have become a vital feature of the soldier's identity. While having obvious survival value in combat, this mindset is typically highly maladaptive and self-defeating when applied to civilian life. For example, aggressive, split-second decision-making and action are vital in a war zone but similar actions in community life can easily fall under the categories of disorderly conduct, assault, and domestic abuse. Unfortunately, war veterans have a hard time letting go of these behaviors that were once essential in staying alive and unharmed. These existing psychosocial functioning may not adequately assess post-deployment reintegration programs because veterans have unique difficulties resuming their social roles and participating in community …show more content…
Reintegration can be conceptualized as finding purpose in life, having interpersonal relationships, being employed or in school, and having access to housing, health care, and other benefits. Furthermore, engaging in various roles as an independent, autonomous person, family member, friend, spouse/partner, parent, student, community member, and member of the workforce are considered important markers of community reintegration. These roles are hallmarks of reintegration that incorporate the domains of belonging, acceptance, connection to others, and involvement in community …show more content…
The United states have enacted preference for veterans in one form or another since the very founding of the country. According to Sutton (2014) as early as the Revolutionary War, the federal government provided employment preferences to veterans. State-law preferences emerged in the wake of the Civil War and offered similar benefits. These endeavors culminated with the first comprehensive veterans’ preference statute codified by the federal government in 1944 (Sutton 2014). Despite this expansion, controversy followed close behind. The veteran community still finds itself overwhelmed with displacement and unemployment troubles. The enactment of veterans’ preference statutes represents an attempt to remedy unemployment and reintegration difficulties within the veteran community. According to Sutton (2014), although pro-veteran polices already exist in a variety of forms and special organizations, hiring preference in the private sector will allow private employers to legally implement preference polices to qualifying veterans. In 2011, Washington became the first state to implement a private-sector veterans’ preference statute (Sutton 2014). A few states followed suit thereafter. This preference statue should be implemented in all 50 states to assure that qualifying veterans have easier access to employment opportunities in the private sector. According to Sutton (2014), the
Department of Veteran Affairs. (1997). Master Agreement between he Department of Veteran Affairs and the American Federation of Government Employees (VA Pamphlet 05-68). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
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.
Prior to war and the passage of the GI Bill the average American could only dream about college and owning a home. Designed to be used for college, technical or vocational courses, apprenticeship/on-the-job ship/on-the-job training, certificate programs, flight training and correspondence courses and home loan guaranty, the GI Bill has been credited with establishing the foundation of today’s middle class. By 1984, when the GI Bill was revamped, 7.8 World War II Veterans had participated in education or vocational training programs. The updated program became known as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), after former Mississippi Congressman Gillespie V. “Sonny” Montgomery. His goal was to continue education programs and the VA home loan guaranty for the latest as well as, future generations ...
“Factors Affecting Health Care” (50-55) Demonstrates the sacrifices and how difficult it is for veterans to receive healthcare from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
War is hell. War is misery, suffering, pain, and anguish. From the days of rocks and sticks to today’s high tech drones and aircraft carriers one thing above all others has remained the same; war is a terrifying, nightmarish endeavor. Unfortunately for those who fight for their nation, the battlefield does not remain in the far off land where the battle took place. In fact, those warriors bring back that battlefield, festering in the hearts and minds, sometimes long after their uniforms have been put in the closet to collect dust. It should come as no surprise that for a variety of reasons all stemming from combat experience, many of our nations Veterans will act in unconventional or perhaps even illegal ways, in an attempt to cope with the stress of their military service. It may be easy for some to say that these men and women, despite their service, are criminals and should be locked away like any other who breaks the law. However, if rehabilitation is truly a goal of our justice system it would not make any sense to take a group of offenders suffering from the side effects of combat experiences and throw them in prison, which is little better than combat anyway. This is why the advent of Veteran’s courts is so important. Due to their service, and the effects that PTSD and other service related conditions may have on their criminal behavior, Veteran’s courts are not only an honorable way to treat our nation’s defenders, but a way in which to protect them from the negative impact of incarceration. These courts, which are based off of drug and mental health courts, are designed to take less serious offenders, who offenses were related to their service connected conditions and keep them away from incarceration and into treatment (...
