Understanding Professional Veterans

The headline poses a pretty open question, or statement. I am a veteran and I have a hard time understanding myself sometimes. Joking aside, I have been on the journey of a lifetime, or as I say sometimes, 'I have lived many lifetimes', and this is true for so many veterans. And while many veterans go on to have successful, professional careers, the adversity many have overcome is staggering - understanding veterans from an organizational lens is a huge factor to both the veteran and organization's success.

Departing Service Can Be Shocking

I know it may be shocking to those outside of the military or veteran community, but leaving service can be as traumatic as wounds or negative experiences during active duty. Each branch has is pros and cons in its strategy and execution of preparing soon to be veterans, for what life brings after service. My experience was traumatizing - I was medically discharged for injuries sustained in service after almost nine-years serving in the Marine Corps. I did not want to leave. The preparation I received for the civilian world was a two hour course in the basement of the Bethesda Naval Hospital where I was told how to properly fill out Social Security benefits and unemployment forms. That was not a good sign. And then another four to six hour PowerPoint on how to make a terrible resume with conflated ideas about how easy transitioning will be for all veterans. It was not sufficient. The shaken identity, change in income, the shock of the realistic labor market - worldviews are crushed - families fall apart - veterans lose hope. Sometimes even worse things.

It is impossible for an organization to meet the needs of all of their employees. People are complex, and businesses and companies are limited to how accommodating they can be at a cultural level. This is true for all walks of life and all industries. However, if you ensure your organization's diversity and inclusion policies acknowledge the intersectionality, and complexity, of the veteran experience; and, the potential story of the professional veteran - then you are absolutely on the right track. It doesn't have to be so blatant either. Sometimes if an organization is overly seeking veterans, they are more than likely experiencing fast turnaround of personnel. I tend to stray away. Not because they are doing something wrong, however I truly think that full-spectrum diversity produces more innovation regardless of the industry and I wish to be a part of that rather than the former.

Visible and Invisible Disabilities or Injuries

The military is highly skilled at industrializing the preparation of reasonably healthy, but mostly average, men and women to a level of standard physical readiness that can help them succeed in combat environments in a short period of time - then, that level typically is adapted to their military occupation specialty. The U.S. Army says that, "Musculoskeletal injuries caused by acute (sudden) incidents as well as chronic repeated stresses to the body (overuse), have been described as the single biggest health problem of the U.S. Military because..." Click to read the article in its entirety, but the point is that nearly half of the U.S. military faces at least one injury per year. In my personal experience, I suffered multiple TBI's while deployed to Afghanistan from blasts, I tore my hip flexor training, sprained my left ankle (and both knees, and back) during training, fractured my shin fast roping, hiked the skin off both heels until blood was coming out of my boots, and the list goes on. In the ten years since leaving service, I have had three back surgeries, a neck fusion (with artificial disc and bolts and plates), my left big toe and metatarsals have been reshaped, repaired, and reattached - both shoulders have scar tissues from cuff tears I never knew about. The residuals of TBI can make concentrating difficult, and my memory recall can be spotty. The back and neck surgeries makes sitting, standing, walking, running, or sleeping a game of chance. Again, you get the picture - the strange part is that I feel lucky most days. I am alive - I am here to make a difference.

Sometimes the pain of military service never subsides, it simply intensifies. The type of injuries and physical pain veterans deal with on a day-to-day requires discipline, mental endurance, and a great deal of magic to ensure no one notices. This can be especially embarrassing. Ensuring your organization is up to date on Americans with Disabilities Act?(ADA) regulations; as well as, letting your veteran employees know accommodations can be provided for any visible or invisible disabilities - it can make the difference between a successful or unsuccessful veteran transition from military service to civilian life.

Complexity of Veterans Affairs

Veterans issues are just as complex as any other social or public issue. Veterans Affairs is constantly making changes to their services and programs to meet the changing needs; however, it is a large government agency tied to the Department of Defense that has a finite budget. All the needs, of all veterans, is impossible to meet across the board. Especially considering how many generations of Americans who have served and are still living. The red tape can get confusing, and sometimes the government makes mistakes. I had to postpone my graduation from college for a full semester because the VA made a mistake. If a veteran makes a mistake, the effects are typically much more harsh. This can go for education, medical, or dental benefits and disruption of these services can be impactful.

Understanding professional veterans is not easy at times, but it doesn't have to be hard. Professional veterans are some of the most hardworking, loyal, and down to earth individuals you can have on your team. Understanding their adversities can truly bring out their best, which is truly in everyone's best interest.

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