The Military Child of The American Soldier

Image by Tsgt Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr. USAF

All too often we are seeing an image like the one above, a child hugging her father's leg as he prepares to deploy. When we think of deployments we think mostly about the soldier and what he will be faced with while being away from home. However, just as organizations are forming at a rapid pace to help support the soldiers deal with deploying, organizations to support the soldiers children are also increasing in numbers. America is realizing that not only do we have to help support the American Soldier, but the children of these soldiers who are waiting on their parents return are also in need of support.

The military child can endure an incredible amount of stress when a parent deploys to another location for a length of time. With deployments for soldiers being no less than a year these days, military children are having to adjust longer to having one parent in the household. The spouse left behind is finding themselves taking over the roll of both parents as they struggle everyday to make sure their child continues to strive and develop.

Luckily spouse's left behind can find support not only at military bases Family Centers, but also on the Internet. So many incredible organizations and individual people are using their experiences to help support military families with children while their spouse is deployed. From organizations such as the National Military Family Association and Our Military Kids to individual authors who have written books, that can be found on Amazon to help children deal with a parent being away from home, America is responding to the needs of military children.

The National Fatherhood Initiative has developed a military section on their website, hoping to reach out to fathers who are looking for support to help guide them with caring for their child while serving. With the creation of books, pamphlets, videos and numerous programs, father's too can feel a little less stressed knowing that resources to help them while their wife is deployed, is only a click away. Same goes for the wives, who struggle while their husbands are deployed overseas, they too can find much needed support from not only the Family Readiness centers on military installations, but also from other moms who are going through the same situation.

Loaded with lots of activities, Deployment Kids is another great website, created so children of a deployed parent can stay busy by making a special deployment journal, playing name games or even making post cards to then send to their father or mother overseas. A website as such, though only one in thousands on the Internet, can be used to teach a child what deployments are about, give a child an opportunity to get their mind off of the missing parent or better yet, help to strengthen the bond between child and parent.

Though all children are different and react differently to a parent being deployed, So many support groups are out there ready to help support children get through the struggle of missing their parent. Another great website I stumbled upon one day is the Voice For The Military Child, which is a blog that allows military children to write a little about themselves and what they go through growing up in the military. Many children on this site talk about dealing with having a loved one deployed, and what a better way for a child to be able to understand that they are not alone than to read first hand what others their age are going through.

The blog Voice For The Military Child allows military children to express themselves; it allows them to speak about their feelings and what they are going through while growing up in the military. I find it so interesting to read about what these children have to say as they spoke about everything from school, moving, new friends to dealing with their parent being deployed overseas. For someone like myself who served his country, yet grew up in a small town in New York far away from any major military base, I'm able to get glimpse of what it would be like to be raised as a military child reading what these children wrote about.

Any Veteran will tell you that the support that's out there for us is the greatest it's ever been, though Veterans who have families will tell you to please not forget about their spouse and especially their children. The military child needs America's support more than ever, as they too struggle to cope from being separated from their parent or parents who are deployed to an overseas location.

OTHER GREAT LINKS

www.milspouse.org

www.saluteourservices.org

Working With Military Children (download Adobe Acrobat to read this if it does not load)

www.militarychild.org

Great Resources collected by ArmyFamily and Morale Command (download Adobe Acrobat to read this if it does not load)

Military.com

My Initial Exam at The Northport VA Hospital

Well today I completed my initial exam at my local VA Hospital and everything was great. I'm not trying to be a spokes person for the VA Hospital, but I will say that the stigma of poor medical care that still looms over the VA Hospitals, is not what I have seen so far. The Department I'm assigned to is the OEF/OIF unit which works specifically with Veterans who have served in the Middle East region whether in peace time or war time.

I started my day by first going to the OEF/OIF to sign in and speak with Scott who is the Patient Program Assistant. After speaking to Scott about where I had to go for my appointments, I was seen by Terri who is my Primary Care Provider. She questioned me on past medical issues and any new issues, got me setup with an appointment with other departments and gave me some great resources and information pertaining to claiming disabilities; if I had any to claim which after 6yrs of being out of the service I had no idea I could still claim. She told me how having stuff documented while I was in the service will help me when and if I had to claim for a disability after I leave the military.

After my checkup with Terri I went to the X-ray, Lab (for blood work) and audiology departments which didn't take long at all. It took about an hour to finish getting all this work done and the process wasn't bad at all and while I sat waiting I admired all the other Veterans sitting and waiting too. Almost all of the Veterans I saw wore, Vietnam Veteran, Korean War Veteran or Iraq Veteran campaign hats. Even WWII Veterans were sporting their campaign hats, all were there for different reasons, yet all were there accepting the free care they were receiving that we deserve.

