VA releases Request for Information, seeks strategies for ways to end Veteran suicide - VAntage...

Pick something that the VA can do and post it. They don't have control over jobs, divorce, TBI, etc. Making more mental health resources available. Running groups. Education and treatment of TBI.
Support of service dogs for PTSD...

Absolutely and one I am watching closely and as much as possible is: while there is a tremendous transition assistance program for the soldiers, spouses and offspring what they do not do and maybe cannot do is take the solider out of the civilian when they leave the military. Most military members are dependable, exacting, meticulous, organized, hard-working, resourceful, professional with immense sense of responsibility,
commitment and integrity and do not know the meaning of quitting. They are take their jobs seriously ensuring that they look at it analytical, map out the mission, resources needed to accomplished it successfully and they don't sugar coat it but deliver it in a clear, concise and direcr manner.
Its how we do things and that includes speaking their mind and distributing the information and accomplishing the missio and this does not sit well in the civilian world with soft people skills and sensitivity. So the soldier ETS or retires and is absolutely a dynamite employee best suited job but the soldier lurks inside.

Most civilian companies are not well adjusted to handling very strong direct types of personalities in the civilian employment sector. Rather they are coddling, stroking employees insecurities, worrried about being politically correct and catering to every individual employees needs for fear of offending then and being sued or triggering the individual. In essence Society is being held hostage by everyone around them for fear of what they do, say, believe or promote is biased, harassment or discrimination - they are soft.

Now, let's take our soldiers and put them into that type of environment which is against everything that is ingrained in us; the civilian employer will try to take the (soldier)square peg and put it in the round hole and that just won't work. So, begins the tug of war between the employer and the soldier back and forth back and forth until the employer either terminates the soldier as they cannot or will not comply simply because of what is ingrained in them and integrity or the soldier resigns because they cannot conform to the demands of these civilian employer and the employer does not have the skill set to work with the soldier and develop a system that will accommodate both of us there is no way to make the relationship work. Just as the soldiers not given the skills in the transitioning to take the soldier out of the civilian the civilian employer has not given tools to embrace the Soldier into the civilian is not willing to work with the soldier to adjust their environment to accommodate them and the soldier is the one that loses.

Now if you're the soldier you can't go back to being a soldier (in the service) being who and what love, what you knew and that made you everything that you. An amazing perosn who has been instilled with the deepest sense of integrity; known for duty, honor, integrity, responsibility accountability and it's who you are. BUT you can't go back and they won't accept you so where does that leave then soldier? It leaves them feeling hopeless, lost, depressed, lonely and no where to call home and no where they belong. They don't have their military family , they can't support their family and they don't fit into the civilian world. HOW do you recover from that? what resources are there for them? Now let's take that a step further and that's a daunting that the deepest commitment you can make writing that blank check and committing to this country was you're willing to put on the line only to come back to Country who doesn't have the skills to help incorporate you and help you be successful here and subsequently you are the one who's left out in the cold without any skills for job or family to be able to support yourself and they have not been developed yet.

How do we bridge this gap? We have been able to bridge that gap from civilian to soldier but not soldier to civilians. We do not hold civilians or today's Society responsible for creating an environment that incorporates soldiers or ensure employers have the tools and training to help them do so. Ensuring they have the necessary resources and tools to employ and integrate the soldiers into the corporate. This is clearly not the sole issue contributing to Soldier Suicide but it is I think mammoth breakdown on both sides; both sides need help but the troops are the ones paying the price after all employment at will and the employer holds the power .

I saw the repercussions of this last year with a company I worked for I myself fell victim to it as did the other former military members as we all were ostracized and made so uncomfortable quit or were bullied to the point rhey were in such a state of anxiety they were so afraid of making mistakes they made them and subsequently were fired. I'm not saying that this is the case in every situation but I am saying is that I think this is a part of the problem; that it does indeed deserve consideration and studied for basis.

Just my personal experience and observation as I have seen it first hand.

Sorry for the length and typos on a ipod and cannot see all I typed when I am online will review and correct.

Remember no man is an island upon themselves.

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