Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Veteran Engagement

Tom Ricks has a brief summary of a longer post about how to talk to veterans.  This has been a theme in Ricks's blog for a while--that people suck at talking to vets who have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan.  That yellow ribbons and un-thinking workship may not be what they need.

The short list, plagiarized from Ricks' summary:
1. Do: Ask About Our Buddies
2. Do: Listen
3. Do: Try To Learn Something
4. Do: Have an Open Mind
5. Don't: Talk Politics
6. Don't: Be Cavalier with Questions. (Especially that old favorite about how many people you killed.)
7. Don't: Assume Everyone Is Crippled With PTSD
8. Do: Something

I have not had much experience except interviewing current officers about larger political issues (oops), as that is my job and my current focus.  But this advice seems sharp and useful.

No comments: