A new survey ranks the U.S. military just behind firefighters and nurses as the most “valuable figures” in U.S. society, but it finds a widely held perception that the majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress.

The survey, released Wednesday, looked at whether the public believes Iraq and Afghanistan veterans could make good community leaders. It found the public thinks these veterans have proven their leadership skills and can serve their communities at home, but that they need time to recover from combat first.

Some of the findings show similarities to post-Vietnam perceptions of troubled veterans returning home. For example, 27 percent of those surveyed thought returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans were more likely to suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction than non-veterans, and 53 percent believe the majority of returning veterans have PTSD.

However, when asked to compare Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to Vietnam veterans, the survey shows the new generation is seen as more disciplined and willing to work hard, less likely to use drugs, more likely to take an active role in school and community affairs, and be better educated.Click here to read more from the MarineTimes