Read

The Year in Review for the Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative

 2014 has been an eventful and productive year for the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative.In February, a summit,...

 2014 has been an eventful and productive year for the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative.

In February, a summit, “Empowering Our Nation’s Warriors,” brought together leaders from across the private, public, and non-profit sectors to examine how Americans can more effectively support transitioning warriors and their families. The summit included remarks by President George W. Bush and Dr. Jill Biden, as well as a conversation with General Peter Pace and Stephen A. Schwarzman, and a series of panels that discussed how to best serve and empower our vets as they return home.

The first elements of the MSI research project, a paper entitled I Am A Post-9/11 Veteran along with a motion graphic and infographic, were released during the summit. The MSI team started an ongoing conversation on social media using the hashtag #knowourvets.

On Veterans Day, President Bush released a special Veterans Day Message. And the Military Service team released its latest research product – My America – Navigating the Post-9/11 Veteran Landscape an analysis of the experiences and needs of post-9/11 veterans that can assist the field in understanding how to best support transitioning military service members and their families. The comprehensive research was conducted by the Bush Institute and supported by the  Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University.

President Bush hosted the 4th W100K bike ride in May, as well as the 4th Warrior Open golf tournament in October. Both events honor the servicemen and women who have bravely served, and sacrificed, to defend our Nation, as well as recognize the organizations that support them.

Looking ahead to 2015, the Military Service Initiative will soon invite leaders from the private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to explore how non-profits and philanthropy can better serve post-9/11 veterans and military families. In conjunction with this, MSI will release findings as part of a Model of Effectiveness to help veterans, funders, and military-focused non-profits best align funding with outcomes.