who we are
VETS FOR THE PEOPLE is a political home and organizing community of bold veterans and military voters coming together through our shared belief that everyone, regardless of where they come from or what they look like, deserves the freedom to thrive.
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For too long, warmongers, white supremacists, and corporate politicians have exploited the military and veteran community and tried to control our narratives to advance their own corrupt and violent agendas. At Vets for the People, we are loudly defying their efforts to reduce this vibrant constituency into stereotypes — We are more than just political props. We are a diverse and powerful community and we are organizing to create a world that serves the many, not the few.
WHAT WE DO
seek
Seek out and recruit aligned veterans and military voters, particularly those from under-represented communities, such as people of color, women, LGBTQ+ veterans, and immigrant vets.
CULTIVATE
Cultivate the organizing and leadership skills of military veterans to raise up new party leaders and champions who will lead us toward a more just and equitable future.
EDUCATE
Create political education that demystifies the political landscape and grounds veterans and military voters in their storied history as empowered organizers for structural change.
How do we define a “veteran?”
A veteran is formally defined as an individual who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, National Guard) for at least 1 year on active duty (full-time contract) or reserve (part-time contract), regardless of their discharge status, military job, or if they deployed or not.
Some veterans have what we call a “Bad Paper Discharge.”
This is an administrative separation from the military as a result of minor offenses, including “insubordinate” behavior, criminalization of mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries, survivors of sexual and racial violence, or institutionalized discrimination like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the Trump Trans Ban, etc. Just like the civilian justice system, the U.S. Military Code of Justice is rigged against people of color, women/non-binary folks, and working-class enlisted members. This is why Vets for the People always says we recognize people’s veteran status “regardless of discharge status.”
