thedrifter
11-22-08, 06:50 AM
Young veterans learn to adjust on the home front
By JESSICA GARCIA
11/22/08 00:04:08
Marine Corps veteran Stuart Greenfield quickly realized how trivial certain aspects of civilian life can be after he returned home from serving in Iraq in 2006. His job at Bank of America is in sharp contrast from the responsibilities he had in the military targeting for Marines in combat.
"Just the other day, I was yelled at, no, I shouldn't say 'yelled at,' I was more like 'coached' by my manager to make sure everybody got their deposit slips filled out," Greenfield said.
Laughter ensued at Greenfield's comment but it was the kind of laughter that comes when the truth is spoken.
Greenfield and about 10 other veterans of the Iraq and Vietnam wars gathered recently at Truckee Meadows Community College's Dandini campus to share how they've adapted - and in some cases not adapted - from military to civilian life. Five panelists shared the hardships and small but significant victories they've made along the way toward gaining a bit of normalcy sine leaving the military.
Susan Thomasson, program counselor for the college's Veterans Upward Bound program, has helped returning military members readjust for the past 15 years.
She spoke of veterans of different generations and how their reaction when they come home is the same, though she said the intensity is higher for veterans today.
"They're dealing with very similar issues with what other vets have been dealing with but fresher," said Thomasson, whose husband served in Vietnam.
Thomasson discussed the ordeal veterans go through as they process their own combat stress and emotional trauma, with many being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
They may be desperate for support that's hard to find from their families and friends, most of whom likely never shared their combat experiences. It can lead to a loss of identity, she said. Regrets can prevent soldiers from physically coping and lead to a lack of sleep and social interaction.
"No man is an island," Thomasson said. "We need each other."
Ted Varney, one of the forum's organizers and a six-year infantryman who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, said he has learned to be more sensitive to the effect of how war is presented, especially in the classroom. Such events can act triggers soldiers' memories of the violence and danger they experienced.
"I know when my art history teacher puts on a video of a famous massacre, that's going to trigger the time I shot a little boy in Iraq," Varney said. "She doesn't understand that's an issue."
Seeking social support from peers is difficult, said Scott Drew, a team leader at the Reno Vet Center who spent four years in the Persian Gulf as a Navy officer before graduating with a master's degree in counseling from the University of Nevada, Reno.
"You probably don't share (your experiences) with a lot of friends because there's not going to be a lot of empathy," Drew said. "You could even get negative feedback."
"You feel disconnected," he said.
The veterans agreed that the biggest obstacle is gaining understanding from those who don't understand what it's like to have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Every veteran's transition varies, Drew said, and each deals with it in their own way, which can add to the intensity of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rob Webster, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Operation Enduring Freedom, said the war has changed his perceptions of himself. Webster served in the Air Force and was embedded with the Army in Iraq.
"I thought I was an amazing person before I left and now I think I'm incredible," Webster said. "It's not that I'm egotistical, it's that I'm more sensitive to the community. I'm a much better person and I would never have known that if it weren't for all the therapy to express myself to become a stronger man."
Most said they understood how veterans make unhealthy choices as they move from military discipline to their rediscovered, undisciplined home lives, including "replacing their livers" by drinking heavily and getting involved in short-lived, meaningless relationships.
Bill Baines, a college professor at the Redfield campus and a Vietnam veteran, remembers his adjustment after the despair faced by veterans of his generation.
"Marines are taught that they're harder," Baines said. "I thought I was letting someone down if I talked to someone for help. That took me approximately 35 years to get past."
But he also said he made friendships abroad that he will never be able to create at home.
"(It's) the love, the closeness, the sharing," Baines said. "The camaraderie of the people you find in combat under terrible conditions. You never experience that again and that's one of the things I found missing most when I got back into the 'real world' again and it took me years and years again to get back into contact with them. ... We shared the closest love."
Baines praised the young veterans, especially those who served multiple tours and said they deserve every honor from their nation.
"Going one time was enough for me; one time was probably three times for me," he said.
Varney said the discussion would help local veterans figure out how to get plugged into the community. He said he hoped the session would inspire them to brainstorm ways to invite others who need support with their transition and to involve civilians in the process.
"If you go to McDonald's and sit down at a table, you will starve to death before they bring you something to eat," Varney said, suggesting veterans can't sit and wait for civilians to help.
"There are things we can bring to the community. Let's invite them and allow them to engage in discourse and not scare them with combat stories."
