Veterans who have changed the world for the better

Veterans aren't just former soldiers: They're artists, scientists, athletes, business people, and public servants who continue to achieve and innovate after they've completed their military service.

Veterans have been driving force behind countless noteworthy achievements — from historic milestones like walking on the moon all the way down to launching small, local nonprofits that lift others out of homelessness.

These are the stories of veterans who served in the armed forces, then used their talents to change the world for the better. Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive — but even a small sampling is proof of the powerful positive influence veterans have in everyday life.

Jimmy Carter has almost eradicated a disease from the planet.

In 1982, Carter — a Navy vet— created the Carter Center, a nonprofit that aims to advance human rights globally. The center has led the worldwide effort to eradicate guinea worm disease, a painful condition caused by drinking contaminated water.

Thanks to the center's work, the number of guinea worm cases has plummeted from 3.5 million in 1986 to just 22 in 2015. 

Harriet Tubman spied for the Union during the Civil War.

Most people know Tubman as the woman who led slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. But once the Civil War was in full swing, she also worked as a nurse and a spy for the Union Army, according to the Civil War Trust.

In June of 1863, Tubman became the only woman to lead men to battle during the Civil War when she guided 150 troops down the Combahee River, raiding slaveholders' lands and freeing more than 750 slaves in the process. 

Sadly, Tubman never received a veteran's pension for her services — until 2003, when the government sent a belated sum of $11,750 to the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, New York.

Stacy Bare helps veterans heal in the great outdoors.

When he returned from Iraq in in 2006, Bare had trouble transitioning back to civilian life. He self-medicated with drugs and alcohol and even contemplated suicide. But a friend invited him to go rock climbing by chance one day — and Bare found that time spent outdoors was enormously healing. 

Now, he inspires a love of nature in others as the director of Sierra Club Outdoors. Part of his job includes organizing nature expeditions for veterans. The trips help foster mental and physical health while building community.

"I think everybody benefits from time outside," Bare told INSIDER. "You get outside and you challenge yourself and you see beautiful places — you really realize what you fought for as a country. We use a lot of public lands and that's where justice and liberty and all these high ideals kind of manifest themselves physically. It's a pretty beautiful thing."