Online Event: The Role of U.S. Veterans in Global Development

The 18 million Americans who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are an underutilized resource in global development. Veterans are severely underrepresented in the global development field, which has a growing need for the skills that they bring to the table. Moving forward, development work will increasingly take place in fragile and conflict-torn areas of the world. Veterans’ extensive skills and experience are particularly applicable to this new horizon – having served in the most advanced military in the world, they are well equipped to tackle the technological and organizational challenges limiting middle income countries’ growth, and those who have toured possess extensive experience operating in fragile and conflicted-affected societies. These traits will be key as global development professionals are increasingly called to take longer tours abroad – a call that comes from both sides of the political aisle. Given their experience on the ground, and the skillset mentioned above, veterans are particularly well-suited to answer this call and continue their contributions to global security and prosperity.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.