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Veterans are viewed as the strongest people in the United States. They constantly deal with daily struggles such as disability and unemployment after their services. After serving in a branch of the United States military, many veterans have trouble finding work. While there are, at times, things that need to be overcome for veterans to be able to work, they are often skilled workers and deserve the opportunity to succeed in the civilian workplace.
“Serving those who have served” (About Disabled American Veterans 1). This is the mission statement of the DAV, or the Disabled American Veterans. The DAV helps thousands of disabled American veterans in their life after war.
Veterans have struggles with their civilian life after separating from the U.S Armed Forces. Returning to the civilian life seem to be a big challenge for veterans who have no prior job’s skills for civilian life because they had been influenced from military’s training, have physical and psychological damage.
Veterans had a hard time finding employment after the war. Employers considered a veteran’s service in the Vietnam War as evidence of drug addiction, and refused to hire them. The rejections only made the soldier’s struggles adjusting back to normal life even harder and encouraged their drinking and drug use. These harmful habits were their way of coping with the hate and rejection from society while still helping them forget their experiences in Vietnam. Veterans from the Vietnam War were the victims of an unprepared government.
It was once assumed that the government would provide services for veterans, but nonprofit organizations and communities have been picking up the slack to help veterans get back on their feet after returning home. The government is dependent on nonprofit organizations to supply veterans and their families with the necessary goods and services. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an organization that provides services for veterans and their families. The WWP focuses on mind, body, economic empowerment, and engagement, all things that help veterans through post-war symptoms (The Wounded Warrior Project). The government is recommending giving less housing allowances, limiting pay raises, and having higher fees for health care benefits; other cuts would include stores being unable to give discounts to military families (Nissenbaum and Barnes). The amount of money veterans receive for housing, health care, and retirement is being cut left and right by the government and the money is being used and put towards other departments. In California, The County Veterans Service Officers Inc. plays a very important role in verterans’ lives (California Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Inc.) Many organizations help veterans who are in need of services because our government is not always able to provide...
In 1636 the “Pilgrims passed a law which stated that disabled soliders would be supported by the colony.” (VA History) This paved the way for veterans’ benefits and healthcare. It wasn’t until 1811 that the federal government authorized the first medical and domiciliary facilities along with benefits and pensions for the veterans and their families. When the United States entered World War 1 in 1917, Congress created a new system for veterans’ benefits such as disability compensation, insurance, vocational rehabilitation. These benefits were directed by three different agencies in the Federal Government, these branches were the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Ten years later congress authorized the president to “consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans”; this action united the three component agencies into bureaus under the veterans’ administration. In the following six decades there were vast increases in the veteran population, and new benefits enacted by congress for veterans following Wo...
Louis’ database. FRED attained the information from CPS or the Current Population Survey (US. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Different regressions will be run in SPSS to see whether unemployment level between male and female veterans are significantly different from one another and whether that difference is statistically significant. If so, it implies that being a female veteran yields negative returns after military service. It will also imply that female veterans require more help in integrating back to civilian life. Since available data exist, the paper will also run regression for veterans from different eras. A regression for Nonveterans will also be done. The eras are listed as
War veterans spend every day of their life fighting to survive and it’s not because they are at war. The issue at hand is that our country does not supply enough help to these veterans, even though they have to go through so much after war. It is embarrassing to know that our government and society, do very little to give back to those who fought to protect us. People have said that there are far more important issues to worry about, but that is not true. Every issue, no matter how big or small, is of importance. To me this issue needs to be given more attention in general. Very little people worry about this because they never had to deal with it in life, and that’s the problem. We, as a society, should be giving back and helping soldiers cope with life after war. Although this is not a typical issue that we hear much about, it is time that it becomes relevant. It is time that we start showing gratitude to these veterans. This is the reason I have chosen this issue for my research paper this semester. In this essay I will give you a planned out idea as to where I want to take my research. I am going to write about life after war, government benefits, and disorders. I hope you are interested enough, that I can research and inform people about my ideas.