30 Issues: Troops and Veterans

30 Issues in 30 Days is our election year series on the important issues facing the country this election year. Today: What's wrong — and right — with the current government treatment of active and returned military personnel. Visit the 30 Issue home page for all the conversations.

Open Prep: Questions, Articles, and Links to Get You Started

Key Questions

• Is the all-volunteer military creating two Americas?
• Is there an "economic draft" for those who could not pay for college without enlisting?
• What can Washington do to address the high rate of homelessness among veterans?
• What is the demographic breakdown of enlistees? 

What are your key questions on this topic? Post them below and get the conversation going!

Guests:

• Kristin Henderson, military spouse, journalist, communications director for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a nonprofit that helps injured service members and their families, and author of "While They're At War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront.", talks about the experience of military families and her reflections on the division between civilian and military life.
• Richard H. Kohn, professor emeritus of History and Peace, War, and Defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, talks about the dynamics of a volunteer army and whether war is an unequal burden in the US.

Got a Follow Up?

Each Friday we'll be following up on one of that week's issues. Got a particular follow-up question from this conversation? Comment below or tweet us. Tweet to @brianlehrer