Life after military may be challenging for many veterans. Thankfully, civilians who have service members as loved ones and friends have a chance to make a positive impact on their lives like never before, through various charity programs, civic institutions and other groups dedicated to improving the spiritual and material lives of returning veterans. Essentials like military life insurance is obviously a must, though it is simple acts of love and charity that can help a returning veteran feel at home in a warm and hospitable habitation in civilian life.
Trip designed to convey gratitude
One way to demonstrate your solidarity with a veteran may be to follow the method employed by Honor Flight Network, which arranges for World War II veterans to see the memorial dedicated to the veterans' sacrifice in Washington, D.C. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, a number of veterans would have been unable to visit the memorial without the assistance that this nonprofit provides. Commuting to Washington for a veteran living in Seattle or Maine can be very unfeasible and especially difficult in the still sluggish U.S. economy.
The nonprofit has attempted to ameliorate this – in the process allowing more than 300 veterans of the war to see the memorial in Washington.
"I'm really impressed with the people who have come out to see us and to help," said the U.S. Army veteran., Bob Sears, a veteran of the war, according to the source, "There's so many people who came … who care."
Honoring veterans by contributing to parades and charities
According to the New York Daily News, Sen. Chuck Schumer recently called for a parade in New York City to celebrate the sacrifice of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, in an area of New York called the Canyon of Heroes, which is reputed to be imbued with a historical spirit.
"With the war in Afghanistan winding down, now is the time to keep with longstanding American tradition and kick off a campaign for the first New York City welcome home parade for troops that served in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Schumer, according to the source.
Parades can be a fitting testament to beloved veterans, demonstrating a nod of support while having the added benefit of avoiding overtly political statements. These wars are still fresh in the American psyche, presenting tributes that will probably show much more nuance than a tribute to veterans of WWII, the latter a conflict that is popularly seen as a necessary and just cause among Europeans and Americans.
"The brave men and women who have selflessly served our nation with courage and skill in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve a recognition for their sacrifice," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, as quoted by the source, "I stand with Senator Schumer in his call for a parade to honor our veteran heroes, and New York City would be proud to host this important event."
The support of leading New York politicians may usher in a successful parade, one that pays a fitting tribute to veterans in America's most recent wars.
Seeking out reputable military charities can also be an excellent source for helping veterans. Benefits for veterans are helped significantly by the Veterans Administration, but citizens can also do their part by tracking down viable and transparent charities for veterans by visiting sites like Great Nonprofits that provide indispensable links to various charities for veterans, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Operation Troop Appreciation and Soldiers' Angels.
The time has never been more fortuitous to help a veteran with a return to civilian life, in the process cultivating solidarity and contributing to a warm sense of community.
A veteran represents one of the most venerated individuals in society. With many soldiers contending with life after service, it is obvious that the military is changing in vast and revolutionary ways. A relatively recent aspect of military life is the introduction of woman into the ranks. This historical event has lead women to perform admirably and heroically in the armed services. A brief summary of women veterans and their role in military life is thus in order, especially given that March was women's history month.
Early history of women in military
According to The Huffington Post, the number of women in the U.S. armed services has reached an "unprecedented" level. The source noted that women were involved in military preparation during the American Revolutionary War, serving as nurses and other non-combative roles. However, despite the prohibition on women in combat until relatively recently, many women found a way to the front lines. This may have been indicative of the eagerness that women have shown throughout U.S. history to enter the ranks of the military, although this was only reflected legally in recent decades. Deborah Sampson, a woman of the revolutionary generation, disguised herself as a man to serve in George Washington's army for a year in 1781, according to History.org. Another prominent woman during the American Revolution was Mary Ludwig, who helped bring water to patriot troops in the Battle of Monmouth.
Seminal influence of "Molly Pitcher"
Monmouth is located in central New Jersey, playing a significant role in the tide turning to the patriot side in the war. Ludwig earned the moniker "Molly Pitcher" for her life-saving efforts to bring sustenance to troops, even taking up the mantle as a cannon gunner when her husband was incapacitated during the battle. Her memory lives on today in the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank, New Jersey, a posh restaurant and hotel that overlooks the placid Navesink River.
