Coming home: US soldiers struggle in civilian life

If I recall correctly didn't the head of tribes and native cultures always go into battle with their warriors. Hell, that would have solved allot right there. We would have gotten rid of Bush man and probably never entered the war in the first place because he is a chicken shit.

If my answers seem to always imply the outlook is bleak, they aren't. They are to point out the opposite, the outlook is only bleak if we continue to put our lives and power in the hands of a system that has proven itself to be corrupt and malfunctioning. If we can come together as a nation, re-evaluate what we've been investing in (profits rather than people), then the outlook could be not only brighter but more realistic than even I could have imagined.

There's hope (a word I hate to use, but a concept most people gravitate to, so I'll use it), if we get our heads out of our asses and our thumbs out of our mouths, we can still change this shit up. Reshuffle the deck and start a new game. It's not too late, it's just a lot of work, something alot of us seem to be allergic to.

Well that would be a good idea, but it depends on the program and what these "requirements" would entail in the sense of what would be lost if they weren't to comply.

For example, if the care being offered is in no way a real help because it's treated as a one size fits all treatment in which medication is the main implement used to curb the symptons. The soldiers who don't want to live life "drugged" up or be dependant on medication may not want to enlist in such a program, what will be their option, to be stripped of any and all other compensation recieved for serving? It doesn't work if there isn't a comprehensive approach taken.

I love to use the word comprehensive, because the plan should address all aspects of civilian life, as well as all aspects of each individual's ability to adapt to each of those environments. In other words, work, homelife, dealing with stress, bills, other responsibilities, ability to earn a wage, treatment, social situations, etc. Then they could implement an individual treatment per case.

So, I'm not sure we could entrust the government to actually be able to supply a real effective and comprehensive solution to this crisis. We all know how the government's rule of thumb for any program they enact is, "one size fits all".

Jan - I agree they should be allowed to choose their own therapist. I meant that they should be required to go to a therapist, but that they are still able to choose that therapist and the government picks up the bill. And they should definitely be given help with things like finding housing. That's part of what I meant when I mentioned they should be part of a program that gives them financial advice and such. It should be a full re-integration advice and counseling program that they have access to whenever they feel they need it.

Mafioso - Do you think discharged soldiers would be less likely to see counseling and therapy as "weak" if it were required as part of their re-integration into society?

Soldiers not only have problems adjusting to civilian life, but also adjusting to being in social situations. I notice that most or all of the soldiers who have been to Iraq or Afghanistan that I know (And I know quite a few, many whom are immediate family and close friends and have done two or more deployments), seem to have this nervous flinch in public places, and always seem to be anxious in large crowds and always on the offensive, almost seeming to be looking for a fight. All or most drink heavily to tolerate social scenes or public crowds and this only makes the problem worse. I am not suggesting that everytime I go out with those I know who have served, it always ends in a fight or they can't have a good time, but I do know the tension is there. You can cut it with a knife.

It speaks of PTSD, and not only do they have this knee jerk reaction at times, but they almost always seem to be in a pensive state.

I love my twin brother, but even speaking to him about Iraq is a frustrating conversation. He is a gung ho marine and wants to be dutiful and say he stands behind his mission 200%, but the feelings and issues he's now dealing with (although he's never openly discussed such things with me and I hate mentioning this, but feel it is a valid example), make him have this undeserving feeling that if he complains about the war or seeks treatment for issues stemming from his experience, he's somehow weak because of it. He doesn't want to feel he's been "defeated by his demons", so to speak, and he certainly doesn't want to seem as though he not only went through this in vain, but that he didn't know what he was getting himself into.

Then when they do leave the military, the goverment offers them an education (not always, there are provisions to this bonus) in a career that may have been lucrative at one time, but now due to the way the economy is now, most industries have dried up.

It's a shame that they (the military and government) then stonewall the soldiers who admittedly have a mental disorder directly resulting from their experiences and duties as a soldier and accept the possibility and now the reality that these soldiers may loser their lives, not in Iraq but right here in their homes. Let's not talk about the wounded soldiers, I don't think I could make it through this post if I did.

I know that my family members serving are proud to be marines or members of the other armed forces, and we are proud that they serve. I for one would be even more proud if they (the soldiers) were to collectively reject the idea that if they question their superiors when they know what they are doing is wrong, they are somehow weak or a disgrace.

I really feel we (all of us, the American people) are to blame, because we ultimately hold the power to change these things. We have no one to point the finger at but ourselves. We may not be the ones making the decisions, but we put those people in power and acting as though are hands are tied, doesn't make it okay that our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, etc serving in the armed forces are giving their lives, while we are sitting on our hands.

Allsunday: I agree. I however, think they should be allowed to pick their own therapist or manner of psychological mending be it a therapist, yoga, meditation, or whatever group situaiton makes them more comfortable. And at the very least there should be vouchers for them to help them look for housing if they need it, and healthcare for them and their families which would also lift a great psychological burden from them and in many cases a physical one as well if they were injured.