After I had completed all my appointments my final stop was to the vocational office where I spoke to James who is the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. It was great sitting down and speaking to James, because once again I was given more resources and information to help me with trying to get a job working with the Veterans Affairs. He helped with giving me advice when applying for government jobs, and since I will be returning to college for my Masters degree, he helped me with advising me on how to go about trying to get an internship working at the VA. James also didn't hold back telling me some possible reasons why I wasn't referred for a recent VA position I had applied for, working in the Brooklyn VA Hospital. Our meeting lasted a good 40 minutes and he just gave me a little more advice that will help me to better position myself for a job working in the Veterans Affairs.

After speaking to James I went back to the OEF/OIF department where I had to sign out and then speak to two more people. I had to sit down with Joan who is one of the Social case manager. She went over information in the Welcome Home Returning Combat Service Members packet. She questioned me on any issues i may have pertaining to PTSD, any stress or depression and my overall thoguht just about life and how any other personnel issues that may be bothering me. Again I was given more resources to help me with any social problems I may be having, and clearly made it known that if there is ever a problem I can call her. She made it clear she is here to help and more than willing to help and she even said that speaking to her is also confidential and does not need to be filed in my personel records.

After speaking to Joan I was able to speak to Vanessa who is the Program Manager for the OEF/OIF department. Speaking to Vanessa was great as we spoke about everything from what I'm doing with my website Transitioning veteran, to how she plans and hopes to expand the department. She speak to me about the benefits of coming to the VA Hospital right after separating from the military as we are authorized to receive 6 continuation months under tricare which I did not know. She spoke to me about up and coming seminars, other organizations she's working with such as The Soldiers Project which I'm a volunteer of and how even just coming to the VA Hospital to initially get put into the system is a great thing. With the packets they give out and information about benefits we can receive as veterans, it makes no sense to not at least come in and put yourself into the system even if you have other medical insurance with another group. I completely agree with her in that they gave me information that I did not know existed and I wished I had done this right after I separated.

So my final thought is this, we have a free resource here given to us for serving in the military so why not use it. The stigma still remains about the VA Hospital, though those that believe in this stigma are usually the ones who have never went to their local VA Hospital. I'm very glad I have gone to the VA and even if I was to accept medical insurance from another organization, I still have gained so much more knowledge about medical benefits that I'm entitled to receive from our government.

Though back in the day around the Vietnam era, VA Hospitals weren't getting the funding they are getting now from the government. So today is probably the best time to go take a ride and speak to the people in your local VA Hospital to get into the system and find out what benefits you can recieve. It doesn't hurt even if you already have medical insurance and these people are here to help and are also Veterans like us so they have experience with what we have been through and can relate.

So final words, take a ride to your local VA Hospital and take advantage of the FREE benefits setup for us who served. And what a better time to go, while we sit here in an economic downturn, wondering whether or not we may lose our job and medical coverage.

This pertains to all Veterans of all Wars.

Here is a good article by MSN about the STIGMA I'm talking about

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30782778

here is a link of the new Budget for the VA

http://www.va.gov/budget/products.htm

Last Flight Out of Anchorage

I can remember being on that plane, the plane back to Long Island, New York. After serving four years in the Military, when 9/11 took place, hearing about the term stop loss and being briefed about the possibilities of seeing combat; it was something I probably will never experience in my life again.

I was tossing and turning in my seat as in my mind I realized, this was my last flight out of anchorage, Alaska. The day before my flight, I was saying my goodbyes to my friends; friends that have become family to me, friends that I have experienced so much with. Flash backs of great times we shared re-ran in my mind over and over, from the times of meeting up at The Kashim Club to the times of camping out in the great Alaskan outdoors. We had so many great moments hanging out with one another, I wondered if it would ever be the same without these guys near me.

We came from all over the U.S., from New York, California, Missouri, New jersey, Maine, Washington, Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Montana and among other states. I sat there in my uncomfortable South West seat, laughing, looking back at some of the guys and girls I had met from all over. Laughing, because I had learned so much about them and how life was like for them growing up in these different parts of the U.S. and yet I was just a naive teenager that thought life wasn't nearly as good as it is growing up here in New York. The stories we shared with each other about our hometowns differed in so many ways, that i had kinda wished I got a taste of what it would be like to grow up in a small town far away from the city atmosphere.

As time continued to trickle away ever so slowly I decided to forget about sleeping and just let my mind reflect back to my years in the military that I was leaving behind. I remember sitting at post performing entry duties to a high priority location early in the morning. It was around 5am when I received a call from my friend who was on the same shift as me. When I answered the phone he quickly cut me off while I was trying to say hello, to tell me to turn on the radio, because their is announcements everywhere talking about planes hitting The World Trade Center in N.Y.C. I didn't believe it at first and told him "whatever we're almost done with work, quit with the jokes", until the radio station came in clear and sure enough announcements were everywhere saying America is being attacked.

