I deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom & Enduring Freedom between 2009-2011. Because I never served more than 90 consecutive days "boots on the ground" in Iraq or Afghanistan, I do not qualify for those respective campaign medals. Instead, I received the Expeditionary Global War on Terrorism Medal, bronze star in lieu of second award. This does not qualify me for any future medical compensation/lawsuits by veterans of those campaigns (Uncle Sam learned the hard way from the Vietnam Veterans & all of the Agent Orange claims). I get what I get today, and unless the law changes, neither will my status. So it's like saying "yes, you're a veteran...but those other guys are more veteran than you." Last I checked, we all answered our nation's call.
The transition from military to civilian was incredibly difficult. The "transition classes" the military offered were really pathetic. They taught me how to write a resume, dress for an interview, and put emphasis on "getting out of the military is the biggest mistake you can make. You will end up homeless and alone." Those are the exact words I heard during my classes. What they don't tell you is you'll have so much personal freedom (compared to the military), that you won't know what to do with yourself. They tell you the best thing is to immediately go to college and get a job, but they also say "unless you worked in IT or Combat Systems, there aren't really any jobs for you." Which of course is a lie.
The first thing I missed about the military is job security and benefits. It can be pretty difficult to find steady employment, especially in this economy. I couldn't find a steady job to save my life, and I had a wife and pets to provide for (thank God no children). The government gives 1 year unemployment benefits no questions asked when you get out of the service. But I was confident (and too prideful) to accept it, because I just knew I could find something. Well, I didn't. As a result, we burned through all of the money we had left. I will do everything I can to never put my family in that situation ever again. My G.I. Bill finally kicked in and I was able to receive 7 months of back pay, it was a much needed and welcomed reprieve, but it didn't help the way I hoped it would.
So far, I've completed 2 semesters of college. Going to class helped settle my nerves because I once again had an objective. I didn't just wake up and not have a plan. I had the goals and requirements I was desperately searching for. I enjoyed college, except as a veteran, I stuck out like a sore thumb because most of the students are 18-19 years old. Many people didn't know how to approach me because I've "killed people", as one girl put it. Well, yes, but I'm not your enemy. There were 2 questions I was asked frequently that I quickly got tired of...."did you kill people?" and "do you know my (insert relative here)?" I never did like to entertain the first question, especially since the majority of people asking that were the kids who played Call of Duty on their Xbox and thought they could relate...hey, I played that game, too, but there was no "respawn" for me. I grew tired of the second question as well. 1% of the American population may volunteer to serve in the military, but the Navy has over 320,000 personnel on Active Duty, that's not counting Reserves, or any other branch. So there's no way I knew someone's cousin in the Air Force. I had a work study position at the VA hospital, which turned into a full time job. I took it, and here I am. I plan to take online courses in the near future to continue my education.
I'm 24 years old, with the knees of a 75 year old man. I have extensive damage to my knees due to a non-combat related accident while giving humanitarian aid in January 2010 following the earthquake in Haiti, as part of Operation Unified Response. Does it hurt? Absolutely. Literally, every single day. Hurts to stand, sit, walk, and sadly, ride a motorcycle. I wince when I walk, and there are days where I can't even get up under my own power. Physical therapy & exercise helps, but until science medicine can replace cartilage, there's no chance I'll be back to 100%.
I was finally able to see my doctor at the VA for the first time in 2 years last month. Due to the excessive waiting lists for veterans, people get lost in the shuffle. The VA lost me for 2 years, then suddenly I got a random call that said "because you have failed to show up for 5 appointments (spanning those 2 years), we have to assume you no longer want medical coverage and therefore, we must drop you to make room for other veterans. Goodbye." Well, I live in the same city as my VA hospital (& work there), and no one has ever contacted me for any appointments, nor were any of my calls returned.
Turns out, they had my contact info completely screwed up, so some random person was getting notified. I was able to sort that out, but needless to say, it was ridiculous.
Once I got back into the system, I was able to meet with my new doctor. She's incredible. It's a shame that it took the death of our veterans awaiting treatment in Arizona for our government to notice how disheveled our VA Healthcare System really is. But thankfully work is being done to correct it. I can speak for that change because I have been waiting almost 1 year for my VA Compensation claim to be reviewed. The expected completion time was in 2016. But I got a phone call last week and I was informed of my appointment at the end of August to discuss my claim. I'm so happy for that. All of my claimed injuries have been well documented back to 2008, and so hopefully this works in my favor.
All that being said, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. It was an incredible, life changing opportunity. I had always wanted to serve in the military, and I'm happy that I was given the chance. I'm out now, and happier for it. 2013 was the most difficult year of my life because my mind & body were trying to make the transition. It took countless sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and nightmares, but I was able to adjust. It was incredibly difficult, but here I stand. What I hope to do is help my fellow veterans in their transition to civilian life. The military has since improved their transition classes, but no amount of instruction can prepare a veteran for the drastic changes they face when they get out.
-J
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