Document Type
Research Brief
Date
5-1-2026
Keywords
Military service members; veterans; armed forces; social mobility; diversity; social mobility; socioeconomic benefits; financial literacy; education and training; veteran outcomes; economic inclusion, briefs
Language
Eng
Disciplines
Military and Veterans Studies
Description/Abstract
This research brief assesses a changing U.S. military force structure in an era of waning trust in public institutions and new security pressures, both domestic and global. While many U.S. public institutions are facing declining trust, one key aspect in the case of the military is lack of understanding between U.S. veterans and nonveterans—often termed the civil-military gap. Understanding this gap is necessary to forge connections across military-connected communities and those without service experience. Bridging this gap is a timely model to restore baseline confidence in many institutions that serve all members of the public.
Recommended Citation
Zoli, Corri and Euto, Linda, "Changing U.S. Military Force Structure: Rebuilding Confidence in Public Institutions by Bridging the Civil-Military Gap" (2026). The Lender Center for Social Justice. 96.
https://surface.syr.edu/lender/96
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
