Download full text of Larry Minear's study (PDF, 1.3 MB)
This study provides a composite view of reflections by U.S. veterans from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq on their experiences in the Global War on Terror. It draws on interviews with soldiers, their families, and their communities, and on materials that the soldiers themselves have written describing their experiences. Its opening section contains excerpts from four individuals, reproduced in some detail to convey the richness and diversity of views. The experiences of the four also surface throughout the body of the report, where their reflections are, to one extent or another, echoed by the comments of scores of others from the ranks.