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REINTEGRATION CLASS HELPS GIs RETURNING
TO CIVILIAN
LIFE -- "I've got a lot of older family members
who were in
Vietnam...They didn't get much of anything when
they came
home. We get welcomed, we get dinners, we get
this."
Reintegration class.
For more about reintegration programs, use the VA
Watchdog search engine... click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearc
h.php?q=reintegration&op=and
Story here...
http://www.lo
hud.com/article/2008811230368
Story below:
Comments at bottom of page.
-------------------------
Guard gets help returning to civilian lives
By Leah Rae
The Journal News
About 70 New York Army National Guard members have assembled in Greenburgh
this weekend, and their mission is to step carefully back into civilian
life.
Soldiers from New York's 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry, including some Iraq
war veterans, returned from Afghanistan in early October after a
nine-month tour. They served as security personnel and as mentors to the
Afghanistan National Police. Now they are going through a "reintegration
program" funded by the Department of Defense, which aims to help soldiers
and families through the transition.
Held at the Westchester Marriott Hotel, the gathering looked like a small
job fair. Agencies brought information on college programs, health
coverage, mental health services and job prospects, mindful that the
troops were returning at a time of economic crisis.
"I've got a lot of older family members who were in Vietnam and stuff like
that. They didn't get much of anything when they came home," said Sgt.
Ryan Coon, 26, of Otsego County. "We get welcomed, we get dinners, we get
this.
"The opportunities are there. That's all that really counts," he said.
 National
Guard units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in previous years were
given a three-month break before returning to monthly drills. The new
approach calls them back at the one- and two-month mark, so that they
remain in touch in a nonmilitary setting.
At the Marriott, they were encouraged to kick back by the pool.
"We were all moaning and groaning about doing it, because you know, you
kind of want to be left alone, just be with family," said Jon Kelly, a
22-year-old Orange County resident. "But I think once we got here - it's
good to be here, see these guys."
A student at John Jay College in Manhattan, Kelly collected information
about health insurance that will pick up where his current coverage leaves
off. He plans to return to work as a security guard.
Christopher Chin, a 19-year-old graduate of Lakeland High School, was
looking into jobs and colleges, particularly the criminal justice program
at John Jay. He felt he would adjust more easily than other soldiers who
had a more intense combat experience in Afghanistan. Still, coming back to
Cortlandt after nine months was no small change.
"Reconnecting with old friends, finding a job, and trying to go to school
- those are my major problems right now," he said.
A display of family services offered everything from child-care referrals
to children's activity books. While other troops return home to military
bases, National Guard troops go straight back to their communities, said
Karen Roberts, manager of the state's Military Family Assistance Center.
"We've been contacting (family members) by e-mail, by phone, by
correspondence throughout the whole soldier's deployment," she said. "But
now we can actually see them, welcome them home, and actually tell them
that we're still here for them."
A number of mental health programs were available. It's essential to
understand the toll of post-traumatic stress and the many potential
triggers, said Edmund Cook, a counselor at the Vet Center in White Plains.
He recalled one veteran who drove over the Tappan Zee Bridge for an
appointment, and found himself swerving across three lanes - "Avoiding a
land mine," he told the police.
Brig. Gen. Paul C. Genereaux Jr., commander of the 42nd Infantry Division,
reminded the group that in a nation of more than 300 million people, just
2.2 million wear a military uniform, and 22 million are veterans.
Family members have a different perspective, said Eric Olsen, a Lutheran
pastor and chaplain of the New York State National Guard. "They don't know
where you've been. Be patient with them," he said. "You've given so much.
And we want you to be happy, healthy and successful."
Reach Leah Rae at lrae@lohud.com
or 914-694-3526.
-------------------------
posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
-------------------------
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