U.S. Rep. Jason Crow has reintroduced a measure that would establish a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to those soldiers who served in the global war on terrorism.

“Those of us that have served know the transformative power of a sacred place where veterans and their families can come to reflect, remember and heal,” said Crow, who deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq and with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. “A permanent tribute to their courage and sacrifice in our nation’s capital will go a long way in honoring those who have served in our nation’s longest war.” 

Crow previously introduced the bill in 2019 with U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. Thirteen Democratic and 24 Republican House members joined in the introduction of the current version.

In June 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that more than 3.7 million individuals have served in the armed forces since the 9/11 terror attacks. While the overall veteran population has been shrinking, the bureau found the percentage of female veterans had grown to nearly one in 10 by 2018.

“More than one-third (34.9 percent) of Post-9/11 veterans were some other race and ethnicity than non-Hispanic White, which is significantly more than veterans from the Gulf War or Peacetime period since 1975,” the bureau reported. “Post-9/11 and Gulf War veterans also had more education than older veterans.”