The challenges of Returning Home
Military veterans face a lot of challenges when coming home stateside. Some of these challenges include adjusting to civilian life and family life. At the same time the veteran’s family may need to readjust their live to a veteran whose life has greatly changed. Other challenges may include returning to work or finding a new job.
Military veterans were asked to sacrifice having a normal live and sometimes asked to sacrifice their lives for this country. Our country has often failed our servicemen and women when coming home and trying to adjust to normal life.
Since 2013, the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families (CIR) at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has conducted studies of military populations in various areas throughout the United States to identify common challenges that veterans face as they transition out of the military. Although individual populations may fare better with specific challenges, overall trends show that moving into civilian life continues to be difficult regardless of location. (MSW, USC)
Some common challenges military veterans face include but are certainly not limited to a culture change, the military has a very specific and unique culture, almost always extremely different than that of the civilian culture. Some veterans speak of having culture shock when returning home and attempting to adjust to civilian life, including home life and work life. Some veterans report feeling isolated from their civilian friends, family, and co-workers. They also find it difficult to become friends with civilians or remain friends with non-soldiers, as they lack the same experience and talking points. Furthermore, civilians often ask inappropriate questions such as “have you ever killed anyone?” which could trigger flashbacks, whereas, a conversation with someone who has been through the same situations can be calming and easing. For some the military is more than just a job and is seen as a way of life. They are unable to separate the military and the non-military life.
Briand Ketcham
https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/transitioning-out-of-the-military/