Transitioning from active duty to civilian life is difficult for many soldiers, but the challenges may be especially steep for wounded warriors. Having to adapt to a drastically different lifestyle, all while managing the wounds of war – whether they be emotional or physical – is something few people can fully understand. A new program known as Sentinels of Freedom aims to help injured troops overcome some of these obstacles and has seen considerable success so far, Florida Today reports.
An all encompassing approach
While there are many services available to transition soldiers, few are quite as comprehensive as Sentinels of Freedom. The program, which helps veterans through many of the common obstacles – including finding a home, continuing education and managing their health – costs about $100,000 for each soldier. While it's a steep price, the expenses are covered by donations from local residents and businesses. It also connects troops to veterans who managed to make a smooth transition in a mentorship program. This was the case for Ernso Auguste, who contacts veteran Brian Laughlin regularly for advice.
"I want to see him in a position to have the skill sets to get gainfully employed and be able to support his family," Laughlin told the newspaper. "We talk all the time. He bounces things off me. We help him make certain decisions."
A decade in the making
Sentinels of Freedom was launched in 2003 when California native Mike Conklin was inspired to help others after his son was injured serving in Iraq. The first soldier Conklin and his organization helped was Cpl. Jake Brown, who was injured while serving in Germany. In the years since, the nonprofit has helped more than 115 soldiers all across the U.S.
Wide array of services available
Private organization such as Sentinels of Freedom are certainly a useful tool for servicemembers transitioning into civilian life, but the Department of Defense has been working on improving its transition assistance programs as well. The recent redesign was announced in July 2012 and includes a number of features better suited to the most recent group of veterans. Colloquially known as Transition GPS, the program focuses primarily on helping separating servicemembers land a job once they enter the civilian workforce.