The Power of Connection: How a Magazine for Veterans Bolsters a Sense of Community

As a veteran, your service to the country is an impressive and admirable quality. After returning from active duty, however, the adjustment to civilian life can be notably difficult. In fact, over half of all veterans are unemployed four months after leaving the military, with some potentially jobless even longer than that.

Fortunately, there are beneficial platforms that can help veterans readjust to civilian life, with one of the most prominent being veteran magazines. If you are a veteran and have had issues landing a job or are simply seeking to find a community similar to you, consider purchasing a veteran magazine subscription.  

What is a Magazine for Veterans?

A U.S. Veterans Magazine is a resource magazine that is targeted at transitioning service members, service-disabled veterans, spouses of veterans, business owners with service histories, and more. While they include standard stories like other magazine services, they also feature more benefits and sections covering topics such as benefits & disability as well as jobs. 

Benefits of a Veteran’s Magazine

You may be wondering if there is actually any benefit to using this type of magazine as a veteran. The short answer is that there are many benefits to be had from using a veteran’s magazine. Given that this magazine type is geared towards veterans, all of the topics are pertinent to service members.

This means that each story is of interest, all job opportunities posted are geared towards veterans, and the community itself is made up of like-minded individuals with a shared background. Some veteran magazines even feature people search tools that may allow you to locate former members you’re served with who you may have lost contact. 

How a Veteran’s Magazine Can Build a Community

It’s one thing to say that a veteran magazine can help individuals develop a sense of community, but it’s another to understand how. The following are effective ways in which a veteran can leverage magazines to create a sense of belonging to a new community:

Bringing about job opportunities

As mentioned, finding work after active service can be a challenge for any veterans. While data for 2022 has yet to be released, data from 2021 indicates that of the 386,000 unemployed veterans, 56% were between the ages of 25 to 54, with 39% and 4% making up the older than 55 and younger than 25 groups, respectively. 

This majority age group who is unemployed is of prime working age and the group where having a job and building a salary matters most. Veteran magazines will post job opportunities where the poster has a priority on hiring veterans, or they will post easier-to-find job opportunities in general. Don’t allow potential new jobs to pass you by simply because you chose not to read a veteran’s magazine. 

The sharing of stories

One of the biggest parts of building a community is finding shared interests and backgrounds. A veteran magazine allows readers to have a platform where they can share vulnerable stories from their time away with readers who completely understand what is being discussed. 

At some point in their life, seven out of every one-hundred veterans will have some form of PTSD. Having a platform to discuss what has occurred and to speak with other veterans can allow an individual to be introduced to people who can help or services which can be used to benefit what they are going through. 

Introduction to outreach programs

After coming back from serving the country, many veterans wish to find a way to continue to give themselves to their country and their other veterans. One such way is through specialized outreach programs. These programs specialize in providing eligible veteran families with financial assistance, case management help, and general assistance in obtaining VA, as well as other benefits.

Perhaps you are a veteran who found success integrating back into civilian life and you want others to share your success, or perhaps you wish to utilize the services. Either way, these outreach programs can help you achieve your goals. 

Educational opportunities 

Finally, one of the lesser realized opportunities that veteran magazines can bring about is the introduction of educational opportunities. Beyond this, many schools will offer discounts for veterans, or the Veterans Educational Assistance Program can be used if contributions have been made over the years. 

Be cautious about using educational benefits for veterans before they expire. Review your own specific benefits to see when the expiration date may be. 

Other Ways to Connect with Veterans

Finding others with a shared background so that you may build a sense of community is extremely important. If veteran magazines aren’t right for you, there are other unique ways you can connect with members of your community. Consider some of the following options:

• Build a professional brand to connect with professionals with similar background 

• Join a local employment group or a club for networking

• Take an informational interview with a company to simply connect 

• Personalize connection information to let others know why you want to connect

Finding other veterans to share stories with or to network for job opportunities can seem difficult on the surface, but with the right effort, anybody can be successful. Don’t forget to leverage your friends or family to see if they have any connections that could help you land a job opportunity that you didn’t previously consider. 

Readjusting to civilian life can be difficult, but there are resources out there, such as veterans’ magazines, which can help you get adjusted faster than you ever thought was possible. Take actionable steps to reach out to your community today. 

Find your community today

No servicemember to the country should ever feel isolated after the years they have given their country. Pick up a unique veteran’s magazine to find a community of individuals who have a background similar to your own, and to potentially be introduced to new job opportunities that you may not have discovered before.