Posted on Jul 27, 2016
What could civilians take away from working with veterans?
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What are some things civilians should know about working with Veterans? Anything from understanding why we are so direct in our discussions to what to do if one of us has a PTSD episode. For instance, I keep being told that I am mean mugging people and they think I'm pissed at them. But most of the time, I'm just looking around.
PTSD
Civilians
Transition
Posted >1 y ago
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SPC Lucas Predmore, I think it's worth looking at this from a different perspective. Although statistics may vary, a study I read recently indicated that .4% of the American population are active military personnel. Further, a mere 7.3% of the entire American population has served in the military at some point in time in their lives. All that to say, former military personnel entering the civilian workforce are by far in the minority.
Those in the civilian workforce aren't thinking about the military, who served, and what issues they may or may not have. People are not trying to be insensitive to a veteran's personal issues in the least, it's just not in the civilian mindset to consider such things. Everyone is simply doing their job, and that is what they expect from those who served as well. In my workplace there are a few others who served. We talk among ourselves on occasion, but otherwise no one would ever know we had been in the service. Also, our private conversations never center on "us versus the civilians", or the "civilians just don't understand". To me, it would serve no purpose and could represent a possible failure to integrate into the civilian workplace.
Ultimately, it's up to us to fit ourselves into the civilian workplace. After all, we're what's known as the "One Percent". COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Those in the civilian workforce aren't thinking about the military, who served, and what issues they may or may not have. People are not trying to be insensitive to a veteran's personal issues in the least, it's just not in the civilian mindset to consider such things. Everyone is simply doing their job, and that is what they expect from those who served as well. In my workplace there are a few others who served. We talk among ourselves on occasion, but otherwise no one would ever know we had been in the service. Also, our private conversations never center on "us versus the civilians", or the "civilians just don't understand". To me, it would serve no purpose and could represent a possible failure to integrate into the civilian workplace.
Ultimately, it's up to us to fit ourselves into the civilian workplace. After all, we're what's known as the "One Percent". COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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I have to agree here, most civilians I encounter don't care that you served as long as you do your job. from what I see in guys I know that have gotten out, it's the Soldiers that make an issue of it and stand out from the crowd and expect others to cater to them and understand them. but I feel it is on us to better understand and work with them nothing in our transition prep fully prepares for the task of changing our mindset and mentally preparing us to fully transition into a civilian world. with that said its not an "US vs THEM" thing.
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We have a totally different perspective on life. Civilians look at a lost sale or a missed phone call as a disaster ... To Combat Vets, if no one got DEAD or Wounded...it is NOT a disaster and NOT worth raising your blood pressure
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