Pouvoir se reconstruire ? La réinsertion des anciens combattants d’Irak et d’Afghanistan : initiatives privées, politiques publiques

Abstract

Between 2011 and 2014, two million six hundred thousand American soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned home. Some of them are badly wounded. This article aims at showing the numerous hurdles the veterans have been faced with while transitioning from military to civilian life. It shows the part played by associations founded by veterans from these wars in order to help their brothers in arms to find adequate housing, succeed in securing a new job, break their loneliness and fight traumas by bringing a helping hand to others in need. When he took office, President Obama who had voted against military intervention in Iraq, pledged to use all the resources of his administration in order to meet the needs of the troops returning home. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden also played a key role through their unfailing support for military families. The efficiency of the measures taken over the last six years are assessed as well as the challenges still to be met.