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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.

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