Part 1: Transitioning Veterans, How we get in our own way... And what to do about it! - YouTube

Excellent share COL Burroughs.

Thank you sir.

You have a dedicated core group of people who are ready and willing to share their views and offer support to each other. I enjoyed our conversations and look forward to keeping the com channels open.
John Henry

Hi Jeff, you offer some helpful platitudes from the suck it up tribe.

This work is specifically targeted at the "at risk" part of the Vet tribe. If it was as easy as reminding Vets they need to be stronger and to wake up, we would not have 22 per day taking their own lives. No one has an answer to this and there seems to be no reduction or magic cure to reduce this anytime soon.

Of course, I strongly believe we are all concerned about the stigma and perceptions of the civilian population but again, at the expense of 22-per day?

I, and we, who are involved in this movement to help Veteran regain the strength you so strongly project is the mission. Saving lives and keeping families together is the priority.

I would really challenge you to suck it up and actually listen to the audiobook. I'll even make it possible to listen to it for free if you will accept this challenge.

I am serious Jeff, I respect your direct response and know thousands who share your sentiments.

Go through the entire audiobook and lets keep this debate informed and real.

You up for this?

I will end with this. A lot of our challenges stem from incomplete out-processing from service. No preparedness training for the identity crisis coming, no advanced training to help each servicemember understand they need to learn how to create their own new missions and they will need to re-discover what gives you meaning and purpose. Most of the challenges we are encountering are the Vets who just can't believe who they were and how did I get to the bottom of this slippery slope. They didn't wake up one day and say they were going to abandon their code of conduct.

I don't care how fucked up the situation is, when I have come across out of control Vets, when they get that the void they can't fill up with adrenaline, sex, drugs, alcohol or workaholism is really the need to re-invent identity, mission, meaning and purpose, they begin to move quickly toward new objectives. We don't do it for them and they motor right out of their shit.

This is a strength-based approach that is provided in a confidential way that no one knows they are getting the help they need.

Telling them they are weak only reinforces the downward spiral because they are running out of hope. If this makes them sissies, I'd rather help them save their own life, get them back on track, and call it a day.

With Great Respect and Semper Fi,

John Henry

PFC John Henry Parker - I do direct pretty well. You asked for it, I try to keep it real, at least from my perspective and many of my veteran friends. We do not have 22 suicides per day for any one reason. Those are spread across veterans of many age groups and they end their lives for many different reasons. I have had two friends I served with (Early 1980's) take their own lives over the years for different reasons.

I will take your challenge on the audiobook. Not sure how long it is but I work a lot of hours and travel a lot so it could take me some time to get through it.

I will push back on your out processing comments too. When I left the service, I checked out, got a firm handshake and that was it. No classes, no preparation, no resume writing classes, no "this is what to expect". My transition lasted as long as it took me to drive from Camp Lejeune to Tampa where I still live. The Marine Corps taught me enough about leadership, self discipline, self motivation, hard work, never giving up etc. I was not taught anything my peers were not. If times get hard and you fall into alcoholism, drug addiction and other destructive behaviors you need to fix yourself, quickly. It normally comes down to you recognizing your issues and committing to fix them. It is not about telling them they are weak, they need to realize that themselves. No amount of anyone telling them that will really help them.

Hope is not found in self help classes usually. It is found either when you recognize all that you have and all that you have been blessed with or you hit rock bottom and reach out, not to mortal men, who will fail you most of the time but to God.

I am genuinely concerned about the damage being done to the veteran community with all of the damaged goods talk, the PTSD over play and the not stop disability chasing. It is unseemly and makes us look weak and perhaps risky for employers etc.

I agree, there a lot of reasons Vets are taking their own lives. A buddy of mine who was a Vietnam Vet just could deal with the physical pain of injuries combined with his PTSD. Another attempted because on his third tour I broke a guys nose off base and got an OTH and a felony. He never even had a speeding ticket. Took all his meds and went into a coma. Luckily they brought him back and he is doing extraordinarily well.

The audiobook is only one hour twenty minutes broken into six chapters.

To your point about out-processing. Man, your application of what you learned about leadership, initiative and self-reliance should be the norm. Just like your statement of so many reasons for Vets taking their lives, there are so many reasons why men and women are falling out after returning home. It's not typically one event or circumstance, it is a series of cascading events that cause them to spiral out of control. Again, chronic pain management, PTS, TBI are a bad combination that causes people to reach for relief that are right on the edge of this slippery slope.

Thank you for agreeing to listen to the audiobook and share your thoughts. It is not all about our F*!ked up we are, it is about repurposing our lives and who we are becoming.

JH