the culture.

Before I joined my local VFW almost 2 years ago, I did some research on the current status of VSOs and how they were fairing in the current national culture. What I found very quickly is that most if not all VSOs were shrinking in overall membership and many post were closing due to low membership and low activity.

I’ll give you a brief background about me to show you my prospective. I served 18 years US Army – Medical Discharged for lower back injury in the line of duty, 30% disability rating from VA, BA in Business Admin. – Marketing, MA in Business and Organizational Security Management.
I moved from Southern California to North Idaho in April of 2013. During that long drive I made a decision to be part of the community I live in rather than just live in the community. I decided months later to join the VFW in my community. So I looked up the nearest post and found via the website when there post meeting were. So I show up and as soon as I walk in the door, everyone in the room turns and looks at me. One of the members asked “Are you a member?” I replied “not yet”. I quickly got a reply “you cannot come in; this is a members only meeting”. I turned and left the room, a membered followed me out and gave me quick explanation why I was not allowed to attend and that he did not have time to see to making me a member right now. There were only about 10 members in the room and only one of them was below the age of 50. I came back on another day and paid my dues and became a “card carrying member”. From there I attend most of the VFW functions and quickly became a “pain in the arse” to many of the older members, with my new ideas and spitfire attitude.
Looking back I understand that many posts will come off with the good ol’ boy attitude, but sticking with it will often times overcome that built in culture. I also found that when I gave an idea that I needed to back it up with action and reap the respect from its success. Over the last 19 months, I have been given enough rope to hang myself and instead used that rope to make a bridge between the post and our community. Here are some of the new things our post has done in the last 18 months and the out comes from those events:
Hosted a Game convention in alliance with our local Game store
60 people attended and the event made the front page of the paper.

The post made over $18,000 dollars in donations and donated over $18,000 to veterans in our community. There were no 30% costs or administration fees put on this money. Every dime we were donated went back to the veterans in our community.
We supported Women Warrior Retreat and recruited several female veterans.
We planned and will hold our first Veteran Family Retreat this weekend, in hopes of making it an annual event.
From these events and activities I have learned that activity breeds activity. The older the average age of a post is the more difficult it will be to stay activity in the community. So recruiting members is and will always be the life blood of VSOs. If you are not getting new “younger” members, your post is effectively dying a slow death. As you all know many posts have a bar that at one point in time with the “best watering hole in town”. That watering hole is now all dried up! The younger veterans that would be considered the market for VSOs are in the stage of their life that they have kids and jobs, alcohol though legal is not the preferred method of building loyalty with a veteran family. In my opinion the posts that perpetuation the stereo typical of veterans wasting their days away drinking and smoking at the “Watering hole” is doing more damage to VSOs than anything else. VSOs must be active in their community or they will waste away.
Some of the ways a post can be active in its community are: providing a Veteran Family Retreat, putting on a month Family movie night, have a weekly coffee and donut (free) where all veterans are welcome. This is just a few ways to move in the right direction, I’m sure there are many more. I would enjoy hearing about them.
Since joining the VFW, I have been placed/voted into several positions: Post Jr Vice, Post Sr Vice, District QM and District Chief Recruiter, I also attended the state conventions, I decided to focus on my community rather than focus on trying to move up the chairs in district. As many of you know VSOs are a bureaucracy and that means “Red Tape” and paper work. After holding the positions, I understand the need for the paper work. My goal is to change my community’s view of the VFW and provide for the veterans in my community. VSOs are a community based organization and that being said they add value to their community or they will go away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post and if you are in need of direction when it comes to a VSO please feel free to contact me.

Here is my take on the whole story and be warned that this is only my opinion and not the opinion of anyone else, at least not to my knowledge. During my enlistment and subsequent career my father was very active in the American Legion, I on many occasions helped him during legion functions and also attended many recruiting events with him. Though I have not joined either one of these organizations since retiring I think the problem lies not as much with the organizations but more in the eyes and mind set of the younger veterans and here is why I think that:

1. Many of the young veterans are very much into "Today's electronic society" The online presence of some of these newer organizations have a strong online presence and fit into the lifestyle of these young vets.

2. Many of the young veterans that i have spoken too feel that the VFW and the American Legion are "Their daddy's organizations" saying that they feel like it's a thing of the past and my own take on the situation is that to an extent I see where they are coming from, most of the member base are older WWII, Korea and Viet Nam veterans who are most active in the roles of both organizations. They believe in Military Tradition which is something our young troops are sorely lacking in. Due to the fact that the military has become more of a Corporation than a stand alone society as it once was. Young troops from all branches don't understand the importance of Officer Clubs, Enlisted Clubs, the BX, PX, NEX or the Commissary and all of these things are disappearing on bases and posts all over the military. They just have no clue how important to the military way of life these things were, or more pertinent to the conversation how "We have each others backs" used to come into play in the military. Today it is more Political Correctness as opposed to Camaraderie, it's more of What Can I get out of the military than What can I do for the military.

The military used to be a way of life, now it is a job just like any other civilian job except that you have to wear a uniform. That is one of the big reasons why I retired when I did with 3 years left on my enlistment. It's a travesty that these organizations are taking a hit because our military leadership have sold out to the corporate way of life and have allowed society and the leadership in Washington who more that 90% have no military experience dictate how the military should be run.

Just my 2 cents....

They are both far to political IMO, I want nothing to do with either the American Legion or the VFW.

I'm a member of both the VFW and Legion, in fact I'm The Commander of the Legion and am friends with the Commander of the V. We both have been fighting successfully to turn both local organizations from inward to outwards, we do for veterans but we are also making our community a priority. It thiers a Town event we are there to support it. It took time to change , many thought we would kill the places but the opposite is happening. We are growing. We are not a bar to hang out in all day, yes we still have a canteen and our bartenders are all trained locally on how to serve or not serve our customers. After all it protects the post. I would love to have the younger vets in leadership positions but I also understand they have a family, children, games, ect ect ect. Thier busy so it's my job to ensure we are here when they are ready. Both organizations do alot for vets and nationally are numbers are dropping. We do not want to lose the ear of the lawmakers in Washington but can only keep it by our numbers. We do try and fight the good fight, if your local VSO is caca then try finding a good one. Or change it.