After discharge: Veterans face hurdles going back to civilian life

As Jeremy McBroom prepared to go back to school after completing his initial enlistment, he saw the struggles some of his fellow veterans were facing as they, too, tried to reintegrate into society.

VA support was seen as just another process.

"It was an additional duty for a person in the office -- where at that point, for them, it was the registrar -- who essentially did VA benefits processing, and that was it," McBroom said. "There was no support, there was no acclimation whatsoever other than what I had to endure myself."

Having seen that, McBroom, who became an officer after his enlistment, decided he wanted to do something to give back after he was finished with active duty.

That decision led him to become director of the Office of Military and Veterans Services at Southeast Missouri State University in 2012.

Cole Schreiner

The office held its third annual veterans luncheon Monday at the University Center in observance of Veterans Day.

Southeast board of regents member and combat veteran Col. Edward Gargas of the Missouri Army National Guard, the keynote speaker, spoke about the history of Veterans Day and the disconnect between civilians and service members.

"I think it's important to show veterans that they are appreciated," said Navy veteran Dawn Hobbes, who attended the luncheon.

Events such as Monday's luncheon can be important even to fairly new members of the military.

"It's a bit of a legacy to ... uphold," said Cole Schreiner, who has been with the National Guard for about 21 months.

Obstacles

One of the biggest obstacles facing veterans returning to civilian life is the cultural difference and lack of structure, McBroom said.

"It is an absolute culture shock for our vets who are active-duty, especially in getting off active duty and coming to school."

McBroom said the military isn't all the yelling and screaming and rigidity that come to mind when people think of boot camp.

"It's not always like that in the military," McBroom said. "But there is a structure and a culture and a climate that is absent here."

McBroom said universities have a looser structure, and at some schools, professors generally don't check up on students or don't care about the family or other challenges veterans face.

"Here at Southeast we've been pretty fortunate that they do check on our vets," he said.

Being a nontraditional student, coupled with having a military background, can pose challenges as well, McBroom said, such as child-care and work issues.

"... Military folks on active duty, especially, they're paid for housing and they're paid for food, and especially the housing portion is tax-free," McBroom said. He said their child care also is subsidized.

"When they walk away from that, there's a huge void because they were used to this plethora of services," McBroom said. "And now they're trying to get connected with the community -- which has some services; it's not totally void of them -- but they don't know how to access them."

McBroom said if veterans don't plan properly, they can run into financial trouble, especially if they have a family.

"They're used to a paycheck, and they're used to that level of service there, and when that's gone, they haven't planned for it oftentimes" depending on their age, rank and where they are in life, McBroom said. At that point, some might look to the education benefits the VA provides and try to live off that.

"But that is not designed for that. It's designed for you to go to school and help pay, but not to make you the breadwinner of the family," McBroom said. "So they have to manage expectations."

The organization occasionally helps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We have counseling, disability services, but we also have a direct line over to the VA community outpatient base clinic," McBroom said "... We enjoy a really good relationship with them."

Getting help

That's where Veterans Employment Services steps in.

By partnering with agencies throughout the state, the organization can provide a network of employers, job-search assistance and seminars, service member-focused career fairs and local employment representatives through Missouri Career Centers, according to information from Richard Stout, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialist at Missouri Career Center.

The agency offers three programs to veterans and service members: Show-Me Heroes, Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Troops to Teachers.

The Show-Me Heroes program pairs service members with more than 3,500 Missouri businesses that recruit and hire military personnel. Through this program, more than 6,000 Missouri veterans have found work, according to Stout.

Employers who hire disabled or unemployed veterans may be eligible for Work Opportunities Tax Credits. These businesses may receive up to $2,400 in tax credits per worker.

Troops for Teachers partners with the Division of Workforce Development and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to help retiring service members transition into careers as teachers in public schools.

Veterans Employment Services also holds career fairs throughout the state to help connect veterans and returning National Guard and Reserve service members with employment.

The Office of Military and Veterans Services can help veterans ensure they get college credit for training they have completed while in the military.

"We can help evaluate where that credit will plug into their degree," McBroom said. He said some institutions struggle with awarding military credit for college coursework.

McBroom and outreach coordinator Amanda Woods said most veterans come in with at least nine credit hours; some have more than 100.

While not everyone has a job they like in the military, often veterans take advantage of the training they received while serving by turning it into a career. For instance, McBroom said, those who served as military police often seek a degree in criminal justice.

McBroom said Southeast's not-for-profit Student Veterans Organization provides important networking opportunities.

"Having our veterans come together for a common purpose and a common mission -- it just pays a tremendous amount of dividends with helping them integrate into not only the university, but also with the community," McBroom said.

The organization has grown from about five members to 140.

The Office of Military and Veterans Services also has grown.

McBroom said when he started the office, he was in a 10-by-8-foot room with no windows.

"We've grown every year, and now we're enjoying a 2,400-square-foot space in the University Center," he said. The new location, which the organization moved into about a year ago, has a lounge with a TV, tables and computers for studying.

"Now when they come in, they're not only greeted by the people in the offices, Amanda and I, but they're also greeted with peers and peer support, which works out wonderfully," McBroom said.

kwebster@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3646

Pertinent address:

One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO