Supportive Communities Are Vital for Veterans in Crisis

EXTRA- FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

Maintenance and planning are a big part of serving in the United States Military. Unfortunately for many Veterans in crisis, there is no way to plan for the challenges they face after leaving the military. For many Veterans in crisis, the preparation and readiness they practiced when preparing to face an external enemy meant excessive self-sacrifice. Months, even years, spent preparing and training can result in both a physical and emotional toll.

Many Veterans in crisis are dealing with issues and stress from experiences that are not relatable to anything in the civilian world. We know that can only further complicate things. Many of the people that support Veterans in crisis situations only have a vague idea of what it means to serve. They only know the military that appears on television and movies.

Veterans in crisis can be struggling for reasons that have everything to do with their service, and their service never included combat. Some Veterans in crisis haven’t had to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some Veterans in crisis aren’t exclusively dealing with physical injuries. There are many reasons that can drive Veterans to the point of being in crisis.

Helping Veterans takes an intimate understanding of their unique experiences. A Veteran community can be exactly what they need to connect to other veterans and avoid becoming a Veteran in crisis in the first place.
What happens when a Veteran in crisis isolates themselves?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col Charlie Brown Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen SCPO Morris Ramsey PVT Mark Zehner Sgt (Join to see) SSG Michael Noll SSG Robert Mark Odom CPL Douglas Chrysler SPC Mark Huddleston Wayne Soares PO1 William "Chip" Nagel ] SGT (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SPC Nancy Greene SMSgt David A Asbury Maj Marty Hogan PO1 H Gene Lawrence Maj Kim Patterson GySgt Gary Cordeiro