Out-processing from the Military and Transitioning Home
Some Veterans described their transition home from the Gulf as abrupt and often lacking a thorough out-processing procedure.
Experiences with Post-deployment Health Screening and Military Out-processing
Several Veterans spoke about their experiences with post-deployment screening and military out-processing. Upon their return home, some Veterans minimized their symptoms because they wanted to get home to their families as soon as possible and did not want reason for delay.
Walter minimized his symptoms on his post-deployment health screen so he could get home to his family.
Walter minimized his symptoms on his post-deployment health screen so he could get home to his family.
Then when I redeployed to the States, I should have paid more attention because, they said if you say anything, you're going to be here. So, just say nothing’s wrong, sign the papers. 'Cuz they didn't even give us a full medical when we came back. They just said, two eyes, two arms, two legs, okay, you're good. If you put down anything you're going to be here. After being there over a year, I wanted to go home, you know? My father was in the hospital with a triple bypass and all that. So, I just wanted to get home to my family.
Out-processing was lacking, Shawn recalls.
Out-processing was lacking, Shawn recalls.
So, coming back from the Gulf, basically when you're over there, you give them your badge, and they give you some kind of certificate everybody signed, and they say good luck, and you know when you get on the plane. There's no out-processing other than 10 minutes' worth. So there's no debriefing or any physical exam over there or anything. When I came back, you're right back to work like you were at work last week. Everything is on the fly. Getting ready to get out of the service, they have some meetings you go to and stuff like that, just checklists, and they do that. Okay, this is your final chance. Is there anything wrong with you type thing. Well, any upset stomachs and stuff. No, there wasn’t wrong with me because I didn’t think it was going to carry on. My knees and my shoulders were the big issues, and [coughs], excuse me, and so you fill out that form. There was a three-day, they call it TAPS, Transition Assistance Program or something, and that was a lot of civilian people coming in, telling us how to get ready to get a job in the civilian world, not how to un-process from the military, that’s something I've always felt was lacking.
Re-adjusting to Civilian Life, Jobs, and Family
Veterans spoke about the challenges transitioning home and re-integrating back into family and civilian jobs. Some Veterans, such as Walter and Heather, took jobs in law enforcement or in fire departments, which had similarities to the military. Others talked about programs that helped them leverage skills they had developed in the military.
“Doug” was thankful for a program for Veterans to get Commercial Driver’s Licenses.
“Doug” was thankful for a program for Veterans to get Commercial Driver’s Licenses.
But, yeah, I just feel that the transition from it is very critical. I think when you look at a soldier’s contract and prepare their contract to if they are planning to get out or not, and they do a mid-career somewhere at least six months before they get out as far as the benefits that are available from the VA because they're kind of standardized now because I had soldiers who, because I literally didn’t know. I did know that across the VA there was a program they were doing with the VA and the state. They were doing this thing with the commercial driver's license. So if you had a military type vehicle that has the same style of a vehicle, they would give it to you just by taking the written test. So I had a Colonel who told me and I’m interested in that, so how do I do that? Just go through your Veterans Department at your local whatever, and they'll give you the paperwork, and then you can just take the written test. That's it. So I have the license now. I can drive any vehicle on the street, bus, trucks, all that good stuff. So, there's a job right there.
Ken was able to get a physically demanding civilian job when he moved back home, where he experienced continued chronic knee and back pain.
Ken was able to get a physically demanding civilian job when he moved back home, where he experienced continued chronic knee and back pain.
Ken: So probably transitioning out of the Army from Hawaii was probably a good thing because it was more laid back. Transitioning into Hawaii was pretty bad. But moving here, I moved here after Hawaii because I promised my wife at the time that I would move here. We were divorced, and I still live here. But, transition, I think it was okay as far as I didn’t have a problem getting a job. I mean, still hurting there, but I mean you didn’t, you had work. So, if you're hurting, you can’t really say that you had back problems or knee joints or whatever because then you wouldn't get hired, so.
Interviewer: What kind of work were you doing?
Ken: When I got back, I was doing cleanup. A lot of physical work at lumber mills. So, yeah, a lot of physical work. And it went right alongside the body aches and pains from before, so I just kind of went right into the next one.
Grace felt a newfound respect from her peers upon returning home.
Grace felt a newfound respect from her peers upon returning home.
Well, it was great to see my grandson, that I had really missed him more than I thought I would. But, everybody came to the airport to meet me, my fire station brought a fire truck out, and we, everybody was you know, it was a really positive time. It was good to see my husband again, and finally understand what it was like to be the soldier at War, and not the wife at home.
At the same time, being away from family often strained relationships. Brian and Debra shared relationship challenges that ultimately resulted in divorce and some, such as Gaylon and Mike, were separated from their kids.
“Santos” felt numb as his family celebrated his return.
“Santos” felt numb as his family celebrated his return.
But that's what it was like soon after getting out of the Army, going back home to my family. Other people were having these big welcome home parades and the ticker tape and the barbecues and the hero's welcome. I mean they gave that to me too, but I sat there numb. I sat there numb. I just couldn’t get into it. It's like you get into an accident on the day of your big birthday party. It's like you're no longer in the mood to enjoy your birthday party because you got, it felt like just something was just not right. I don’t feel right being here, and I feel that way all the time. So it was back during that time I got out of the Army, went back to [location redacted]. The company that did hire me in [location redacted], they were very Veteran friendly. Pro-Veteran company. Three-quarters of the company were Veterans. The owner of the company was not a Veteran, but he made it a point to hire Veterans, so one of the reasons why I was able to get in was because he liked my background.
Paul credits his strong and stable family for helping him readjust to civilian life.
Paul credits his strong and stable family for helping him readjust to civilian life.
Paul: It’s kind of strange because you’re in a war, and then with a very short turnaround you’re back at home just on the street with normal people. Just it’s, it’s odd. It was odd. What a quick transition from, you’re in this situation to, you’re just in a normal situation. And I think they’ve gotten better about that, with at least what I'm seeing. With this current war I deployed right off the bat when it first happened, went on a couple deployments. And I went solo. I was the only person from the base. And it was the same type of thing. It was the same thing. It was you’re there, they put you on a plane, you landed at a civilian airport. I didn’t even go back to the base, I went straight home. And you’re in this environment one day, and you’re in this environment the next day. And the transition and, at least in my experiences because I went early, I couldn’t go later is, there was no transition. It was this to this; figure it out. But they’ve started to figure it out that, that’s a mistake. Because what they’re doing now is actually holding people and making them go to classes and talk to people before they just let them loose. But when I went, it was not like that.
Interviewer: And so how were you able to transition? What things were helpful for you? What do you remember about _
Paul: I have a strong family. And I'm a very stable person. You know, good family really helped. So, you know, I think I did good. But people that are going back to not a stable environment I could see would have a lot more problems.
Charles took a long time to open up to his wife about his military experiences.
Charles took a long time to open up to his wife about his military experiences.
So I moved up here, got out of the Army at 21, got a job at the airport and had our daughter in like, ’94, and for the most part, I think it was normal. I was young. I was 22-23. Didn’t really have no health things, but I was always kind of—I don’t want to say angry, but my wife said—I don’t even know you anymore. I’m like—You can’t understand what I saw there, what I did there. And it’s something that I never—until this past year, told her a couple things that happened to me over there and stuff. You know? So she kind of got it.