Return To Civilian Life Essay

Three Services That Veterans Need to Successfully Return to Civilian Life Military service members experience a lot during their time in service and often their identity changes and affects many parts of their lives including mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, lack of purpose, and sense of belonging upon transitioning back into the civilian world. Transitioning back to civilian life is a part of those experiences, many veterans find it difficult to re-establish their lives because of the many challenges they face learning how to be a civilian again. As a service member everything is mapped out for you, going from having everything lined up for you at your fingertips, to having to seek out the answers and solutions yourself

This in turn can help many veterans cope, help find their identity and give them mental stability after the culture shock when separating from the military. Pursuing higher education can give veterans a different opportunity and meaning when returning to civilian life (Bell, 2022). Most veterans choose this route because it gives them somewhat of an advantage when re-entering the civilian workforce. When transitioning out of the military the veterans that continue their education have a detailed plan for what type of work they want to enter, they often see this as an opportunity to use the benefits that they were awarded by serving their country. Veterans often express that trying to earn a college degree or certification while serving is difficult because of the time constraints, having to always put the mission first before anything else including family, and personal goals. Military veterans can be better students than traditional students because of the diversity and complexity of their training background, being self-sufficient, disciplined, motivated, excellent teamwork skills, superb resiliency, and persistent goal setters (Bell, 2022). This ultimately gives them a better advantage because of all the qualities they possess and can bring into building another

Veterans noted that finding a way to encapsulate their military skills in their resume was one of the most difficult and daunting tasks when seeking employment (Aronson, et al., 2019). In finding another career path after their transition veterans must consider prior education, skillsets, positions, physical and mental health issues, and knowledge when looking for potential work. Although there are countless free programs that veterans can use while seeking employment, today, only half of transitioning veterans use them. Most veterans don’t have any job prospects lined up when leaving the service and have unrealistic expectations of finding employment that meet their needs such as skill level, desired income, and most importantly new civilian lifestyle (Kneeling, et al., 2018). Moreover, because of the security and financial lifestyle the military has offered veterans the expectations of the civilian world are not the same, they soon realize that most jobs don’t offer medical benefits and if they do the price, they pay is something they’re not used to. Finally, many wonder why this transition is so difficult, every aspect of military life and civilian life is different, and an enormous adjustment they must partake in to reintegrate. Returning to civilian life takes the proper mental attitude to