I hung up on my friend and quickly dialed out to my parents back home in New York, asking what was going on. I remember hearing it in my parents voices how scared they were about what was taking place in our city; the city where my godmother travels by bus and train everyday for work. Then my hand held radio went off with an announcement that those of us who were to be relieved for duty by the oncoming shift will have to stand by at the squadron and stay armed.

Suddenly my mind was redirected with an announcement on the planes speaker system, saying to buckle our belts to prepare for landing. As the plane touched down on the runway I remember having a great feeling to be back home, but also a feeling of being unsure. I knew things have changed back home on Long Island and I as a person changed as well. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the memories of Alaska became overtaken by the thoughts of "Am I ready to be a civilian again"?

The Recognition They Deserve - The Vietnam Veteran

Times are changing and have been for us who serve or have served in the military, for the better. Times are especially changing for the Vietnam Veteran, who once returned home to their country that looked down upon their actions, actions they were not in control of.

The Vietnam War was one of the most ugliest war in American history, with poor decisions by the government, re-institution of the draft, the use of chemical weapons, the large number of deaths, and the lack of support for the troops on the home front. The Vietnam War is still viewed today as one of the worst battles, and America will never be involved in such a war ever again as claimed by recent presidents.

When the Vietnam Veterans returned home from Vietnam, they were not welcomed with open arms like soldiers are today, instead they were forgotten and treated like worthless individuals as they were called names, discriminated and even spit on by their fellow countrymen. Vietnam Veterans returned to their country with many physical and psychological disabilities that would be unnoticed for the coming years. The U.S. government lacked in preparation to help these returning veterans transition back into the civilian world, as many Vietnam Veterans found themselves on their own with little information to direct them on how to get help for the disabilities they had brought back from the battle field.

Many Vietnam Veterans turned to substance abuse and found themselves on the streets of America, the same America that sent them to war. Though many veterans did look for the help they needed, many would not receive help do to the lack of benefits our government had setup for these returning vets. The lack of funding given to the Veterans Affairs caused issues with the number of people a VA hospital could see on a daily basis. Supplies and readjustment counseling was limited along with other medical benefits for returning veterans from Vietnam, though that would soon change in time.

Thanks to advocates such as veterans of Vietnam and other good citizens of America, the U.S. began listening about the lack of benefits for Veterans of the U.S. Military. Increase in Funding to the Veterans Affairs led to the opening of Vet Centers all across the U.S. allowing to help take on more veterans seeking help for physical or psychological issues. The development of these Vet Centers also led to an increase in job openings for Vietnam Veterans as many had the experience on the battle field to be able to help their fellow soldiers.

As times progressed Vietnam Veterans began seeing increases to their benefits as more Vietnam Veteran rights groups such as Vietnam Veterans of America increased advocacy for their fellow comrades.

Today Vietnam Veteran groups can be found even on Facebook helping to reconnect Vietnam Veterans and most importantly to help give the recognition these Veterans deserve. Vietnam War Memorial is a groups page on Facebook allowing users to leave thank you comments to these veterans; Vietnam Veterans of America is a non-profit organization that can also be found on Facebook reaching out to other Vets.

Just the other day I was sent a message by Johnny, a Vietnam Veteran who told me about what he went through when he returned home. Johnny wrote to me ” After almost 40 yrs I hadn’t put a bumper sticker on my car saying I was a Vietnam Veteran, but since last year I have my pickup truck with a decal now letting the world know I’m a Vietnam Veteran”. Johnny told me about how they were looked down upon by Americans when they returned home. So badly looked upon that sometimes it was not in any soldiers favor to mention they were a Vietnam Veteran.

My father, I’m proud to say is also a Vietnam Veteran who also sees the change that has taken place among the treatment of Veterans. My father told me also about the times when he returned home, and how awful it was returning home and not seeing the support he thought he would. However my father today I feel is now getting that recognition he deserves along with all the other Vietnam Veterans.

Today soldiers are more than ever being given the recognition they deserve, funding for veterans have increased immensely because of the sacrifices Vietnam Veterans have made. Vietnam Veterans advocating has helped us today who serve or have served as funding for the Veterans Affairs has increased, non-profit organizations to help veterans are developing and gaining support all over, education, medical and other benefits information can be found very easily as groups are coming together to share information and get it out to veterans today who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

When I was in the service I can’t tell you how many times I was thanked by people and if they didn’t walk up to me and say thanks, they would say it through a smile. It was a great feeling when this took place, but it is even a better feeling when my father was with me and this took place. My father told me how great of a feeling it is for him to see me being thanked by so many people for my service in the military, and it’s even a better feeling to see all the military members being supported by their country. I feel many Vietnam Veterans would agree and feel the same way my father does when he sees a service man being thanked.

A special thanks to Vietnam Veterans who have sacrificed so much to give us Veterans the benefits we have today and to make sure America will always support us.

And those who serve today will continue to make sure Veterans of previous wars are never forgotten.