By David Goldstrom — 2019
The chaplain’s calling remains even after our service members return to civilian life, where community can be challenging for veterans to find.
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CLEAR ALL
Like most veterans, I found the transition from military to civilian life a struggle—a tougher struggle than I had anticipated. For me, I found that one of my trickier struggles was with my identity.
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The Paralympics had not yet been invented. These veterans were sports trailblazers. They were medical miracles as well.
Like most Americans, veterans have benefited from a robust labor market. But skills learned in combat do not always translate to private-sector jobs.
Veterans are often reluctant to seek help because of the stigma surrounding mental health issues and are likelier to respond to an approach that emphasizes discussion of here‐and‐now issues of adjustment to civilian life rather than mental disorders.
More than 600,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have been left partially or totally disabled from physical or psychological wounds received during their service. Some of them compete in the Defense Department Warrior Games and find a place to continue to overcome.
You can build back your life
When Dave Roever was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, “resiliency” and “comprehensive soldier fitness” took a backseat to combat operations.