One of the unfortunate realities for U.S. veterans returning from active duty is that their physical, emotional and financial status has almost always been affected by their service. In addition to any disabilities, there is always the risk that they will have to confront discrimination based on their chosen profession.
According to The McAllen Monitor, nearly half of returning veterans sought care at the VA using veterans benefits, many of them for mental illness. Texas is home to the second-largest population of veterans in the country, which means that there is plenty of need for affordable legal services to navigate the complicated legalese of civilian life. Thankfully, a program to do just that now exists.
The Texas Civil Rights Project recently announced a new Veterans' Rights Program aimed at assisting the 40,000 or so veterans living in the Rio Grande Valley.
"Veterans not only have the challenge of re-acclimating to civilian life – seeking health, education and other benefits to which they are entitled – but also often have the added challenge of navigating that process with physical or mental disabilities that they acquired during service," said Emma Hilbert, the program's attorney, in a statement to Equal Voice.
"Added to these challenges, some veterans face discrimination because of such a disability or their status as a veteran," Hilbert continued.
Former servicemembers living in the Rio Grande Valley already have the support of hundreds of organizations and groups, but Felix Rodriguez, Hidalgo County's veterans service officer, said that the legal rights office would offer the kind of protection many veterans are missing.
Any veterans or family members of veterans having trouble gaining access to public resources or residences will find themselves heard and represented at TCRP.
"I have veterans with legal matters who don't know where to go and it's a good thing we have this program now so we can send them here and they can get the relief they are seeking," Rodriguez told The Monitor.
One of the largest and most popular schools in the country for military tuition assistance has regained the favor of the Department of Defense. The Wall Street Journal reported that, following alleged recruiting violations, the University of Phoenix was put on probationary status by the DOD in October 2015, which meant that it could no longer recruit on military bases or enroll veterans using the tuition-assistance program.
Though the school is no longer on probation, it will be under closer scrutiny moving forward. The DOD has also retained the right to end the school's status in the tuition-assistance program should any non-compliance issues resurface.
"Our commitment to compliance, transparency and continuous improvement remains constant," said University of Phoenix President Timothy P. Slottow in a statement. "We are grateful to leaders at the Department of Defense and in Congress for supporting a clear process and high standards from all educational institutions, and for ensuring military students are able to use their educational benefits for career-relevant programs at University of Phoenix."
An internal review was conducted by the DOD to determine how the for-profit college responded to the probation. Over the last several months, it was established that the department's concerns – none of which were made public – had been adequately met.
The Military Times, however, obtained a letter which addressed the complaints. They included the university's efforts to gain access to military bases without prior approval from the chain of command, as well as the misuse of military seals and trademarks.
According to data from the DOD, the University of Phoenix enrolled more than 9,000 tuition-assistance students in 2014, who altogether took about 28,000 classes at the cost of upwards of $20 million. It is even more popular with veterans, the Military Times reported. More than 49,000 students used the Post-9/11 GI Bill there in 2014 – more than any other school in the country.
Help Our Heroes – a small nonprofit based in Virginia that helps veterans transition from the military to their life after service in the civilian workforce – has gained a lot of attention recently for all it has done to help employ veterans around the country.
Joe Fairbanks, a Navy veteran and former executive at companies like IBM, first came into contact with Hire Our Heroes after the Pittsburgh Foundation pointed him their way. Fairbanks credits his military service with laying the foundation for his professional success.
"That's where I gained the attributes such as a work ethic, personal responsibility and teamwork," he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
To give back some of what he gained, Fairbanks recently made a $60,000 donation to Hire Our Heroes. That generous gift will go toward establishing a full-time executive position within the organization, which up until now has run on nothing but the support of dedicated volunteers. Fairbanks hopes his donation will open up opportunities for fellow veterans in the business world.
"Whatever success I had and the awards I've had in my career, I attribute to the Navy," said Fairbanks. "Veterans don't always know the value they bring, and employers don't always see the value of veterans."
While Fairbanks' generosity will make a big difference, he isn't the only one supporting Hire Our Heroes. 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division recently announced that, since 2013, it has donated more than $500,000 to more than 150 veterans and their families through the nonprofit's program.
