Reintegration Can Be Harder Than Serving

One of the biggest things veterans deal with is re-integration when they get out, military and civilian culture are very different. While serving, active duty members have a lot of rules that don’t exist in the civilian world. Weather someone serves 4 or 30 years, many veterans look forward to getting out until they do, then they remember why we went in. Depending on rank, time in service, or disability it can be harder for some veterans than others to re-integrate back to civilian status. Jason is one of those veterans who has been struggling to re-integrate and become a civilian again.

Jason went in the Army when he was 18 years old and served in Afghanistan at a Forward Operating Bases (FOB). At the FOB Jason would spend a month at a time having to be hypervigilant and taking fire from the enemy. Jason was used to the adrenaline while at the FOB and struggles to get the adrenaline fix he needed when he got out.

While in the military troops are used to being told what to do, in the civilian sector their expected to know what to do by so many employers. Once Jason got out of the Army he struggled to find a job and a purpose. He struggles to answer one on one questions during individual interviews and don’t stand out during group interviews. In the military it is looked down on by superiors to “blow your own horn” which is what is expected from civilians during both individual and group job interviews.      

In the military younger troops like Jason are told what to do, and in the civilian sector they are expected to tell the interviewers what they would do in certain situations. This is where a veteran can struggle. Many younger veterans are not used to making business decisions and it can show at job interviews, especially if the interviewer has no understanding of the military. Younger veterans are used to being told to shut up and color, and not stand out. They struggle to show their personality during a civilian job interview, often limiting their success because of their military service. Even if the veteran is successful at finding a job, they can struggle because they do not know where the line is and what they can and can’t do when placed in questionable situations.     

In the military, you know your place and where the line is, you have been told or it’s in the regulations. As a civilian, the line can move depending on the situation and who you are. This is not only a problem for the younger troops, it’s a problem for the older veterans too when they get out. So often in the civilian sector the only guidelines you have is the job description, state, and federal regulations, which can be vague at best. In the military, you know what the rules are, and you can find them in the regulations when needed. In the civilian world the rules change depending on who you are, most employees know who the bosses favorite is and must adjust, often nepotism plays a part when it comes to different rules for different people. This can lead to veterans questioning who they can trust, who they can count on, and who’s got their back.

The one thing veterans know, when it comes down to it, people in their unit or others in the military have their back. Even if you have had issues with someone in your unit, when there is a life or death situation they will be there. That is a comforting feeling for anyone, but in the civilian world veterans don’t know who they can or can’t trust and who has their back.

I have seen some military veterans struggle for years, and Jason is no different. Jason has been out of the military for 10 years and has held multiple unfulfilling jobs. He has decided to come to college and try to get a degree to help him get a better job. Jason struggles because he felt successful while in the Army and feels like a failure since he has gotten out. He has had to take menial just jobs to get by. Many veterans feel they had a purpose while in the military, but lost their purpose when they got out. Some veterans struggle during job interviews limiting their ability to get good jobs, they don’t know where the line is, and don’t know who they can trust. Some veterans feel they should have stayed in the military because they did not struggle. It is saddening that a veteran feels they need to go back into a profession where they risk their life to have a purpose.  It is unfortunate that society struggles to utilize veteran’s strengths and give them the purpose they need to be successful as a civilian.  

 For questions or comments, I can be reached at bo@afterdutyvets.com or visit our website at afterdutyvets.com.