Teaching History and Veterans

Recently, one of my friends emailed me for some advice on teaching history in classes with students who are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. In the interest of full disclosure, I am an officer in the US Army Reserve and served in Iraq during 2006-2007. I also teach American history and chair a history department at a comprehensive state university.

It's a really good question. The influx of veterans on campus is a tough issue and one for which American campuses are not prepared. This issue is getting more attention of late, and the American Council on Education has a list of helpful policy suggestions to aid campuses in preparing for student veterans. After World War II, being a veteran on campus was really nothing special given the number of people who served during the war. Huge segments of student bodies, flooding campus to take advantage of the GI Bill, could serve as ready-made support groups, even if that language didn’t exist at the time. During Vietnam, most soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines survived a year in combat and came home. Like veterans before them, they brought the war with them to college. But the environment which greeted them was different than earlier generations. Campuses were alive with protests against their war and the war infused the politics of the day. Today, is a little different, and in some ways I think the issues faced by vets are more pronounced. We have vets returning to school who have served 2-3 or more years in combat, not just in the military. And campuses, at least for the most part, are likely to be more ambivalent or apathetic about the wars these men and women fought than during Vietnam. Protests don't rock American campuses and students, like many Americans, seem to forget we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Faculty remained concerned about the wars and the policies behind them, but their voices are too often cries in the wilderness. A fresh slate of GI Bill benefits – generous and long-overdue – will bring more veterans to college and this new influx of veterans will bring a whole treasure trove of issues for professors and campuses generally.

I've thought a bit about this, and I have some thoughts on how to approach student veterans in the college history classroom.

1. Veterans have much in common with other students and you should treat them as such. They are young, like to party, listen to music, and have lofty goals and aspirations. The relationship between teachers and vets, though, is highly individual. Most of us in higher education have taught veterans, but didn't know it at the time. Some will self-identify, but others will not. Vets have a great deal to contribute to our classrooms and most, me included, come with a good bit of baggage. But the also share much in common with other students.

2. Don't change the way you teach or the subjects you cover. It's intellectually dishonest, and students need to be exposed to different points of view. US military involvement around the world in the twentieth century is not a march to glory. That might be hard for vets to hear sometimes, but they needs to learn about history, good and bad. Likely, though, the vet will be more receptive to different points of view than many in the academy, but this can vary widely. It has been my experience that recently returned vets are much more willing to entertain divergent views than some faculty and many students. Some vets, however, will remain close-minded. While not altering the way you teach, you might consider being sensitive to how you approach certain topics. In a discussion, you might differentiate between the soldier experience in, say, Vietnam, and the policies behind the war. You might actually get the vets to come out of their shells and the whole class might benefit.

3. The entire span of American history does not lead us directly to the Iraq War. Don't try to make it seem so. That's wrong historically and may serve to alienate the vets in class. If you do discuss issues that pertain to Iraq or Afghanistan, fine. You should. Just understand that vets will filter what you say through the lens of their experience.

4. If you pose a question in class and a vet answers, let them talk from their experience. Listen without being judgmental. It can be cathartic for student veterans and educational for the class, but hold them to the same standards as other students. If it's not relevant, move on as you would with any contribution that strays from the topic. Ask about the conclusions they draw, but don't challenge the validity of their experience or their memories. I would also not try to target a student veteran as the representative of some specific group or opinion. You wouldn’t ask an African American student to speak for the black community.

5. Don't try to psychoanalyze the vet, but if the vet manifests behaviors (not opinions) in class that make you think they need help coping with their experiences, refer them to counseling through whatever confidential mechanism your campus has for such matters. Conservative opinions or strong opinions about our current wars don't necessarily mean the vet is a PTSD case. Don't tell them that they need to get help, as they'll likely just tell you to piss off. There is a Veteran's Affairs Office on most campuses. You might ask there what types of referrals are available.

6. Don't assume that all veterans are male. It might shock the professoriate, but some of the women in your classes have served in combat and their experiences cover a wide spectrum. They are also the most ignored segment of the veteran population. That’s unfortunate and sad, but true.

7. Understand that vets often come with life experiences and a level of maturity that make them different than the average 21-year old. They will likely be impatient with campus bureaucracy and might point put when policies lack common sense. Try to be patient and help them out if you can.

These men and women have a great deal to offer our classrooms and our society. Don’t let them slip through the cracks.