Army National Guard

There’s an unmistakable aura if you’ve ever been to any of the 172 VA medical centers run by the Veterans Health Administration. It’s a quiet somberness — near reverence — that demands attention and respect. Many veterans are elderly, and they glide through the hallways in wheelchairs pushed by volunteers. They often wear jackets with American flags and service branch patches that look oversized on their age-shrunken frames. But from under their hats, almost always in caps of the conflict and associated service ribbon, their eyes reflect a knowledge of human nature that goes along with the horrors of war. They aren’t asked to explain their service; you can see it in their faces. At the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, this is a common scene.

In an era of declining trust, the military retains widespread public confidence — 61 percent as of a Gallup poll this year. Large majorities of Americans look up to those who wore the uniform and associate serving in the military with positive stereotypes like self-discipline, loyalty and responsibility. Politicians and our political system? Not so much. Only 26 percent of Americans have confidence in the presidency, and confidence in Congress stands at 9 percent. It’s no wonder that both parties recruit military veterans to run for office, hoping that the halo from their service will soften the sharp edges of political reality and garner crossover appeal come election day.