Transition Veterans

Oh the all too often battle cry veterans of the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) in particular can be seen saying in veteran affiliated social media pages and groups. For quite some time now, GWOT veterans have been stereotyped as psychotic douche bags who whine and bitch about everything, yet in the same instance demand and expect to be treated like immortal gods. I believe the main reason for this huge disconnect between society and the veteran community is the PTSD elephant in the room.

Coming home to nothing; no help, no support, no job, and no one to talk to about their personal experiences while being deployed. This type lifestyle is something veterans face on a day to day basis. Transitioning back into society can be difficult, but we as Americans should help them make this extensive change. The introduction of the book For Love of Country, written by Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran inspired me to look more into how the American society helps those who sacrifice their lives so our lives can be free. The introduction also helped with the theme of veterans and one topic question. What are the common repercussions of veterans leaving the army and what can American society do to help them?

In war or peace, the military is a hazardous profession, and extensive service means more risk of serious injury (Morin, 2011). One out of every ten veterans alive today was seriously injured at some point while serving in the military, and three-quarters of those injuries occurred in combat (Morin, 2011). For many of these wounded veterans, according to Pew Research Center, the physical and emotional consequences of their wounds have endured long after they left the military (Morin, 2011). Almost all veterans are proud of their service, in spite of serious injuries (Morin, 2011).

“The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is home to the United States’ largest integrated health care system” (Mason e.t. al 2016). Because of technological and medical advancement, surviving injuries from war has lead to a greater need for post deployment and discharge care. I often hear the phrase “Freedom is not free”; the mental health of our active duty soldiers and veterans is one area that ends up costing America. Some lose time with their families, some are injured physically and mentally, and some lose their lives.

Even though soldiers are able to distract themselves from the horrors that they witness on the front, war psychologically damages them and creates the “lost generation”. The young men find it increasingly difficult to think and act with the mindset of a civilian. In war, the men only experience despair, death, and fear, so their mind is enveloped by negative thoughts that

Today I am here to talk to you all about a problem that is sweeping the nation. In 2012, 8.3% of veterans that are women compared to 6.9% of male veterans were unemployed. Most veterans miss out on going to college and getting proper education for getting jobs. The Veterans Health Administration did a poll and the poll showed that one in five female veterans had Military Sexual Trauma. Many women in the survey did not want to say that they have been abused. Women have gotten raped or had attempted rape while serving in the military. There is a girl named Sarah and she told her story about the time she almost got raped by a military guy. Sarah had said that she was having an alcoholic beverage because she was finding out if she got into a really

Society often has the expectation that all returning veterans automatically re-adjust to their surroundings, settle in, and begin where they left off before being deployed to war. They expect them to be the same fathers, veterans, participants in the workforce and partners that they once were (Stocker 2010). The lack of knowledge regarding the disorder they suffer from can lead society to pass judgement upon them in a negative way. They may feel that the veteran was weak in his actions or a coward for going to such extremes. This adds to the pain and suffering that the families of these veterans are already undergoing.

The disconnection and the inability to relate to veterans creates difficulties between families, friends, and employees which results in a shock for both sides. This shock creates navigational challenges when it comes to reestablishing oneself into the civilian workforce (Schutz, 1945, p. 372). Schutz believe in the idea of acquiring insight into the transition experience of soldiers is the key foundation in comprehending the intervention aspect of returning veterans as well supporting successful readjustment into the civilian career world (Schutz, 1945, p. 372). Although what a service member personally goes through during a deployment is not really known, the challenges of return to civilian is a difficult one because the job being done in

In studying the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, I learned that the actions of war cause many service men and women to change. The change comes because the US military trains people to kill but they don’t want to help them fit back into society. This causes veterans to have symptoms such aggression, irritability, and hostility. Which is why I feel that people who have killed in the military came in with the mentality that they were going to help people, but instead they go overseas to kill and ruin innocent people’s lives. That causes them to have feelings of guilt because people are told to look at our service men and women as heroes but inside they see themselves as monsters. There are cases of this happening in every

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

Veterans from war fight long and hard to protect and serve our country. When they return home, some soldiers have a difficult time adjusting back to a civilian life. In The Odyssey by Homer, a young man named Odysseus and his men leave for the Trojan war and face many obstacles on their journey back to Ithaca. The journey lasts twenty years and results in the deaths of many of Odysseus’ men. However, when they return home from their journey, Odysseus struggles to return to the life he had twenty years ago.

The U.S. military produces some of the bravest most heroic men and women on earth. From the moment the oath of enlistment is made to the time of separation or retirement, these courageous souls endure a number of amazing, historic and sometimes unbelievable events. They are praise for their service and lift even higher for their sacrifice, although most are unaware of the true sacrifices are made by some of these men and women. The most visible sacrifices or “outer sacrifices” are loss of life or loss of limbs while the inner wounds are bouts with depression, sexual assault, divorce, and most common alcohol other drug abuse.

Veterans win wars and endure the trauma that entails with them only to come back home and die in the comfort of their own communities. In Sebastian Junger’s book, Tribe, he expresses his beliefs on the importance and strength of social bonding and how people are stronger as an emotionally and socially intertwined “tribe”. In his book he specifically confronts the community of veterans that return from war and the ordeals that they suffer. His concerns lie with the fact that veterans lack a feeling of belonging and a sense of productivity back in society that they had once felt while deployed. To further the understanding of these veterans, studies from Doctor Stefan G. Hofmann, Doctor Melissa D. Wilson, and information provided by the American Psychiatric Association will be used to help explain.

Many combat veterans return with mental health needs that can complicate educational achievement. In addition to specific disorders such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, combat veterans experience psychosocial disruption as they rapidly transition from the role from warrior to that of student. (Sachs, 2008, p.1)

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.