The U.S. has filled the venerable legacy of Molly Pitcher, having a significant number of women in the army, not to mention female soldiers who will receive veterans insurance. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a special section on their website called the Center for Women Veterans providing information on health, resources, community engagement and public service. This can be an excellent resource if returning veterans are unsure of the benefits they are entitled to. Likewise, the Veterans Affairs website offers information for the family and spouses of returning veterans, a valuable resource for loved ones eagerly awaiting a solider from overseas.
Influential moments in the history of women's role in the armed services
According to History. Org, women were officially allowed in the armed services in 1973, when the draft was ended. This lead to the creation of an all-volunteer-army, helping to exponentially increase the number of women in the ranks.
Another prominent turning point occurred when women began to be permitted at military service academies, such as West Point. The glass ceiling has continued to crack, with thousands of women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and other hotspots.
The source noted that 41,000 women were deployed during the Persian Gulf War, a testament to the quick ascension women have made in the army in the relatively short time they have been authorized to serve.
For some, the gains may seem slow and incremental. The source also suggests this, displaying the progress throughout the years that women have made in the armed services. For example, a woman commanded a warship for the first time in 2000, while the first time a woman commanded a fight squadron only occurred in 2004.
The California Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Wednesday that it will seek to revamp its website, assisting in bringing benefits to more than a million California veterans. Life after service can be tough, and military insurance can help with the transition back to civilian life.
Updated website to offer quick access to resources
According to California Healthline, the website innovation has a number of components. For one, the site layout will be easily navigable, providing quick access to resources without letting a user get bogged down in the Internet equivalent of red tape. Each veteran who uses the website will have a customized page, providing his or her personal information. This will help avoid confusion, with each user being clearly marked, allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to give information on resources hand-fashioned to the the needs of individual veterans.
The source noted that the website will help veterans track down essential knowledge on valuable resources, such as disability claims. Veterans may be unaware of what they are entitled to from their years of service, so the website will help by offering up-to-date information on the benefits available to individual veterans. The website will also show information on veterans' programs at the state and federal level, helping with navigation of the rungs of government present in the Veterans Administration. Veterans benefits are available at various levels of government, a fact the California website hopes to promote through the MyCalVet page on the site.
Website will offer links to popular social media sites
According to California's Veterans Administration, the new site will have links to popular social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Tech-savvy users may be pleased to hear this, as social media could serve as a useful tool in spreading knowledge about the available benefits for returning veterans. This has the added value of saving time. A veteran could quickly follow a link recommended by a friend, bringing users straight to a page that has information on disability benefits or insurance for veterans.
The Veterans Administration goal is to provide a clear system for veterans seeking information on and looking to enroll in benefits. California veterans of all stripes should consider checking out the process behind the new website, which will allow for a modern and streamlined approach to veterans affairs.
Life after service just became a bit easier for job-hunting veterans, thanks to the Veterans Employment Center, a new online service that connects veterans, transitioning servicemembers and their spouses with employers. Eligible members can visit ebenefitst.va.gov to browse opportunities available in both the public and private sectors.
Veterans Employment Center boasts various features
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced the launch of the website at the anniversary celebration of Joining Forces April 23. The employment service includes a resume builder, a military skills translator and career and training resources to facilitate users' job searches.
"Our service members haven't always had the time or information they needed to prepare their resumes, to plot their career goals, to meet with employers and get the jobs they deserve. And that's simply not acceptable," said the first lady, as quoted in a White House news release. "As my husband has said, when you've fought for this country around the world, you shouldn't have to fight for a job when you return home."
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel echoed this sentiment, and added that employers that hire former servicemembers will be rewarded with "the best this nation has to offer." Hiring managers are able to view resumes on a single comprehensive database, allowing them to find candidates with military experience easily and quickly.