In 2016, Body Shop Business reported that 3M is introducing a Hire Our Heroes Calendar. With every $200 donation to their education foundation, about $1,800 worth of monthly deals on 3M products will become available.
"The calendar is a tremendous salute to both the military members serving our country and the veterans who have served," said Dale Ross, 3M's U.S. marketing operations manager. "I think shops will be proud to have this on display, knowing that they have contributed to helping our veterans' transition to careers in the automotive industry."
Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the hardest and most debilitating conditions a veteran can face when transitioning into their life after service. Medication and therapy are two of the most common forms of treatment, but some creative and caring minds have come up with some new methods.
WTVM in Georgia reported on Jon Jackson, an Army veteran and founder of STAG VETS, a nonprofit group that treats servicemembers with PTSD and traumatic brain injury through farming. It may sound odd, but Jackson's 20 acres of farmland have already begun to help hundreds of homeless veterans break out from under the shadow of combat memories.
"A lot of the veterans that come back from Iraq and Afghanistan find themselves displaced," Jackson told WTVM. "A lot of those things are not working out for them. Farming and agriculture is pretty much like the military. You have to wake up early to feed the animals, things have to be done, you have to constantly plan and be strategic."
Veterans who arrive at the Comfort Farms build greenhouses and chicken coops, among other things. Jackson hopes to expand the size of the farm in coming years to house veterans and their families.
While farming is one method for alleviating PTSD, researchers at the Dwight Eisenhower Army Medical Center's Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic have found transcendental meditation effective. According to UPI, meditation helps veterans rely less on medication for treatment.
Finding inner peace by tuning out distractions has a direct effect on stress hormones, the medical center's study found.
After one month of examining veterans undergoing meditation and comparing them to a group who was not, the researchers found that nearly 84 percent of those meditating had held even, decreased or stopped altogether their medication usage. About 59 percent of the non-meditation group had done so.
Servicemembers spend years of their life relying on the chain of command for orders – how to dress, how to train, how to fight. But when it comes to a life after service, the voice of the drill instructor or C.O. has gone silent. Every decision is now in the veteran's hands, including that of where to go next. So, when the discharge papers come through, how do you make your choice?
According to the Military Times, a majority of veterans chose to stick around their previous duty stations. That's part of why San Antonio's veteran population lies in the six-figure range. Familiar cities aren't the only places in the country with a culture and services tailored to veterans, however.
An analysis conducted by the Military Times has revealed the best cities nationwide – a number of which may be surprising – for veterans seeking a career or comfortable place to settle down. Other studies have determined the worst cities for returning veterans. These are areas that lack military-related jobs, affordable housing and wage growth.
Here's a closer look at both the good and the bad:
The best
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Commuting to work is a breeze in Virginia Beach – on average, the trip is only a little more than 20 minutes. It's also one of the safest cities the Military Times found, with just 26.6 crimes per 1,000 people according to Census data. A culture that values its military members – who often play a big part in community events – puts Virginia Beach at the top of the list.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Veterans make up a big part of Colorado Springs's population, and the city welcomes their presence with open arms. Homes here go for a little more than $200,000, putting housing easily within reach for veterans, while multiple VA facilities accepting military insurance and benefits are less than an hour's drive.
San Antonio
Every November, San Antonio hosts Celebrate America's Military – a self-explanatory event that draws veterans and their families from all over. Very affordable housing is also a big appeal. Homes in the city can be bought for just a fraction of what they might cost elsewhere. Housing discounts are among the veterans benefits on offer.
San Diego
One of the best aspects of San Diego is its education system, its colleges in particular. Both San Diego State University and the University of San Diego made the Military Times' list of the best colleges for veterans. Having what very well may be the best climate in the country makes the city's strong military culture even more hospitable.
Oklahoma City
Veteran-friendly companies – from Chesapeake Energy to Verizon to Terra Construction – are just one trait Oklahoma City prides itself on. Many of the companies are owned and operated by veterans, making for a very warm, friendly atmosphere around military service members in the city. A VA medical center less than three miles from the city center doesn't hurt either.
