A SEPARATE CLASS

Because less than one-half of one percent of the American population serves in the armed forces today, most of the country has little, if any, contact with a military member. Many Americans had no personal stake in the recent wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, or other conflicts—a privilege based wholly on the sacrifices of the all-volunteer military. Yet, those who serve and their families face the ongoing challenges of having their lives upended by the demands of military service, which remain invisible to their civilian neighbors.

For our veterans and their families, this disconnect can lead to increasing loneliness, isolation, and alienation, and may lead to more serious problems.

A UNIQUE CULTURE

Military members possess extraordinary skills and experience as a result of their service. From their first day in uniform, they learn leadership and develop resiliency. They build deep connections with their peers. They share a culture that promotes a strong sense of purpose and great satisfaction in fulfilling it.

However, alone in a civilian community that doesn’t always understand them, service men and women often find it difficult to relate to civilian life. Those who are still serving continually navigate between two cultures. Those who are done serving are faced with the challenge of reinventing themselves to fit the civilian world.

CONNECT. ADVOCATE. ENGAGE. EMPOWER.

If the challenge is isolation, then the solution is connection. Operation Strong Mind aims to restore and build new connections between the military and civilian communities. It’s that simple: We connect, we engage, we advocate, and we empower.

EDUCATE CIVILIANS

We help civilians understand what it’s like to serve in today’s military and how this life differs from civilian life. We empower them with a course of action so they feel comfortable interacting with the military community. Our goal is to provide the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to support meaningful interactions.

SUPPORT VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

We provide education, advocacy, and counseling to help military members and their families expand on the resilience, leadership, and other strengths they’ve developed as a result of their military service. Our goal is to enable them to process their service experience and continue to grow and succeed in both military and civilian settings.

CREATE COMMUNITY

We create community partnerships focused on bringing members of the military and civilian communities together in meaningful and relevant ways. Our goal is to reduce the military-civilian gap and eliminate the feelings of loneliness, isolation, and alienation often felt by service members.