The Veterans Employment Center is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Education, Defense, Labor and the Office of Personnel Management. The site will combine the tools and job search functionality of the Veterans Job Bank, VA for Vets, VetSuccess.va.gov and the Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network.
Site garners support among officers
So far, veteran groups have been pleased with the new online service, according to Military.com. The source cited Joe Davis, national spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who asserted that any program that assists veterans and transitioning servicemembers in their job searches is a good one. Mike Michaud, a ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, lauded the site as a "milestone" and expressed confidence in its ability to benefit former servicemembers.
Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez noted that the site's services will be beneficial to the more than 1 million servicemembers expected to return home in the coming years.
Selflessness is one of the defining shared qualities among servicemembers. Upon joining the military, an individual makes a commitment to serve his or her country – an inherently unselfish act. During his service in Afghanistan, Kyle J. White, a former Army sergeant, exemplified selflessness in his efforts to save his teammates' lives while risking his own to do so. His gallantry will be formally recognized May 13, when President Barack Obama will award him the Medal of Honor.
Sgt. White's display of altruism
On November 9, 2007, White's team of U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers was ambushed by a Taliban group in Aranas, Afghanistan, according to Stars and Stripes. His team was at a significant disadvantage – the enemy force outnumbered them and was more heavily armed.
White recounted the incident to ARNEWS, stating that, "There was one shot, you know, down into the valley, and then it was two shots, and then it was full-automatic fire and rocket-propelled grenades … it was coming from multiple directions."
After an RPG explosion knocked him unconscious, White woke up to find that 10 members of his 14-person team were missing. They had been forced to find cover from enemy fire by sliding down a nearby cliff. Meanwhile, White realized that Spc. Kain Schilling – one of the four soldiers remaining on top – had been shot in the upper right arm. The two men found cover under a tree, and White applied a tourniquet to Schilling's wound to stop the bleeding. When Schilling was shot in the leg shortly afterwards, White came to his rescue again, using a belt as a makeshift tourniquet to wrap around Schilling's leg.
White also made valiant efforts to save the lives of Sgt. Phillip Bocks and 1st Lt. Matthew C. Ferrara, but unfortunately, both men succumbed to their injuries. Today, the surviving team members commemorate their sacrifices by wearing a stainless steel wristband with their names engraved on it.
White boasts an impressive resume
According to a White House news release, White will become the seventh living recipient of the Medal of Honor for service in Afghanistan or Iraq. The award will add to his already impressive list of accolades, which includes the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster.
Edward Lychik is not the type of person to let adversity stifle his ambitions. With the help of a prosthetic leg, the 23-year-old former Army combat engineer will run the Boston Marathon April 21.
A tale of perseverance
After being shot by a recoilless rifle during his service in Afghanistan, Lychik's leg was amputated at the hip socket, The News Tribune reported. Doctors informed him that, in the best case scenario, he would be able to walk again using crutches. Lychik rejected this verdict and proceeded to consult his physical therapist, Alicia White, about running again.
At first, White and Lychik's prosthetist, Bob Kuenzi, were noncommittal toward the veteran's dream. After the seventh time Lychik insisted that he wanted to run again, White finally spoke with Kuenzi about this possibility.
"I never said, 'No, you can't,' but there was nothing I could find anywhere that indicated it could be done with his level of amputation," Kuenzi told The News Tribune. "I told him to walk first, then we'd work on it."
Just a few months after this conversation, Lychik was walking again. The next step was to design a leg suited for running. Lychik and Kuenzi toyed with various prototypes before developing an effective solution – a prosthetic leg secured by a belt around the veteran's waist.
Once this prosthesis was created, it did not take long for Lychik to completely defy his doctors' expectations. According to MyFoxHouston, he took to the track mere days after his first fitting and soon ran an impressive 8-minute mile. To Kuenzi's astonishment, Lychik announced that he wanted to participate in the 12-mile, 28-obstacle Tough Mudder event. He finished the competition with his Wounded Warrior team and began to consider running a full marathon.
