Why are fewer young Veterans joining Veteran organizations (VFW, American Legion) post military service?

I feel like Veterans are VERY important. It's sad to see how a lot are treated and how the gov'n cares (or lack thereof) for them. I have such respect for men that were in WWII, Korean, Vietnam. Men in those times served with such valor and honor. There is nothing I love more than hearing a Vets story and what they went through and the courage they had during that time. Not to water down what our troops and military does to this day but I naturally dont feel as proud as maybe I ought. It seems as time goes on the reasoning behind our war, if you can call them that, seems more unsure. Even though I am young in the service, joining a Vet Organization wouldn't be a problem. More as what can I offer in my personal opinion. Not to mention not being eduated on what they do and what is done within them.

Simple: Young vets see no benefit in joining.

Because most of the advertisement is geared to the older vets and the younger do not get you could say asked to join it "for the older ones"

Well, if you can figure this out or better yet find a way to increase membership I would like to know. My church has been steady at losing membership and the most common reason stated is that they just don't like organized religion. Most structured organizations face the same problem - the organizedness of it all!!!

I saw this post but thought I needed some time to think about the question, now I can only speak for myself but here is my take on why membership is down for younger members.

I have a family and spend most of my time with them, this helps with my healing process and can honestly say that I would like to see more out reach programs from the VFW that include family friendly activities.

Growing up my grandfather would take me to the VFW and my takeaway from those visits was there was a lot of bitterness, I once saw a veteran attack another veteran of how Vietnam was nat a war and that that veteran had no right to be at the VFW, now I know this attitude has changed some but the underlying bitterness is still there.

Our generations are so far removed that many of us don't feel there is any level of understanding, now for some of us we know this is not true, but in my grandfathers day trama was something to be ignored put it aside don't talk about it, and we know now that we need to have these discussions (not to say my generation is a bunch of cry baby's, but the perception is there.)

It seems to me that that my generation feels that the VFW is a place for old warriors to hang out drink all day and tell each other story's, now I know this is not true.

I know the VFW fights hard to make sure that the promis our nation has made to us is kept, but I think that message gets lost in the perceptions we see when we enter a VFW post.

I will admit I let my membership lapse, I just can't seem to justify taking my wife and daughters to a VFW post with the amount booze floating around.

the VFW will have to make some drastic changes in order to show the new generation of veterans that the VFW is a place that they want to be, I have had a few ideas based on what other veterans I have talked with, but found our ideas to fall on deaf ears.

It's not just what the VFW does for the community of veterans as a whole but it also needs to be about helping with the healing process as well as being family oriented, the VFW needs to find the younger Vets and push them into positions to have some influence on how the VFW deals with this new generation of warriors.

A lot of us feel that the VFW was our grandfathers club, now me I have no shame in wanting to be apart of that club to me my grand father is the greatest man to have ever put on a uniform, to deploy to Korea. And yes I idolized my grandfather his generation and the generations of all war fighters who have been called to duty for our nation, but mostly my grandfather is my hero.

I know I went off on a tangent there for a second but thank you for letting me.

I will tell my story with the VFW and hope that sheds some light on the issue. When I first returned home after leaving the service it was 2005 and there were very few GWOT Vets out there. So I went down to my local VFW to sign up and hang out with the only other Vets I knew of. My first impression was kind of negative. I walked in and told the bartender that I wanted to sign up and their response was "Oh, are you on your daddy's auxiliary?" So right away I was slighted for being young. I said "No, I am the veterans" and went ahead and signed up. So I would head over there every once and awhile to have a beer and see what was going on. I was disappointed by the crowd to say the least. Most of the people in there were on their daddy's auxiliary so they weren't vets. The other vets in there were interesting and mostly dysfunctional. As I was trying to get my life on track I just stopped going because I felt it wasn't a place I wanted to be. Not to mention the atmosphere is dark and dingy so I never felt better when I left. I think that is one reason why many young vets don't sign up. Also many are going to college and joining their college Veteran groups.

