Gap or not, do your part to build a bridge Published March 5, 2013 By Maj. Michael T. Bryant 71st Comptroller Squadron commander VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- I recently stumbled upon an article about the growing divide between the military and civilian population. My first reaction was the author had no clue what he was talking about. The American people are incredibly supportive of the military. Everywhere you turn, businesses are offering military discounts, free tickets to sporting events, amusement parks, etc. You also hear stories of strangers picking up bar tabs or bills for troops at restaurants. From my perspective, support is at an all time high. It's impossible to walk through the airport or go out in public in uniform without strangers walking up and thanking me for my service. However, I read the article and thought about it more. There are some important points we could take away to better understand this topic and attempt to close this divide, whether it is perceived or real. While the nation is incredibly supportive, they might not know the details about our deployments, what our spouses and children are going through or what we do on a daily basis. Mull over these facts. More than 2.4 million troops have fought in Southwest Asia since 9/11. That is only 1 percent of the American population over the age of 18. Due to base closings, most of the nation's active-duty force has moved to the Sun Belt with 10 states home to 70 percent of all Americans in uniform. The average citizen does not run into soldiers, sailors, Airmen and Marines the way their parents and grandparents did. This phenomenon is even more noticeable in Congress. The share of veterans among lawmakers has fallen from 77 percent in the late 1970s to 22 percent now. Making matters worse, a long list of public concerns topped by jobs, the national debt, taxes, health care and social issues are replacing media coverage of the war. So how do we make sure the nation doesn't lose its connection to the military? Some are calling for a return to the draft. Others are encouraging programs for private-sector employers to give preference, or at least an equal shot, to veterans looking for jobs. Recently, the Air Force has started to embrace social media. This forum allows both the Air Force and its Airmen to "tell the Air Force's story" to the American public and engage with it in a way that would normally be difficult or impossible. Of course, there are inherent dangers as professionalism and social media do not always go hand in hand. While these initiatives represent a broad, overall strategy; there are also actions each of us can take to reconnect. It falls on our shoulders to do our best not to isolate ourselves further and to reach out to the rest of country. What better way to learn about our military than hearing from someone firsthand what it's like to be in harm's way, separated from your family for up to a year or what Afghanistan looks like on the other side of the television screen. The next time you're at the airport waiting to board an airplane or someone thanks you for your service, strike up a conversation and give John and Jane Q. Public an idea of the sacrifices you're making and what it's like to serve. Better yet, contact our Public Affairs office and volunteer for one of the numerous speaking opportunities available in the local community. Regardless of whether you buy into the notion of a civil-military divide, the more interaction the American public has with the military the better. It's imperative that all who serve -- military, civilian, spouses -- get the word out the best we know how about the great things we are doing every day and our role in the overall Air Force mission. Editor's note: To learn more about speaking opportunities in the local area, contact Jamie Topliff in the Public Affairs office, 213-7136.