Post-9/11 veterans more likely than pre-9/11 veterans to say readjusting to civilian life was difficult % of veterans saying their readjustment to civilian life after military service
About half of post-9/11 veterans say readjusting to civilian life was difficult. While about three-quarters of all veterans (73%) say readjusting to civilian life was very or somewhat easy, roughly one-in-four (26%) say it was at least somewhat difficult. There is a significant gap between pre- and post-9/11 veterans in this regard. About half of post-9/11 veterans (47%) say it was very or somewhat difficult for them to readjust to civilian life after their military service. By comparison, only about one-in-five veterans whose service ended before 9/11 (21%) say their transition was very or somewhat difficult. A large majority of pre-9/11 veterans (78%) say it was easy for them to make the transition.
Post-9/11 veterans more likely than pre-9/11  | veterans to say readjusting to civilian life was difficult  | % of veterans saying their readjustment to civilian life after military service  | was  | Very  | Very  | Somewhat  | Somewhat  | difficult  | difficult  | easy  | easy  | Not 26  | Net 73  | All veterans  | 20  | 38  | 34  | Post-9/11  | 51  | 47  | 16  | 32  | 32  | 19  | Pre .7/11  | 21  | 17  | 40  | 38  | 78  | Note: Share or respondents who didn't offer an answer not shown.  | Source: Survey of U.S. veterans conducted May 14 June 3. 2019.  | "The American Veteran Experience and the Post-9/11 Generation  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 