These organizations just don't appeal to most young veterens anymore. OTHER than cheaper alcohol there aren't many perks for younger service members. I myself am a member of the VFW and the AMVETS but I rarely go and it's for a number of reasons. 1. They are usually musty, rundown, dank, and dark establishments in questionable neighborhoods with limited parking. They close early. They only have one pool table that is of questionable quality and the jukebox is ancient. They aren't well cleaned, well maintained, updated or renovated. 2. There are very few, single, available and attractive members of the opposite sex. I'm not trying to be an ass, but I want to have something to look at and talk to and Enjoy spending time with and for many younger troopers that is what is fun on a weekend. 3. There seems to be a great disparity in age groups. I love my Vietnam vets. I grew up with them, hung out with them as a kid, played frisbee with them, hell drank and got drunk at a much too early age with them, and I have mad respect for them, but other than fighting a war, most younger service men and women have nothing in common with them. Many were born two decades after these vets got out of service. To many younger vets, the older generation is nothing more than pictures on the wall and Vietnam is where their shoes are made. I have no idea what the answers to the problems are but to hazard a few guesses. 1. Shut down a lot of these struggling small posts. Sell the space or ATLEAST stop leasing it, consolidate and build a larger, newer post that can accommodate more members but that is updated. Fresh. 2. Build it somewhere it can have some yard for summer games like cornhole, horseshoes, etc. Somewhere pleasant to stand or sit outdoors and converse, smoke unmolested, and drink a beverage. 3. Disallow smoking indoors. Make a smoking area outside or a smoking room/terrace for colder climates. Let's face it. Even smokers are tired of smelling like an ashtray and it makes the whole bar dingy and stink. 4. More family oriented activities. Not just dinners and socials but golf scrambles and small family fairs with midways and rides. Fundraisers/Donation drives. Etc. Get people active and participating. 5. Get young servicemen connected to it. Example. The reason I joined is because my sergeant major used to take young joes on a detail in uniform to help VFW and America Legion parades on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and independence day. I drove a Humvee with some World War II vets through the parade waving etc. Seeing kids yell and laugh and wave and smile at me the whole way. I drove all the way to the cemetery where they put me on the honor guard with an m-1 firing the 21 gun salute! Holy shit!! Loved it. It made me feel apart of the whole. I may have joined the next day! Now I'm not saying that these things aren't happening at some places but that as a general whole this is what I have seen at the many VFWs I have visited around the country from Maine to California.

I know a lot of younger soldier have told me the same thang in different words. They got a bad taste in there mouth from past deployment .were they didn't have leaders that took the time to get know them & just used them as a stepping stone to get awards or metals. And on the other hand these kids today are joining the military for the wrong reasons there looking for College money . Not all some do it for the love of Country . I can trace my family history from WW1 WW2 Vietnam to Afghanistan. I have a little faith in our leaders that represent us in Washington . But I know the VFW works hard to fight for penetrant. That's all the reason I need to join .

I belong to the American Legion and served 2 terms as Adjutant.

I believe it's just a different generation- a more technilogical one and a more health conscience one. VSOs are a dime a dozen out there now, that have no membership fee and do a lot of good in this country and around the world. A veteran's 'community service' isn't limited to the town where they belong to the Legion/VFW.

Team Rubicon matches MOS skills with labor, sending veterans out the door into natural disasters around the world. Team RWB Concentrates on fitness. IAVA lobbies.

I belong to my Legion and VFW, but truth be told, I don't want to sit around and share war stories while drinking/smoking. My Legion and VFW do a couple of community feeds every year, but I want to be more involved than that.

Some Leaders in the VFW and the Legion would say, well, why don't you get into leadership and start to foment change? I will do that when these organizations take our service, OUR DIVERSITY and our suggestions seriously.

For example, how come all the freaking paperwork isn't on digits? How come when my generation comes into the Legion/VFW Hall there's no wireless? How come when my sisiters in arms have good suggestions they are ignored? How come there's never any money to do anything? (at the meetings you give the financial report and we seem to be flush).

Now I don't mind having a meeting place to kick back and watch a game. I like participating in Boy's State and the Legion youth baseball league. The children's programs are good.

Just different priorities and different ways to accomplish the same things. The Legion/VFW lobby well for Veterans, I'll give them that, but so do other VSOs.

And I'll have to say that these are local level (chapter) problems for the most part. Retention is going to be harder and harder for the old organizations as people die off. You need new (young) blood up and down the chain, starting at the natinoal levels. I actually had a Legion District Commander tell me to not worry about recruiting all the combat vets at the Guard Armory 20 min from the post, but to concentrate on getting fees from the current members. Fully 60% live out of state. Anyone see a problem with that?

These older organizations have to get thier sales hats on and aggresively recruit from the ARNG/USAR Centers/Armories around them. Launch a letter writing campaign to Active Duty veterans (my post knows who each and every AD person is who came from this town) and get them to commit now. They need to ask this younger generation of Vets what they want to see in their post and then implement it, perhaps with help from state and national.

Just my two cents...