The worst
Detroit
Among the hardest cities to live in for veterans trying to break out of poverty, WalletHub ranked Detroit dead last on its list of best and worst cities for former servicemembers.
Newark, New Jersey
Coming in second-to-last to only San Bernardino, California for lowest veteran income growth, Newark also has the inglorious distinction of having the highest percentage of veterans living below the poverty line in WalletHub's study.
Boston
Since WalletHub declared Boston one of the worst cities for veteran homelessness – it tied with San Francisco and Atlanta, among others – the city has put a lot of effort behind getting veterans long-term housing.
Hialeah, Florida
Any veteran moving to Hialeah won't find themselves with very much company. The city ranked dead last of the 100 studied by WalletHub for veteran population, meaning that sense of community and veteran culture would be very difficult to find.
Miami
With one of the lowest percentages of military skill-related employment, Miami makes it tough for veterans to find jobs that properly utilize their experience. In a city as expensive as Miami, that's pretty much a deal breaker.
Retired Air Force Col. Michael F. Welch has been approached by so many overwhelmed veterans expressing their thanks that he finally has a way of dealing with it, which isn't to say he doesn't appreciate their gratitude. As overseer of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Paralympic program, Welch is plenty familiar with how difficult living through a life after service with a disability sustained in combat can be.
The Washington Post reported that, as the specialist in charge of the VA program, Welch is responsible for providing grants to sports that assist disable veterans, as well as getting stipends to those veteran athletes talented enough to attend international competitions like the Paralympics.
"They tell me, 'You don't know what you've done for my life,'" Welch relayed to The Post.
Adaptive sports allow veterans to exercise, build muscle, connect with their fellow brothers and sisters in arms, and perhaps most importantly, find a new role for themselves. Welch talked about some of the athletes had contemplated suicide before they found an answer in sports.
Welch told The Post about a blind Navy officer who has gone on to win medals in swimming, and four veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injury but are nonetheless on their way to represent the U.S. in soccer at the Paralympic games.
Some wounded veterans have taken their athletic exploits even further. Fox 13 in Salt Lake City reported how more than 80 wheelchair-using veterans have been given the chance to attend ski and snowboard camps at Park City Mountain Resort.
Coaches there will teach veterans to ski regardless of injury, hopefully instilling a new passion for the sport by adapting it to their physical requirements. Spending time with other veterans while doing it certainly doesn't hurt either.
It can sometimes be hard to take, but not every veteran has a family around to honor them when they pass. Thankfully, Californians have proven definitively that when family can't do it, strangers will.
On Wednesday, strangers gathered at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery to attend a ceremony honoring 169 fallen veterans whose remains were never claimed by friends or kin. Under dozens of American flags snapping proudly in the wind, people the veterans never knew made sure that their service wasn't forgotten.
According to Fox 40, Sacramento's cemetery hosts this type of commemorative service several times throughout the year, but usually on a much smaller scale. Craig Allen, operations foreman at the cemetery, pointed to the laudatory efforts of the Missing in America Project – a group that locates veterans without families – for the expanded scope of the ceremony.
"They actively sought out these veterans that have somehow not been accorded the honors that they deserve," Allen told Fox 40.
Three of the veterans buried on Wednesday who were found by MIAP were from or near Napa County, the Napa Valley Register reported. Two of them – Waightsel Lumpkin and Keith Sipma – were Army veterans who served during World War II. The third was Quenton Nickell, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Craig Hall, another Army veteran, was appointed Napa County's very first veterans remains officer last summer. He worked with the county sheriff's office and MIAP to locate the three men, who were taken to the national cemetery via procession.
There, along with all the other fallen, the Register reported that they received a full memorial service complete with rifle volleys, taps, and a presentation of the American flag to a veteran in attendance.
Some missions last a day, some a month, some a lifetime. For Veterans on Patrol, helping homeless veterans is their vocation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The group just recently established a new camp in Mesa, Arizona, ABC 15 reported, that bears the signs of a military operation – rigid tents and an American flag.