Lychik shares his story with young students
In addition to pursuing the personal goal of finishing the Boston Marathon, Lychik intends to share his incredible story with elementary school students.
"This leg is a tool for me to inspire others," Lynch told The News Tribune. "If I can do things on one leg, what can you accomplish with two? The leg isn't a burden, it might be a gift. My life is just beginning."
The veteran's first speech last week was a huge success. He developed an instant rapport with students at Maplewood Elementary School in Puyallup, Wash., and even did pushups with four of the kids.
Lychik's ambitions appear to be limitless. In addition to expanding his speech campaign to other schools, he is thinking of running a 100-mile ultramarathon.
Life after military service can pose many difficulties for former servicemembers. The order and schedules they lived under for years are taken away all at once, and the stresses of their duties may have left them with psychological issues that often go undiagnosed and untreated. While some fortunate servicemembers have supportive families to return to, others end up living on the streets or, even worse, in prison.
While the subject of incarcerated veterans may be uncomfortable for some, social workers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have made it their mission to increase support programs available to servicemembers struggling with life after service. When it comes to former soldiers in prison, veterans benefits entitle them to transition programs that can help them get back on their feet and working to put their military skills to good use in positions of steady employment.
Getting a clear picture
The exact number of incarcerated veterans is difficult to identify. Some people in prison may falsify military service and others simply cannot be found by the current VA system. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics that was compiled in 2004, 10 percent of prisoners at the state level reported past military service. Of that number 54 percent served during a wartime period, though only 20 percent reported experiencing combat duty.
Regardless of the nature of their time in the military, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration explained that veterans often experience complicated mental issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder that leads to high rates of unemployment and homelessness – almost 75 and 25 percent, respectively, among incarcerated veterans.
The most common offenses include misdemeanors of driving under the influence, assault, possession of an illegal substance, theft and other minor traffic violations.
Connecting veterans with help
The picture may seem bleak for incarcerated veterans, but various programs seek to match veterans struggling with life after military service, such as the one that Jim Haskell, Veteran Reentry Specialist for the VA, works for. Haskell works to identify veterans in the Maryland prison system and advocates for their rehabilitation and release from incarceration, Stars and Stripes reported.
"Because so many people with mental health conditions and substance abuse conditions are winding up in the judicial system, it's really incumbent upon us to reach out to them and make sure that they're getting the proper services that they need," Haskell told Stars and Stripes. "Basically, that's what we do, is connect veterans to those services."
Haskell travels into prisons across the state to meet with different veterans serving time for past criminal offenses. Rather than providing them with pamphlets of information, Haskell sets up mental health evaluations and presents the results to judges and parole officers to lobby for more lenient forms of treatment. The hope, Haskell said, is that veterans are removed from the punitive justice system and placed into programs that can give them a better chance at rehabilitating their lives.
Former Air Force nuclear missile mechanic Williams Ames remembered meeting Haskell for the first time upon his most recent arrest in 2011.
"Just hearing somebody from the VA, I was like, 'Damn, I'm glad now,'" Ames told Stars and Stripes. "I figured this was maybe an opportunity to get my life back in order."
With Haskell's help, that is exactly what Ames did. In 2012, the former servicemember was moved into a veterans re-entry group at the Maryland VA Medical Center and then a residential treatment facility in Baltimore. Ames now works as a cook in the same facility where he began his journey toward rehabilitation and has plans to find full-time employment as a line cook after he completes his program.
For Haskell, Ames' journey is all in a day's work.
Enlisting in the Armed Forces can be the most significant act a soldier does for his or her country, but it is most often life after service that poses more challenges for individual servicemembers. Civilian life offers markedly different opportunities and demands separate expectations from military service. After an extended deployment, reintegrating into a normal way of life proves difficult for many soldiers.
Reconnecting with family can be one of the most perilous transitions from active service to life after military. Depending on the length of a deployment, soldiers may return to a spouse that looks and acts different than before and a financial situation wholly changed from the one they left.