I think a lot of this could be solved if there were simply a mandatory program every solider gets enrolled in upon discharge. They could be required to regularly see a local therapist on the government's dollar, for example. That alone could really help with the mental and emotional adjustment of returning to civilian life, not to mention give them a head start on identifying whether or not they have PTSD.

Add in a program to give them advice for their future plans, finances, etc, and they would have most of what they need to stay on their feet until they can stand on their own. I doubt it would have a 100% success rate, but I think it would help immensely.

Yes, and as I watched Bush lay a wreath at the tomb of the"unknown" soldier again as he has done every single year since assuming he was "commander in chief" to get his photo op, I felt the nauseousness rise in my stomach. Politicians who vote for war, fund war, and only use war as a campaign issue or an excuse to make a speech make me sick.

I am mad as hell right now at the people who send young Americans to war I'm watching a live day memories. It make me mad at the administration for invading Iraq because of a lie. We should not have or young people over there for the reasons they are there. This nation sends people to war because of lies They hype young people into patriotism and tell them there protecting life and liberty. I love the troops and disagree with the administration. I see all the problem the returning troops are having and I cry, a grown ass man like me breaks down when I watch this form of brain washing that they do to are young, I cry because of the condition this war has left the young in how do you pick up after the loses these people have to live with for the rest of there lives.

The war should end today and each of the fighter should get as much money as the country has left
I love you troops but hate the system

That just prove that only some of the Contractors will make money with this War. The one that serve will get boot! Way to go America! What can we expect of a President that accepted to wear a jacket from a group of psychopath maniacs called "The Rolling Thunder," that already burned our Constitution to the ground.

Great story,But like HumanPasta said It's a sad truth...Here Cheer up and watch the Video I just posted it might make some of you feel better...Just go to Day2Day1nSociety...Much love and Respect..Thank you1

the sad truth...these people were expected to die. i have many friends serving in the millitary, 1 in Afganistan, 2 in Iraq, and 1 more is headed to Iraq in June. not one of them can walk into a bar. i wonder often what will become of them, if i will see them again, if they will die, if they will have the career they think they will, or if, broken and barely alive, they will be thrown away like a peice of yesterdays trash.

Yes, and crime among veterans increases as well... and drug abuse, alcoholism, and other ways to cope with the life they left that now seems overwhelming to adjust to. I think this is where communities and states must step in to help. Unfortunately, with "budget crunches" it seems essential services like veteran's services, education, and social programs are always the first to suffer. The federal government I doubt will ever do enough on this front. They're too busy voting to fund this damn 'war' on the backs of our children.

This is an extremely big issue! Many soldiers will be coming home with PTSD and will suffere from many cases of depression and schizophrenia. The most interesting part about this war is that it takes place in the streets and houses. The big question is how are the soldiers going to react when they return to the cities in which they live in? What happens if they hear a car screech or the bang of a trash can? These women and men are going to need major psychological help when they return.

The one thing about it all that infuriates me is that there are young men and women 19, 20, etc. who join because they were told by recruiters that it will bring them a career and a living... so they join because they are poor and feel they have nowhere else to turn. Then they are sent to Iraq, a hellhole that shell shocks them... then should they survive, when they return home there is nothing here for them.The military takes good, decent, bright people and ruin their lives making it harder and harder for them to get what they need and deserve for serving this country. And it is so true.... lack of hope is like a death sentence in and of itself. War is a crime committed by this government of monumental proportions.

i think most civilians living day by day ,penny by penny.just cant understand the stress most soldiers endure. a large number of these soldiers are our young adults with a pure idea,an idea for the future.when they finally see through their own eyes the confusion that is being created intentionally. what will our future become?lack of hope,lack of vision...ends life.

Theres nothing like not learning from our mistakes. Maybe war is not the answer to solving the worlds problems. Remember the sign of insanity is to continue to do something over and over that does not work. In this case we need to define what work means.

Supporting our troops is a little more complicated than just tying a yellow ribbon around a tree trunk and putting a made in china bumper sticker on an SUV.

You sacrifice your life to protect your country the country should return the favor and give you payment that is worthy of such an offer. The President gets paid a salary for the rest of his/her life even after he/she is no longer a President. An officer of any military establishment should be gifted the same monetary praise for their determination to keep the freedoms that this country was built upon safe and obtainable.

TouchArt, that was exactly the book i was thinking of when i wrote my response. It is soo good i reccomend it to everyone.

lol

What about our injured soldiers? 30,000+ injured soldiers from this war and we aren't supporting the costs of their rehab? I feel like the physical effects are, or will be, just as important as the psychological effects.

The real shame is that many of these homless veterans are eligible for benefits from the government but they just don't know how to access them.

As for the soldiers returning today they are in for really hard times, there are many Americans who didn't even go to war who are having a hard time finding a job. These are hard times under Bush and not just for our soldiers.

I like to think of war like sex.