"Homeless veterans coming – when they see military structures like this – it's a familiarity with them," Lewis Arthur, co-founder of Veterans on Patrol, told the news channel. Arthur said that he hoped veterans seeking shelter would soon find the tents stocked with donations from the Arizona community.
"So, if a vet comes walking down this street at 3 o'clock in the morning, he'll see the flag lit up at nighttime in the camp and he knows he can walk over here to get food, water and a blanket," Arthur continued.
While Mesa may be the group's newest location, it certainly isn't their first. According to Tucson News Now, back in December Veterans on Patrol was going out of its way to put a roof over the head of homeless veterans who had somehow slipped through the cracks in their life after service and who weren't receiving aid.
"In Tucson, we've found 18 veterans so far that are either not in the system or the VA themselves are looking for them," Arthur said at the time.
Mesa's camp now brings the total Veterans on Patrol sites in Arizona to four. Operating with a team of dedicated volunteers, the group posts requests for the items it needs to Facebook, then relies on donations from the community to fulfill them. But there's more to the operation than just handing out supplies.
"Once we develop a relationship with them, if they need help transitioning, we'll help them," Arthur told ABC 15. "If they want to stay homeless, we'll gear them up good."
Though their incarceration rate is lower than that of the civilian population, veterans struggling in their life after service sometimes wind up on the wrong side of the law. In the past, that's meant one thing – jail time. But in Johnson County, Kansas, an alternative has been introduced that could, with time, have ramifications nationwide.
According to The Kansas City Star, the first of its kind Veterans Treatment Court will supervise and support troubled veterans through a diversion program with the assistance of a court staff and mentors.
"The idea is to evaluate those people to try to identify those with needs, and what we are looking for is people with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, with depression, with substance abuse issues," Judge Timothy McCarthy told KSHB in Kansas City. "These aren't the most serious crimes, these are lower level felonies and misdemeanors."
McCarthy was primarily responsible for the court's creation. The Star reported that he researched what would be required to establish it, then organized it, and now, he will hear cases involving veterans every other Wednesday afternoon.
Two main goals motivated McCarthy – getting veterans the help they need, and reducing the number of people serving time for low-level offenses. To avoid a jail sentence, accused veterans must commit to a 12- to 18-month program filled with drug and alcohol testing, court appearances and case-specific treatments.
There have already been some success stories emerging from the courtroom. One of them comes from Joshua Boley, a former Marine who deployed three times in four years.
"It definitely saved me, and that's why I definitely believe it's going to save a lot of veterans' lives," Boley told KSHB. "I was in the regular court prior to this, and it didn't help me at all. I just kind of kept getting worse."
Now, surrounded by other veterans with experience undergoing the same trials, Boley and others like him have found a new path.
Just one year ago, Cynthia Dias was a homeless veteran struggling in her life after service in Las Vegas. On Tuesday night, she was a special guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at President Barack Obama's final Sate of the Union address.
"It was an outstanding speech," Dias told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Dias was reportedly captivated by what the President had to say regarding improvements made to veteran care over the last few years, and the long road still ahead.
Attending the speech wasn't Dias' only objective, however. She and Arnold Stalk, founder of Veterans Village – a non-profit former motel in Las Vegas with more than 120 housing units where, according to Huffington Post, Dias lives and works as a voluntary advocate for homeless veterans – both traveled to the White House to meet with Valerie Jarrett, Obama's senior adviser, and the first lady.
A nurse who served in the Vietnam War and who subsequently suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, Dias is one of the many veterans who found long-term residences following the Mayor's Challenge, an effort spearheaded by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to end veteran homelessness.
Dias and Stalk also met with Julian Castro, secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development, to discuss VASH vouchers – a joint program between HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Stalk pointed to Dias as the embodiment of what the program can do to improve the fortunes of the chronically homeless.
"She was great backup for me today," Stalk relayed to the Review-Journal.
Working together, the two veterans advocates relayed the same message to lawmakers – with affordable, stable housing and access to health care, homeless veterans can turn their lives around and do incredible things. For evidence, look no further than Cynthia Dias.