While these issues can be worked through with the help of another caring adult, a University of Wisconsin study suggests that children pose a singularly difficult issue for fathers returning from deployments. Although the researchers found that the men in the study expressed excitement and interest in learning and engaging with their children upon returning home, the pressures of their service caused troubles in reconnecting with their young and infant children.
Relearning parenting skills
Tova Walsh, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health and society scholar at the University of Wisconsin and lead author of the study published in a special issue of the journal Health and Social Work, interviewed 14 military fathers who were either preparing to return home or had just arrived back from an extended deployment. Most men were members of the Michigan Army National Guard, and all of them had children ages 6 and under.
Walsh and her colleagues found that the time the fathers spent in the military affected the expectations of both parents and children upon the fathers' return. For one returning soldier, he had been gone so long that his child did not recognize him.
"He (was) looking at me like, 'Who's that?' one father told Walsh as part of the study. "She had to tell him, 'That's Daddy.' I have no idea what our relationship would be like if there was no Iraq War."
Fathers who leave home for an extended period of time for military service may return to find already grown children with preconceptions of who their father might be.
"A service member who deploys when his child is an infant and returns home when the child is a toddler may find an entirely different child," Walsh said in a statement. "Under these circumstances, fathers find that it takes substantial effort to rebuild their relationship with their child."
The study also found that symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder among the soldiers complicated their transition to fathers during their life after service. The fathers – half of which were diagnosed with PTSD – reported growing irritated too quickly with their children's behaviors and an inability to control their tempers.
Walsh emphasized the need for more comprehensive reintegration services for returning soldiers, especially ones such as those in her study, who want to become better fathers but are at a loss as to how to do it.
Healing with children
The true tolls of PTSD are not completely known, but even less so are the secondary effects that the condition can have on those around one with the condition.
BrainLine Military explained that children can be highly susceptible to a parent with PTSD, even to the point they may develop symptoms that mirror those they see in their parents. Called secondary traumatization, the child of a military parent may exhibit behavioral issues caused by stress over the initial condition of his or her mother or father.
Families that observe a cycle of trauma should consider communicating with each other about their issues and possibly seek out professional help, BrainLine Military recommended. These resources may be available through veterans benefits.
Even when they function as intended, federal bureaucracies are inherently slow processes. For recipients of military honors, the time between their act of valor and their reception of the award can take months, if not years.
For Spc. Santiago J. Erevia and Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris, both Vietnam veterans, the process took almost half a decade. Erevia, Morris, Jose Rodela and 21 other deceased servicemembers will be awarded the Medal of Honor Mar. 8 after a federal review of the impact racial discrimination against Jewish-, Hispanic- and African-American soldiers had on the disbursement of the nation's highest military honor, Stars and Stripes reported. The review found that though all 24 servicemembers received the Distinguished Services Cross, their races were unfairly used a reason to keep them from receiving the Medal of Honor.
Making up for lost time
Erevia was providing medical care for injured troops in Vietnam in 1969 when the rest of his platoon pressed forward with an attack, Stars and Stripes explained. When another Viet Cong squad fired on his position, Erevia single-handedly neutralized four enemy bunkers with hand grenades and machine guns before returning to finish his medical treatment.
Morris, who was also active during 1969, evacuated two fellow soldiers from behind enemy lines while destroying several enemy bunkers and suffering three gunshot wounds in the process.
Despite their actions, a 2002 federally-mandated review of 6,500 Distinguished Services Crosses found that Erevia and Morris' medals were awarded in error. Prejudices against their heritages kept them from receiving the nation's highest military honor.
Of the 24 servicemembers scheduled to be honored at the White House, 21 will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. Some of those veterans passed away over the years after their tours of duty, while others die in the line of fire, some even as they were committing the acts that gained them the recognition they are about the receive.
Waiting for the call
Morris, now 72-years-old, moved back to Florida for his life after service and was at home in May 2013 when he got a call from the White House, NPR reported.
"He says a high government official wants to speak to you. And put him on the line, he say: This is President Obama," Morris told NPR in an interview. "Man, and I dropped down to my knees."
