veteran
It's imperative to look up to and learn from army veterans; only then can we truly understand the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform.
Best Jobs for Disabled Veterans
Joining the military is an exciting and respectful way for young men and women to build their careers through job training and military service. For active duty members who become disabled during training at home or deployments in war zones, however, there are new challenges to face in the job search process as civilians. Veterans may have a distinct physical disability or not so obvious emotional hardship like post traumatic stress disorder that can affect what they are comfortable doing for work. While there are ways veterans with PTSD to get help, as well as medical help for physical disabilities, for many it is necessary to get back into the workforce once they return from duty.
Joshua Samuel ZookPublished 5 years ago in Serve
Rain or Shine, Somers Celebrates Memorial Day
On Monday afternoon, Somers again remembered the fallen in its annual Memorial Day Parade. A lack of compliance from above did not dampen spirits either and making due was no bother for those in attendance.
Rich MonettiPublished 5 years ago in Serve
We Will Remember Them, Wherever We May Be
As I write this from a sunny but cool London morning in my office, Kiwis in my hometown of Wellington will be starting their night-time routines after what I imagine was a welcome day off work to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Sarah KatherinePublished 5 years ago in Serve
Tips for Managing Transition Stress for Service Members
Stress can be crippling; and it can easily capture veterans who are transitioning back into civilian life after serving their country. Managing transition stress is overwhelming, due to the entirely new life that you live, no matter how familiar it is supposed to feel.
Stephen ClearyPublished 6 years ago in Serve
7 Assumptions Female Veterans Hate
Veterans in general are amazing individuals who risked their lives serving our country and believing in our freedom. Going out there into battle and facing horrifying events, all veterans should definitely be treated with respect for what they've gone through sometime in their life. However, what some people aren't giving full respect to are the female veterans who served in any of the US Armed Forces.
Rachel BlanchardPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Best Resources for Veterans Returning Home
War is hell. We all know this, but no one knows it better than a veteran who has seen it personally. Those who have done their patriotic duty and are now returning home often end up feeling a new type of culture shock they didn't expect.
Rowan MarleyPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Reasons Why Veterans Go Back to War
Do veterans really need to reason why they go back to war? Every single vet among the myriad of unsung heroes have experienced the battlefield in different ways, few ever returning as the same person they had left as. Eventually, as seen by caseloads of Vietnam veterans, combat and war itself are then interpreted more as a medium for psychological peace, escapism, or spiritual closure than anything else. If you're not a service member yourself, imagine being sent overseas with a group of your most valued friendships, only to see much and more in the form of degradation, painful loss, and horrors with unimaginable dimensions. Found within the deepest bowels of every service member is the courage to not only face these evils again and again, but to stamp them out in their every added rendition, which is probably the best you'll get in the form of reasons why veterans go back to war.
Gerald OppugnePublished 6 years ago in Serve
What Happened to Me?
I try to remember the turning point. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to put my finger on one specific event or moment that changed it all. I had such lofty plans for myself. I had such hope. And now, all I can do is wonder how I became this puddle of depression and anxiety.
Melanie BanarPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Marching in a Different Parade
When I was about eight-years-old, I was still living in Germany. My uncle took me to see a military parade in our town. That was almost 60 years ago. I don’t remember what the occasion was, and it likely doesn’t matter. What I do remember is something that has been with me all of these years. I didn’t know then exactly what all of those machines and men with guns did but I knew that they could hurt you. I remember fear. I remember the absolute fear that those machines instilled in me. I saw massive pieces of iron rolling along. I closed my eyes and could hear the roar of the engines and the gnawing of the cleats, the stomp of the boots. When I opened my eyes, they were still there steadily rolling on in what seemed like an endless line. We left the parade, but I could still hear the sounds of the military might grinding and pounding away. And today, I can still hear them.
Heinz WeverinkPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Simple Ways Veterans with PTSD Can Get Help
There are plenty of ways veterans with PTSD can get help, and starting anywhere is a start to be proud of. Coping with such an invasive disorder such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is draining, life-halting, and a constant struggle.
Adrian ScottPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Unsung Heroes
Rain came down in sheets, soaking everything it could at this time of year it was not expected. My colleague and I were working the front desk when a familiar face popped in, drenched but smiling. The night before we checked him in, a vagrant traveling up from from Colorado to get to a town nearly an hour further away. He was dressed in a way that made me think of an post-apocalyptic merchant, even sporting a large brim hat full of different decorations. We already knew he was having a tough time ending his journey; the last leg of it was just an hour away but he sat out for three days hoping for a ride to his destination without success. So he had to stay another night to get out of the cold wet, have a shower, and enjoy the indoors for a moment. We knew he was a botanist and had a job waiting for him whenever he was able to arrive and we respected that.
Shamus RoanPublished 6 years ago in Serve
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining the Army
Five things I wish I knew before joining the army: 1. You will encounter a lot of sexism. Sexism is very much alive and it is in full force while being a female service member! Often times, before my deployment I would use this to my advantage and get out of doing certain physical tasks, which at the time I figured it to be harmless. As time went on, I started noticing that some of my male battles were starting to view me as weaker? Which to me, I found to be completely insane! I can do anything that these men could do, and often times I could even do it better! I would start seeing these men get chosen to be on special op teams that I wanted to be a part in, and in the back of my head I always had a feeling it was due to my sex, but never spoke up. I learned very early on that you need to hold your ground from the beginning, it's much harder for a female to gain respect in the military field (especially being a military police) than it was for a man. It wasn't until we had deployed and my staff sergeant was ONLY putting me in office positions (I am a military police! Not a desk/officer person!) that did I speak up. I told my sergeant I am smarter than these men, more levelheaded and just as capable, IF NOT MORE, than these men you are putting out in the field, I am competent in everything that I do, I want to be doing the job that I trained for! So, after that they started putting me with the rest of my male battle buddies, which I was super excited for! I thought "YES I WON! THEY SEE ME AS A SOLDIER, NOT A FEMALE!" After the momentum of that win went away, it went to the same thing. Granted, I was never put in the office again, but I still wasn't being given the same jobs as the rest of my battles, but I didn't make a fuss about it, didn't want my "female hormones" to bother any of my male counterparts. But then Osama Bin Laden was killed, and our FOB was being rioted and they needed reinforcements from our unit (The rule for our unit was if anyone needed reinforcements, the first five people to our equipment room was the Force Team for that job)! So naturally, I would always make sure I was RIGHT NEXT to this room so when the time came I would be there! The time came! I was the first person in this room and started gearing up for battle! I was so excited! My sergeants and the men in this room were quiet, and looking at each other, then looking at me. Another male was disgusted at the fact that he wasn't on the team because I took HIS place. The rule was set, fair is fair. So finally, I looked at my battle buddies and told them "I went through basic training, JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU. I graduated, went through military police school JUST LIKE YOU. I went through combat training and passed everything with flying colors JUST LIKE YOU. There is NO REASON why I can't do this, I have trained for this. You can NOT tell me NO!" I was just upset! This was so insane! My sergeant just replied " You understand? They want to kill you, its not games in there." I responded "They want to kill us all. It's no different." So they let me go, and the mission went without issue. You encounter a lot of this in the military and you need to stand your ground from early on or it will become who you are. You are a strong soldier and no one's opinion of you can change that. Don't fall into the stereotypes.
Natasha SantosPublished 6 years ago in Serve
