Abstract: This study was an exploration of the lived experiences of veterans transitioning to civilian life and their perceived disconnect from non-veterans. The theoretical framework of cultural competence theory was utilized as a guide for the basis of the research questions: What do veterans want non-veterans to understand about military reintegration to civilian life? Do veterans ultimately seek a sense of connection to civilians? What can be learned about the veteran reintegration experience to provide better care from the non-veteran clinician? What can be learned about veteran reintegration experience to provide better social support from close family and friends of the veteran? Nine veterans were recruited from different veterans’ organizations and asked a set of questions culled by the research questions and primary researcher’s professional experiences. Veterans met inclusion criteria if they served in a post-9/11 conflict and experienced combat. Meetings were recorded, transcribed, and then thematically analyzed through inductive analysis of the transcript. This analysis created 53 codes, 11 subthemes, and 3 overarching themes. The results provided three main themes: The Significance of Veteran Support, Exploring Veterans’ Experiences Reintegrating to Civilian Life, and The Dynamics of Cultural Competence: Exploring interactions with non-veteran peers in the context of military culture. This study concluded many factors that may help aid veterans in reintegrating to civilian life including connecting with other veterans during the reintegration process and highlighted the need for non-veterans to increase their military cultural competency. If military cultural competency is increased, veterans will likely feel less isolated and more understood by the non-veteran population. Recommendations for non-veteran clinicians and support systems were provided.