what a beautiful way to describe em!

Although 89 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans agreed that
other Americans could learn from their service, only 44 percent said
they consider themselves leaders in their communities.

Nearly 70 percent said they have not been contacted by a community
group or place of worship, while 54 percent said they were contacted by
a veterans service organization. However, of those who did speak with
veterans groups, only 21 percent were asked to serve their communities.

As one veteran in the survey said: “Recognize our usefulness. We are not charity cases. We are an American asset.”

Time reports from the same survey;

And not surprisingly, many people have found themselves
trying to lend veterans a helping hand rather than asking for their
help. While 7 out of 10 returning vets were offered a service from
local do-gooders, only 1 in 5 was asked to serve. In particular,
veterans say they are eager to serve by helping other veterans, aiding
in disaster relief, helping the elderly and troubled kids and
protecting the environment.

Not unsurprisingly, the Hollywood version of the returning veteran
is wrong, just like it was wrong three decades ago. You can read the
entire survey report (in .pdf) at Civic Enterprises, LLC.