Supporting Our Veterans

Young men and women full of hope, enthusiasm and patriotism seek to fulfill their potential by joining the armed services. Many stay for a few years, while others make the military their career. At some point they all return to civilian life. The lucky ones are able to successfully assimilate into their new lives with some adjustment, others are not as lucky. Some veterans return with life altering physical injuries, others suffer from mental health issues or they may have brain injuries, or substance abuse problems. Regardless of the situation, for many, the transition from a structured military life to a build-your-own-civilian life can be challenging.

“It’s difficult for veterans to transition back to civilian life for a variety of reasons. The military is very structured. You have a mission to complete, which gives you a purpose. As one veteran told me, ‘in the Army, I knew my role, but out here, I’m not so sure,’” says Paul Stoltz, Homeless Veterans Programs Manager, VA Hudson Valley. ”The military has a built-in social support system, but when a veteran is discharged, it’s on them to find that support again. They return to an environment that’s almost always different from when they left, with behaviors and feelings that are new to them.”

What You Hear is True

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in January 2019, there were 37,085 homeless veterans in the United States, down around 43 percent since 2011. That count includes approximately 1,000 homeless veterans in New York State. 

“There are a variety of reasons veterans become homeless,” explains Stoltz. “Like anyone else, being unemployed, abuse of substances, and severe mental illness can lead to homelessness. Untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can result in divorce, separation from families, and encounters with law enforcement. Veterans with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) may have difficulty organizing their lives, and, in some cases, similar to PTSD, the symptoms may result in the veteran becoming isolated.” 

Many of those same issues impacted Kittiphon Ponchareon, a 28-year old veteran who enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of high school and served from 2011 through 2014. Ponchareon had a child at the end of high school and he went into the service as a way to provide for his family. He did his training in Yuma, Arizona and was then deployed to multiple hot spots in the Middle East.

“Everything that you hear about veterans returning home is true,” says Ponchareon. “I was in a combat zone and even though I wasn’t in combat it still left me with trauma. When I got back, I was going through a divorce and battling through the things I had seen over there. I was depressed, I had post-traumatic stress disorder and I had substance abuse issues. I got clean in 2016. I didn’t know who to talk to and I didn’t know how to talk about what happened.”

Ponchareon explains that one of the reasons it was so hard for him to reach out for the help he needed is because of how the military is set up. “We’re trained to put our feelings aside, to bottle it up and move on. It’s a culture of toxic masculinity, we’re programmed to be a cog in the war machine,” says Ponchareon who is Thai and Mexican and notes that one of the things he faced in the military was discrimination due to his mixed race. “Veterans who come back from the service think they did something honorable and then when we come back, we are displaced. There is no structured way of living.” 

As his divorce got uglier, Ponchareon didn’t want to pay child support, so the family court took away his driver’s license and eventually they also took away his bank account. From there Ponchareon recounts that he lost everything. “My family turned their backs on me. They didn’t realize the pain that I was in,” says Ponchareon. “I was living around different places and with my mom, then she sold her house and I had to find a place. I had no friends and I didn’t know where to turn.”

Ponchareon was referred to CHHOP and notes that by the time he got there he realized that he really needed to get back on his feet. CHHOP helped Ponchareon find a place to live and while he is not fully employed, he does odd jobs such as dishwashing and landscaping.

“My job as Veterans Case Manager is to connect veterans with the VA Liaison, so they can determine if the veteran is eligible for placement,” explains Digna Merchan, Veterans Case Manager, CHHOP, who notes that some veterans are placed with CHHOP by the VA. Sometimes, veterans arrive at Jan Peek House as drop-in clients. “Many veterans misplace their documents such as their DD214, birth certificates or social security card, etc.; I assist them on getting those documents in place. We also help veterans with apartment searches and work together with HUD (Housing and Urban Development) , VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) and case managers to permanently house veterans.”

Now that he is housed and his life is stabilizing, Ponchareon is thinking about the future and what to do next. The one thing he does know is that he wants to be part of the solution. “Part of the plan is help people who went through situations like I did. I want to help my brothers and sisters and I want to give back to Vets who have been in situations similar to mine. I would like to do that as a job,” he says. “I want to heal and help others heal. I’ve been doing yoga and hiking in nature and staying spiritually connected. It helps me to get out of the structured way of thinking that comes from being in the military that some people can’t let go of because they are holding on to trauma.”

Making Adjustments

For a veteran who has to readjust to civilian life, there are according to VeteransMagazine.com, a number of issues that can seem daunting. Veterans need to reconnect with family and re-establish their role in the family. They also need to prepare to re-enter the workforce, or return to a job. The military is very structured, so finding a way to bring structure to the life of a veteran is helpful as they adjust to a different pace of life and work. Most veterans successfully integrate back into nonmilitary life, especially is they have a strong support system. If you know a veteran who is returning to civilian life, or who has been out of the service for a short time you can help them readjust.

“It may seem overly simple but love them. Combat veterans have seen things that we civilians couldn’t understand. The young man or woman that entered the service may change, and friends and family need to do their best to accept that change.,” concludes Stoltz. “Don’t ask tough questions like, ‘how many people did you kill,’ or ‘what was it like over there?’ The truth is most of us don’t want to know. However, if a veteran does start to talk about their experience, the most helpful thing is to listen and offer support.”

How to Get Help

Veterans who need assistance should contact their local VA Medical Center. They offer a wide variety of health resources and services to support our nation’s heroes and the unique challenges they face. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness are strongly encouraged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance.