Hardest transition is from soldier to civilian

They are both male and female. Young and old. They are our brothers and sisters. Mothers and fathers. And in some cases, grandparents. They volunteered for service in today’s U.S. armed forces. Some are as young as 17 (with parents permission). Some have been in the service since the days of Vietnam. All wanted to be the best and serve this nation as Marines, Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers. And in most cases they are.

For more than 10 years, these men and women have served overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have endured the horrors of war. Fought and received the wounds of those wars. And for many, have paid the highest price of all by giving their very lives. Many more have come home carrying the wounds of war. They have been profoundly changed by what they have gone through.

I know because I am one of them.

You see them at Veteran’s Day events or during the Fourth of July, standing there next to their older veteran counterparts of wars past, or in the store shopping for food. But they are younger, this new group. Some have missing limbs, scars and burns. Some carry wounds carved deep within, with acronyms like PTSD, TBI and others.

In my case, it is post-traumatic stress disorder, a wound confined deep inside my head, my heart and my soul. It is invisible to the passerby. I have no Purple Heart medal to show for it. Just this little gift from my time spent as a mechanic in Iraq during OIF-2 (Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-05) with the 81st Brigade, a Washington state National Guard brigade called up early in the war.

My fellow soldiers and I and from Task Force Tacoma were all over the place in Iraq. Some had it better; some had it worse. Still, what I saw changed me for life. The effects of the mortar rounds, rockets and bombs still haunt myself and all the other soldiers who spent time in the twin hells of those two desert countries.

And now thousands of soldiers who served are leaving the service. Frankly, so many are leaving that Veterans Affairs is overwhelmed. We warned them, they didn’t listen and the numbers are climbing daily. The hardest transition is the one from soldier to civilian. And sadly, many aren’t successful.

With the economy in the dumps and their vast physical and mental medical needs, many soldiers feel forgotten and die needlessly at their own hand, or die in the streets of our cities from starvation, drugs, alcohol and neglect.

You see them, too, on the street corners with cardboard signs, begging for a handout or a job — even here in Alaska. Yes, I said even here in Alaska. These people are our nation’s finest, brightest and best. Yet every day I read about yet another who has taken his or her life. Every time I read about another soldier found frozen to death in the winter’s harsh cold I ask myself, Is this how we as a nation say thanks?

Although I share this struggle, I am one of the lucky ones. I am alive and I have family and friends who with love and compassion have kept me in the running. But it is still a battle that I fight each day. Am I a hero? No. I am a retired U.S. Army soldier with more than 21 years of service under my belt. I’m just trying my best to live my life, as are all my brothers and sisters in arms.

To all veterans of this war and all the others who have served in the past, know that there is hope. The VFW and American Legion are two great resources. The Disabled American Veterans and Veterans Affairs are two more. AMVETS is yet another. The Veterans Center here in Wasilla works wonders. Churches here in the Valley can offer more to those wounded in spirit and faith.

And to those civilians in the Valley I say this, We veterans don’t need a handout, just a hand up. Employ a veteran or at least point them to one of these fine organizations to give them the help they need. These are your people, too. They served this country for you. Today’s veterans are good, proud people. They only need the opportunity and the chance. They are ready and willing. How about you?

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.