Morris explained how the president apologized on behalf of the U.S. government for its oversight of his actions in Vietnam, but that he would be receiving the Medal of Honor as soon as possible.
Morris insisted that as far as he was concerned, his race was never an issue during his service. While he does not look fondly back at his experiences in Vietnam, Morris told NPR that his courageous actions were merely a result of him doing his duty.
"You know, war is war," Morris said. "And we do what we're told to do and we don't determine the outcome. I just feel sad for having known people that didn't return. Those are my real heroes."
Posthumously awarding medals
While Morris survived his ordeal in Vietnam, a number of the upcoming recipients of the Medal of Honor did not. Pvt. Miguel Armando Vera was killed in action during the Korean War when he held off an enemy advance so the rest of his squad could retreat to a safe position, the Miami Herald explained.
Vera, originally from Puerto Rico, will be represented at the ceremony by his now 73-year-old nephew Joe Rodriguez, a Marine Corps veteran in his own right. He credits his uncle's service and sacrifice with inspiring his own stint in the military.
Rodriguez told the paper that he plans to move his uncle's body from a burial plot in Puerto Rico to a new spot in Arlington National Cemetery.
Ever since the Obama administration released its budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year, it has been dissected from numerous perspectives. While some sectors of the economy, such as health care information technology, are expected to see increased discretionary spending, the defense budget and military families might be hit particularly hard by cuts.
Only weeks removed from the repeal of cuts to cost of living adjustments to benefits for veterans, military benefits would stomach a significant loss somewhere upwards of $5,000 annually, an advocate group estimated, according to The Washington Times. Amidst other widespread cuts to military spending, some critics are wary that such deep financial drawbacks to the all-volunteer force could have dire consequences in the future.
Estimating impact
President Obama unveiled his budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year on Mar. 4, and even before it was reviewed, various organizations were wary that their discretionary spending would take a significant hit. According to the Military Officers Association of America, as reported by The Washington Times, no group will take on such a financial and personal burden as much as the military community.
The MOAA calculated that the average Army sergeant's veterans benefits will be reduced by as much as $5,000 annually under the new budget. The Washington Post also explained that base commissaries will no longer receive the large subsidies they normally require to run without the need for profits. Active-duty servicemembers would also see a 5 percent increase in the cost of military housing, and pay increases would be limited to 1 percent annual raises.
"When you combine all these different issues, you have quite a bit of a financial impact," retired Air Force Col. Mike Hayden, head of government relations at the MOAA, told The Washington Post.
While Hayden's comments were diplomatic, other retirees the paper reached out to were markedly less so.
"It is a slap in the face to every soldier that has served or will serve," retired Army Maj. Karel Butler told The Washington Post. "The stress that your family goes through, that your body goes through in a 20-year career, it is tremendous. And for them to even consider reducing those benefits is a slap in the face."
Complicating factors
In a blog post on WhiteHouse.gov, the Obama administration claimed that the new budget would ensure that military families would see sustained funding for education, childcare and other forms of support. About $2.4 billion would be allocated to medical efforts supporting wounded servicemembers, with $747 million specifically marked for research and care for Traumatic Brain Injury issues.
These effort may not be enough to persuade the military community to support the new budget, however. By cutting benefits for veterans, some believe that it may actually hurt the Armed Forces' ability to recruit new members in the future.
"Any young person would look at [veterans benefits] and say, 'I would want to join,'" Kinyell Haymore, a 10-year Navy veteran told The Washington Times. "So now, if you take that away from them, you might not get the quotas that you want."
Recruitment and swelling troop numbers may not be the goal of Hagel and other military officials at all. The National Journal reported that the Pentagon has repeatedly requested permission from Congress to close a number of bases across the country. Congress, however, has denied those requests.
The Base Realignment and Closure process governs any and all efforts to reduce the military's footprint in the U.S., but in Europe – where the Pentagon can operate with its bases freely – the infrastructure of the military has already been reduced by 30 percent since 2000.