The brave men and women who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn't who they are; the PTSD invades their minds and bodies. ~ Robert Koger
Our country's recruiting offices recruit our young men and women, telling them grand stories of what they will learn, the opportunities they will be given, and the adventures to be had. The Contact a Recruiter page on military.com lists some of the benefits of joining as
Free Healthcare Coverage
50K enlistment bonuses
Career Training and Advancement
GI Bill Benefits & College Credit for Service
And I acknowledge the existence of these benefits and do not consider joining the military a negative choice. I applaud and am proud of those who commit to protect and defend our country. And I believe they should be respected and supported by family, friends, and the wider community when they come home. After all, their service and sacrifice have paid the cost for our freedom to live our lives as we choose. The benefits listed above may sound great, but they are only a small "reward" compared to the price they have paid. There is little that can be offered to pay for a life with PTSD, TBI, and other injuries. So, yes, I am proud of our veterans.
I am not proud of what happens when our veterans come home. Because after they have given their all, have served their country with honor, and have been injured - physically, mentally, and morally, they are all too often abandoned. Oh, lip service is given to supporting our veterans, especially to gain political favor. There is the VA but they are all too often understaffed with long waiting lists, and a quick-fix mentality that leaves veterans holding a handful of pills but receiving no real help.
On a community level there is very little support or understanding. It seems to be one of those responsibilities of society that very few people want to stop and look at. It's as if it too difficult to handle the enormity of the consequences of the sacrifices they've made so that we can live a life of freedom.
Even though there is little organized support, we each have the opportunity to support the veterans in our lives and our communities. I read an article called Ten Simple Ways to Support Veterans and Make a Difference, and while I agree that these can be good ideas, it breaks my heart that some of these suggestions are even necessary. Why are so many of our veterans fighting homelessness, foreclosure or eviction? Why is transportation an issue? Why would one single veteran be facing hunger? There is no good reason for this! But I've seen it. And why do we have to be reminded to say Thank You?
Our veterans should not have to live this way. There can be hope through support from the community, support on an individual level, person to person. Romans 8:35-39 says,
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is our responsibility as those who benefit from the hard won freedoms we have to be the hands and feet that show this love of Christ in real and tangible ways, so that healing can begin.
People start to heal the moment they feel heard. ~ Cheryl Richardson
Other posts I have written on this topic
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