If you don't want to get pregnant (have a problem) then pulling out is a good solution (just like pulling out of war) but that isn't completely safe, whereas abstaining from it will guarantee no pregnancy. ;-P

Just thought this up so I thought I would say it.

I think that some of our troops comming home from the war have problems, but to say that this man is a typical vet is a real stretch.

Leslie Marmon Silko's CEREMONY focuses on war veterans and the ceremonies to cleanse and bring them back into balance after taking lives.

Saladin: No problem.

No worries Jan - what's the problem? Haliburton, Bechtel and Blackwater's got their billions. They are fine.

Those "good ol' boyz" with Blackwater are living large. I saw one the other day driving a new Porsche he paid for with cash.

Big oil's making record profits, Busheney is playing golf again.

Tell the kid to get over it and buy stock in Haliburton.

Note: heavy sarcasm

spoonieday: It isn't hokey at all. I think it makes great sense. A way to try to cleanse the horrors they have seen and bring them into a new mindset to help them cope with the huge psychological load they carry is only logical. It is so hard for so many to assimilate back into normal life after being at war mainly because of that. I definitely believe what you speak of would help a great many of them.

Jan, I didn't mean to say the government shouldn't be held accountable for what they are doing. Merely that the vast majority of Americans that say they care really don't.

I agree with you about government irresponsibility on this issue, I just wanted to clear that up. =)

spoonieday you are so right here..it is one thing to train and dicipline a soldier to combat command position..and another to De-train them out of ie...this is what never happens...across a world scale...soldiers come out of service to find their lives have been lost because of their unique patriotism to their country.More should be done to help them re-adjust to a more natural life..it does not take a lot to help them do this...only more support in the right direction.

One part of the problem, beyond the hampered ability of the Veteran's Administration to respond to the shifting and recurrent needs of the soldiers, is our society's lack of a mechanism to integrate warriors back into the normal functioning of everyday life. Native American cultures often had ceremonies used to cleanse warriors from battle, to re-establish their attachment to the living and to life. While this may seem hokey to some, they created a very important psycholgical barrier between the rigors of war and normal life. I'm not suggesting that we adopt those rituals, but we can learn from them. Our soldiers are highly trained for war, why can't they put more training on the backside of military life and start listening to soldiers' complaints instead of dissmissing or attmepting to dishonor them for having human emotions?

WAR SUCKS.

Work for Peace with Justice.

I did. A friend of my father's who served who was out of a job... I helped him get a job where I worked and helped him look for a better place to live. I also visited local veterans hospitals when I was younger with my church and always donated supplies to them when I could over the years through schools and other organizations and know others who do the same because it is all they can do. So while I can see your point about people, my bitterness extends to politicians who only visit graves on Memorial Day to get photo ops and then vote to fund wars that bring these situations about. It is as if you are saying the government has no fault in this, and sorry, that is simply not true. It was this government that spurned those returning from Desert Storm who had depleted uranium poisioning and other maladies caused by what they dropped over there by telling them their symptoms were "all in their head." It has consistently been this government that has crapped on veterans after they served their country. And it still continues. And it still outrages me. Eisenhower didn't call it the "Military Industrial Complex" for nothing.

And by extension, a people that are selfish and uncaring.

While the government does not always represent the people's interest, they are Americans. Americans of all political affiliations are quick to blame the government for injustice in their society, but they are never willing to admit that it is their own wasteful lifestyles or opinions that silently help these things along.

Would you house one of these homeless veterans if you could? Would you feed them and take care of them until they were able to stand on their own feet? Would you be willing to listen to them and give them money, at your own inconvenience, on a frequent basis if you thought it would help?

Maybe you would, but many would not. Ever. Why? Because they don't really care. Americans are disenfranchised from each other for the large part. Sure we talk about things like national healthcare, but we won't talk to the sick in our free time or help homeless people on the street. Most Americans would drive by a wounded person lying on the side of the road.

I'm not trying to be self-righteous, I'm not saying I'm much different. I just don't like this illusion that we are a caring people, when everyone knows that in general we don't care very much.

People are quick to cite examples of people that do care or show that they give money, but those things are not as important as what you do everyday in real life. Most Americans don't have love for people in need. I'm not trying to implicate that Americans are bad people, in fact I believe it's ok not to care. It's just part of human nature. But I don't like it when people say they do care when they only care about the idea of caring.

Sad but unfortunately typical story.

This was not isolated to just Vietnam, it happened in many conflicts prior to that as well. So it isn't surprising that it's happening again.

I hate to be scathing, but I feel I have to put forth the ugly truth on this issue. I think the fact of the matter is most Americans don't support the troops, they just say they do to shield themselves from attack. Most of them will just keep on living and ignore or remain inactive as these escalate around them. Not that all of them are able to do much But compared to healthcare or global warming or the economy, Americans just do not care about this in my opinion.

Most of them probably won't even admit it, even if you laid the evidence right in front of their face.