We hear this a lot in these times, usually talking about those we have lost in combat. The phrase is meant to keep the memory alive for those who gave their lives to spare those of others. But there are many more people who need to not be forgotten. Living people, who need help. People who are now dealing with one of the most difficult things that they will ever face... readjustment to civilian life.

For those who have seen combat in the two wars we are fighting right now, there are a (much needed) growing number of resources to help them with the readjustment. While this is great, there is still a portion of the returning vets that are getting left behind: The women veterans.

I've been big on programs supporting returning vets, but it wasn't until tonight that I saw a small comment on one of the communityofveterans.org pages that made me pause:


Now, don't get me wrong. Communityofveterans is doing HUGE things for vets, and this comment was about another site listed in the resources section. The point is, even I have overlooked the women have served and the needs that they have too.


With that, I have done a little digging. I'll continue on this subject soon, but in the mean time I'd like to get some links out there for the women veterans in hopes that we might help them make that difficult transition too, and so we can show them that we won't forget.

Center for women veterans:
From the site:

In November 1994, Public Law 103-446 established the Center for Women Veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Office of the Secretary. The primary mission of the Center for Women Veterans is to review VA programs and services for women veterans, and assure that women veterans receive benefits and services on a par with male veterans, encounter no discrimination in their attempt to access them, and are treated with the respect, dignity, and understanding by VA service providers.

Women make up 15 percent of today’s armed forces. Almost 200,000 women have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, with tens of thousands deployed or stationed elsewhere around the globe. Women are the second fastest growing population of veterans, but the nation has provided few tangible services for them. Many women veterans receive inferior treatment at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, or are marginalized by veterans service organizations.

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We're going to swing back to one of my first topics for a moment. I recently read an article that talks of a long term study of military personnel that started just before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The data shows that combat exposure tripled the likelihood of PTSD in members of the Army and Air Force, and doubled the likelihood in Marines.

Let’s take a quick look at PTSD:

WHAT DEFINES PTSD?

There are two specific factors that must happen for a diagnosis of PTSD to be reached. First is having been in an extremely stressful situation, and secondly, having reacted to it with an intense emotional reaction. An "extremely stressful situation" is considered to be the likes of being in Auschwitz, Vietnam, Iraq, being raped, surviving a plane crash, being at ground zero on 9/11, and so on. The American Psychiatric Association classifies "Reacting with an intense emotional reaction" as fear, helplessness, or horror.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PTSD?

There are three different clusters of symptoms that characterize PTSD.

• Intrusive recollections
• Avoidant numbing symptoms
• Arousal Symptoms

We’ll talk more about these three symptoms in a future post.

With the large number of service men and women returning to civilian life, it is very likely that you may encounter someone suffering from PTSD in your everyday life. Also, employers must be ready for the reintegration of these men and women back into the workforce. This new data shows that there is an increased strain on the mental health of returning service men and women, and often times the military is unable to provide proper medicine, counseling, or even simple self awareness for the issue.

It is very important that we do everything we can to help our fighting men and women successfully return to civilian life. In the next couple of posts I'll be discussing some new initiatives for service men and women returning from combat.

Read More 0 comments | Written by Dan