Ellie
By JESSICA GARCIA
11/22/08 00:04:08
Marine Corps veteran Stuart Greenfield quickly realized how trivial certain aspects of civilian life can be after he returned home from serving in Iraq in 2006. His job at Bank of America is in sharp contrast from the responsibilities he had in the military targeting for Marines in combat.
"Just the other day, I was yelled at, no, I shouldn't say 'yelled at,' I was more like 'coached' by my manager to make sure everybody got their deposit slips filled out," Greenfield said.
Laughter ensued at Greenfield's comment but it was the kind of laughter that comes when the truth is spoken.
Greenfield and about 10 other veterans of the Iraq and Vietnam wars gathered recently at Truckee Meadows Community College's Dandini campus to share how they've adapted - and in some cases not adapted - from military to civilian life. Five panelists shared the hardships and small but significant victories they've made along the way toward gaining a bit of normalcy sine leaving the military.
Susan Thomasson, program counselor for the college's Veterans Upward Bound program, has helped returning military members readjust for the past 15 years.
She spoke of veterans of different generations and how their reaction when they come home is the same, though she said the intensity is higher for veterans today.
"They're dealing with very similar issues with what other vets have been dealing with but fresher," said Thomasson, whose husband served in Vietnam.
Thomasson discussed the ordeal veterans go through as they process their own combat stress and emotional trauma, with many being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
They may be desperate for support that's hard to find from their families and friends, most of whom likely never shared their combat experiences. It can lead to a loss of identity, she said. Regrets can prevent soldiers from physically coping and lead to a lack of sleep and social interaction.
"No man is an island," Thomasson said. "We need each other."
Ted Varney, one of the forum's organizers and a six-year infantryman who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, said he has learned to be more sensitive to the effect of how war is presented, especially in the classroom. Such events can act triggers soldiers' memories of the violence and danger they experienced.
"I know when my art history teacher puts on a video of a famous massacre, that's going to trigger the time I shot a little boy in Iraq," Varney said. "She doesn't understand that's an issue."
Seeking social support from peers is difficult, said Scott Drew, a team leader at the Reno Vet Center who spent four years in the Persian Gulf as a Navy officer before graduating with a master's degree in counseling from the University of Nevada, Reno.
"You probably don't share (your experiences) with a lot of friends because there's not going to be a lot of empathy," Drew said. "You could even get negative feedback."
"You feel disconnected," he said.
The veterans agreed that the biggest obstacle is gaining understanding from those who don't understand what it's like to have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Every veteran's transition varies, Drew said, and each deals with it in their own way, which can add to the intensity of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rob Webster, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Operation Enduring Freedom, said the war has changed his perceptions of himself. Webster served in the Air Force and was embedded with the Army in Iraq.
"I thought I was an amazing person before I left and now I think I'm incredible," Webster said. "It's not that I'm egotistical, it's that I'm more sensitive to the community. I'm a much better person and I would never have known that if it weren't for all the therapy to express myself to become a stronger man."
Most said they understood how veterans make unhealthy choices as they move from military discipline to their rediscovered, undisciplined home lives, including "replacing their livers" by drinking heavily and getting involved in short-lived, meaningless relationships.
Bill Baines, a college professor at the Redfield campus and a Vietnam veteran, remembers his adjustment after the despair faced by veterans of his generation.
"Marines are taught that they're harder," Baines said. "I thought I was letting someone down if I talked to someone for help. That took me approximately 35 years to get past."
But he also said he made friendships abroad that he will never be able to create at home.
"(It's) the love, the closeness, the sharing," Baines said. "The camaraderie of the people you find in combat under terrible conditions. You never experience that again and that's one of the things I found missing most when I got back into the 'real world' again and it took me years and years again to get back into contact with them. ... We shared the closest love."
Baines praised the young veterans, especially those who served multiple tours and said they deserve every honor from their nation.
"Going one time was enough for me; one time was probably three times for me," he said.
Varney said the discussion would help local veterans figure out how to get plugged into the community. He said he hoped the session would inspire them to brainstorm ways to invite others who need support with their transition and to involve civilians in the process.
"If you go to McDonald's and sit down at a table, you will starve to death before they bring you something to eat," Varney said, suggesting veterans can't sit and wait for civilians to help.
"There are things we can bring to the community. Let's invite them and allow them to engage in discourse and not scare them with combat stories."
Ellie