On the Monday October 27th, 2014, for the first time in 4 years I did not wake up at 5:30 in the morning, I was not putting on a green skivvy shirt and shorts. There was no formation, no one that was higher command I had to report to, telling me where I had to go, what time I had to eat breakfast, what was I doing this day or what our platoon plans were for the day. There were no PT (physical training) I had to do this morning. Instead, I woke up grab a regular t-shirt, khaki shorts, and my two sea bags full of clothing and gear that I collected during my time in the Marine Corps. I threw everything in my vehicle and drove from Camp Pendleton, California to Quincy, Illinois. Within two weeks I was accepted to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. For three days, I stayed at the …show more content…
In one month, I began new life, full of new challenges and new experiences that were often difficult to overcome. Before I had my new life, I develop a family in the military, brothers that I would die for, surrounding me every day, and now I am in a new community where I know no one. I research on my own about how to write a resume, cover letter, and how to prepare for interviews for jobs. I had to create a new structure, adjust to my environment, adjust to necessities (e.g., food, clothing housing), adjust to a different pace of life and work. These are just little things that a veteran goes through when reintegrating into the civilian lifestyle. Veterans that experiences sever combat related PTSD and medical conditions may suffer from this transition with their own abominable experiences. This why I am interested in this proposed project, I want to find a solution, idea, methods, procedures, to improve on the reintegration process and guide our veterans into a positive direction into the civilian lifestyle. This project is to show that there are alternatives and organization that can help with
America is the land of opportunity and the land of second chances. People come to America to live a better life, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. When Veterans come back home, all they want is a second chance at life again. They want to come back and be able to start from where they left off. But the government has done very little to help these veterans. The government believes they have done enough with the programs they have created, but it hasn’t had much of a change. The purpose of this essay is to discuss my opinion and what I know about this issue, to benefit The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who are my intended audience. If the government were to put a lot of effort, like they do for pointless issues, there wouldn’t be many struggling veterans. If the government does more to improve every aspect of the reintegration process of veterans, so many benefits would come out of this action. There are a couple of reasons for why we should work toward improving veterans lives. First, there would possibly be a decrease in the veteran suicide levels and a decrease in the substance abuse aspect. Second, less veterans and families will have to worry about living and struggling with mental illnesses. Third, by improving the economical aspect for these veterans, more will find jobs and less will end up on the street homeless. And lastly, the reintegration process won’t be as hard for these veterans, and they will be able to resume a normal life. This essay is not meant to offend in any way, its purpose is to provide a new perspective over this issue, to cause a change for the better.
Being a military veteran can have both positive and negative effects on one’s ability to maintain a job and socialize with other people. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a problem with soldiers coming back from war, although after a veteran recovers from it, it creates great job opportunities. Business leaders recognize how useful a military veteran is in the work force. Veterans tend to show great responsibility, leadership, and team work which make them the ideal employee for many jobs.
I had a hearty breakfast, a badly needed shower, and donned my service dress khaki’s for the first time. I proceeded to the ceremony site where I was joined by my wife, family and friends. The ceremony progressed, niceties were said by many, and the Commanding Officer stressed “the importance of role of a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy”. Finally, the time came to don the anchors of a Chief Petty Officer. My wife, along with my sponsor, joined me on stage to pin the coveted anchors on my collars and don the combination cover of a
Veteran homelessness must be attacked at multiple levels in order to ensure that it does not turn into a revolving door. So beyond simply providing temporary housing support we will also have to improve our veteran’s lives for the long-term. This entails treatment for their PTSD by providing them with access to health and wellness clinics, recovery resources, peer support groups, and individual counseling. (Note: Key information from HYPERLINK "http://www.voail.org" http://www.voail.org).
This year, the United States is set to end over a decade of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan as well as reduce the size of the military in an effort to restrain the growing deficit of the federal government. While some welcome these actions, they will have a significant effect on the men and women of the armed forces. Since the military is now focused on returning to a peacetime posture and cutting personnel, more veterans will be entering the civilian market. These men and women, who come from all walks of American life, will have had vastly different experiences than their civilian counterparts. These veterans will have spent their formative years in a wartime military and while they have so much to offer society, often, their service and they as individuals are stereotyped with unflattering characteristics by civilian managers, which has a negative impact during their post-military search for employment. Some civilians see them as uneducated and suffering from a host of mental problems related to their service. This problem is not only relevant for recent veterans but for all of those who have volunteered to serve in the military. Veteran unemployment is a serious problem for the United States. Those who choose to serve in the military should not be negatively impacted in the civilian marketplace as a result of their sacrifice.
Social workers in all branches of the military are helping families and military personnel prepare for, and cope with, the hardships of war. They do so through a range of preventive and clinical services provided by the Veteran Administration with many different types of programs, including family-support and mental-health counseling. The mission statement of the VA Social Workers is to eliminate significant barriers to clients in need and offer interventions for veterans and families. It is accomplished by developing and maintaining integrated, in-depth programs in patient care, research, and education.
Lamie’s experience depicts a brief glimpse of some of the traumatic events veterans face when serving. Experiences like John Lamie’s causes many veterans to return home with physical injuries and mental injuries such as missing limbs, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Author Lawrence Korb in his book “Serving America’s Veterans: A Reference Handbook” elaborates on specific mental
“While more than seven-in-ten veterans (72%) report, they had an easy time readjusting to civilian life, 27% say re-entry was difficult for them—a proportion that swells to 44% among veterans who served in the ten years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (Morin, 2011)”. The military gives many stepping stones to be able to transition from military to civilian life. Many are required to take these stepping stones to ease the process of moving in another direction of their life. TAP or the Transition Assistance Program has helped veterans to better adjust to the challenges of re-entering civilian life by giving classes on skills needed to adjust to the upcoming life events (England,2003). Although the military
Growing up as an only child I made out pretty well. You almost can’t help but be spoiled by your parents in some way. And I must admit that I enjoyed it; my own room, T.V., computer, stereo, all the material possessions that I had. But there was one event in my life that would change the way that I looked at these things and realized that you can’t take these things for granted and that’s not what life is about.
Student veterans enter the classroom and the workforce with many concerns and needs but also many skills gained throughout their time in service. Skills in leadership, team work, organization, structured work habits and advance special training specific fields is a broad overview of skills gained. With their skill intact, student veterans must also handle the issues of mental health, disability financial aid, community engagement, and career are among the many needs to be sought after,
went to sit down on the sofa. A few minuets later my food was ready
Personal Narrative There lay her limp body staring up at us. Her cold eyes were no longer
When I was younger I was not so smart and would do questionable stuff all the time. I would jump from boulders to other boulders, climb on top of chairs, and even try killing snakes I would find in our yard. One day I learned a lesson from going on one of my self proclaimed adventures with a good friend.
In the year of 2010 around 11:00AM on a bright and sunny summer morning and not a cloud in the sky, you could hear birds chirping and feel the wind blowing, I was planning on swimming in my clear heated pool in my backyard with colorful lights on the inside, it was planned to be the perfect day. Little did I know I was not going to be the only one swimming.
Leaving the bodies for last we walked down the drive to take a look. Several rifles and shotguns were leaned carefully again the big oak. Two handguns and some knives were on the grass in front of them. Four people dangled from a branch of the tree close enough to each other to bump like a weird wind chime. A young couple and the other twice their age at a guess from the gray hair and styles of dress. They were probably parents and a married son or daughter with their spouse. Other than being hung there were no injuries apparent on any of the four. From the condition of the bodies they had been dead about a day.