Supporting Americas Veterans

Arlene Harris is an Army veteran. During her service as a Patriot Missile crew member she was injured and was forced to separate from the Army. She found her transition to the civilian community to be extremely stressful. Not only was she leaving a career that she loved, but she also had to learn to live with injuries sustained while on active duty in the military.
Arlene’s story is like many of today’s veterans who are injured while on active-duty in the military. As a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, members of the armed forces are being deployed throughout the world in large numbers. These deployments create high levels of stress, and inflict numerous injuries upon our men and women in uniform.
In a recent study I examined the experiences of veterans who have transitioned from the armed forces to the civilian workforce as a result of service-connected disabilities. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes a service-connected disability as any chronic condition that is diagnosed or aggravated while a service member is on active duty in the military. With the recent return of the deployed Idaho National Guard units, this information can be very useful to the Idaho community, and to the greater veteran population.
While conducting my investigation into the experiences of disabled military veterans, I interviewed several who had transitioned through the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. These veterans came from various backgrounds and from differing branches of the armed forces, but the one thing that they all had in common is they had all transitioned from the armed forces to the civilian workforce as a result of service-connected disabilities. Some of the experiences that these veterans reported as a result of their transition process were feelings of stress, a sense of culture shock, feelings of uncertainty, a lack of understanding of their medical conditions, a sense of loss and feelings of hopelessness.
The U.S. military provides some of the highest levels of technical training and instills a solid work ethic in its members, but sustaining an injury and transitioning to the civilian community can be extremely difficult. As I interviewed the veterans in my study one of the questions that I asked them was how the community can help support their transition process. The veterans overwhelmingly reported that they are receiving outstanding services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the community can help by hiring veterans. Many of the veterans reported coming back to lost jobs, financial hardships and the inability to compete in jobs they had previously held.
The Department of Veterans Affairs does provide vocational rehabilitation services to disabled veterans that provide eligible veterans with all of the services necessary to obtain and maintain suitable employment - but these veterans need employment. Some of the of the services provided to these veterans by the VA can include job training, a college education, and even assistive devices to help accommodate for their disabilities.
Which brings us back to, Arlene Harris who was forced to separate from the Army as a result of her injuries. Ms. Harris described her transitions as quite stressful. Not only was she leaving a career that she loved, but she also had to learn to live with injuries sustained while on active duty in the military. As a result of the services provided by the VA, Arlene received transition counseling, earned a Bachelors Degree in communication, and is now a full-time employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs. In August 2007 Arlene started working on a Masters Degree in social work.
Tristen Lane is an Army veteran who saw extensive combat in Iraq. He describes his experiences as “painful.” Tristan continues to deal with the horrors of war: Sleepless nights, intrusive thoughts, mood swings and nightmares. Tristen reports that he has found refuge in his training and employment in horse management at Spencer Training in Eagle, Idaho. He has always been a “cowboy at heart,” but as a result of the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs he is not only able to pursue his dream, but he also finds working with horses to be very therapeutic. Tristen is interested in working with other veterans in what he calls “Horse Therapy.”
Brian Honan is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was injured while on active duty with the Marines but described a smooth transition process. He did experience the usual stress of changing careers, but Brian feels like the military really prepared him well for the civilian workforce. Brian’s career in software engineering demands a formal education; he received vocational rehabilitation services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and in December he graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelors Degree in computer science. After delivering the commencement speech at BSU’s graduation ceremony, he accepted employment with Hewlett-Packard. Brian reports that he is very thankful that the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service has supported him in obtaining the education he needed to be successful in his career. He completed an internship at NASA and was recruited by NASA, Boeing, Microsoft, Philips and Hewlett-Packard. Brian chose Hewlett-Packard so he and his family could continue to enjoy the quality of life in Idaho.
The stories of these veterans are not uncommon. Every year thousands of veterans separate from the armed forces to the civilian workforce as a result of service-connected disabilities. These veterans have high-tech training, quality experience and a solid work ethic. With the continued support of the Department of Veterans Affairs and with employment opportunities in the community, they too can be successful.
Information regarding veteran’s services can be obtained by calling the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 1-800-827-1000 or online at www.va.gov. The Boise VA Regional Office is located at 805 W. Franklin Street, Boise, Idaho 83702. The VA provides no-cost medical services, mental health services, compensation and pension services, and many other services to eligible veterans.