The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is asking for help from the civilian world. The Department of Defense says Navy Admiral Mike Mullen is concerned that civilian Americans are becoming detached from the all-volunteer military. He’d like to see more civilians reach out to veterans returning home from the wars. Mullen made the comments during a series of speeches at college campuses around the nation to bridge the gap between civilians and the military. He says because the fighting force is all-volunteer, and makes up less than one percent of the entire U.S. population, service members might be isolated from the country they represent. He says civilian Americans should focus more on the troops and their families; not just thank them – but hire them.

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