Veterans’ Transition From Military to Civilian Life

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Eligibility for Veteran Benefits
Veteran Benefit Programs
Barriers to Veteran Programs and Services
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Data from the United States Census Bureau indicates that there are over 19 million veterans in the country. This represents approximately 7.1 percent of the adult population. Research also shows that over 5 million veterans suffer from at least one disability while 1.2 million live in poverty. At the same time, more than 37,000 veterans experience homelessness on a single night (Frohlich). This shows that veterans encounter many challenges when transitioning from military life to civilian life. This is due to a lack of employment opportunities, social support, and housing, as well as inadequate finances and health problems. As a result, the difficulty in readjusting to civilian life places a considerable burden on veterans, their families, and communities. Nevertheless, several programs have been adopted to assist veterans in reintegrating into society.

Eligibility for Veteran Benefits

A specific eligibility criterion has been established to determine the former service members entitled to veteran benefits. The eligibility is based on several factors, including the duration of service. Most veteran benefits require the former militants to have been in active military service for a minimum period. For example, to qualify for the G.I Bill benefits, one should have served for at least 36 months (Powers). However, an individual can qualify for ‘Veterans Administration’ (VA) medical care or VA disability compensation if they served for at least served a day in active duty.

When and where a militant served can affect their qualification for certain veterans’ benefits. For instance, to be qualified for the home loan program, former militants who fought in Vietnam should have been on active service for at least 90 days. On the contrary, individuals who fought in the Gulf War need to have been in service for about 24 months to be eligible for the same home loan. Likewise, a former militant’s qualification for veteran benefits depends on how they were discharged from active duty (Powers). Only individuals with an honorable discharge can access the benefits; alternatively, militants with a dishonorable discharge, bad conduct discharge, or dismissal from the military court-martial do not qualify for veteran benefits.

Veteran Benefit Programs

The VA has established several programs that provide medical, financial, and other forms of support to veterans to help them adapt to civilian life. Disability Compensation is among the major benefits awarded to veterans. This benefit only targets honorably discharged veterans who have a service-linked disability. Such veterans are entitled to a monthly compensation of between $133 to over $3400, which is tax-free (“Veteran Disability Compensation”). Nevertheless, the veterans are qualified for additional funds if they suffer from critical disabilities like loss of arms or legs or have other dependents like children or spouses. VA also reimburses transportation expenses to disabled veterans when they travel for medical appointments. These benefits enable veterans with disabilities to readjust to non-military life because they have adequate finances to support themselves and their families.

Another benefit that can help veterans readjust to civilian life is the free or low-cost medical care offered by VA hospitals and other medical facilities. VA offers hospital care and outpatient services to eligible veterans. Some of the healthcare programs that veterans are entitled to include the treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), radiation exposure, blindness, brain injury, and HIV/AIDS, among other illnesses (Matthews 218). It is important to note that VA utilizes priority groups to decide the type of healthcare each veteran receives and how much they pay. Such services and programs may help veterans recover or manage health conditions that they suffered while on active duty and allow them to adapt to societal life and get new jobs to support their families.

Eligible veterans qualify for readjustment counseling offered by the VA. The counseling services are provided through community-based Vet Centers located in all states to make them accessible to the veterans. The counselors offer individual, group, or family readjustment therapy to aid veterans in transitioning into civilian life. Such therapies assist in treating PTSD, depression, and other service-related issues that adversely affect good functioning within family and other areas in everyday life (Gerber, 116). Additional psycho-social services may include medical referral, homeless veteran services, education, and employment. Therefore, counseling services are critical in assisting veterans to overcome mental disorders and establish good social ties with families and friends.

Veterans can also benefit from education programs provided under the G.I Bill. This bill assists eligible veterans in paying for graduate school, college, and other training programs. Some of its education programs include Post-9/11 G.I Bill, which offers education benefits to militants who served for about 90 days after September 10, 2001 (Johnston 288). The G.I Bill also offers educational programs to the families of militants killed in active service or the children of completely disabled veterans. These educational programs are critical in assisting veterans to acquire new skills and expertise to get employment opportunities and support themselves and their families.

The VA home loan is among the most valued veteran benefits. The home loan enables the eligible former militants to purchase, construct homes or pay for existing house mortgages with no down payment and at reasonable rates. Also, another advantage of this initiative is that the veterans are not required to cover the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). Studies indicate that from 1994 to date, the home loan program has helped over 25 million militants to buy homes (“VA Loans”). This has greatly helped to lessen the crises of homelessness among veterans. Therefore, the home loan is a fundamental benefit that enables veterans to purchase or construct their homes to provide housing to themselves and their families.

Veteran job training is among the best strategies to aid former service members in readjusting to civilian life. As a result, the Veteran Employment and Training Service (VETS) is a program that trains veterans for new jobs and helps them find employment. It also safeguards the rights of employed veterans to ensure they are not mistreated. VETS also supports the Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) and the Disabled Veteran’s Outreach Program (DVOP). The LVER program strives to position veterans in government-paying jobs and training facilities. It also helps veterans to master essential skills such as resume writing (“Employment and Training Services”). Alternatively, the DVOP initiative specializes in training and finding jobs for veterans with serious service-linked disabilities. This is because such people may be unable to get jobs due to their disabilities. Apart from job preparation, VA also offers loans to small veteran enterprises and aids them in acquiring contracts. This promotes the success of veteran-owned businesses, which helps them adapt to civilian life. Hence, preparing veterans for new jobs is critical in reintegrating them into non-military life. Getting a job helps the former service members to become financially stable, enabling them to pay for their basic needs.

Barriers to Veteran Programs and Services

Despite the plethora of programs available to veterans, only a few former service members can obtain the VA benefits. Research indicates that the United States has approximately 40,000 programs that assist veterans in readjusting to non-military life (Morgan et al. 2). However, several barriers may hinder the veterans from accessing the program’s benefits. The study shows that many veterans do not understand or are unaware of the benefits they are entitled to. Additionally, some veterans cannot identify which services or programs adequately satisfy their needs, while others are unfamiliar with the centers that offer veteran support. Similarly, some veterans experience difficulties navigating the VA system to access various benefits. This has been linked to lengthy paperwork and prolonged waiting times for appointments (Morgan et al. 2). Such barriers lessen the likelihood of veterans to seek benefits that can assist them in living normal civilian lives.

Conclusion

A significant number of veterans experience difficulties in readjusting to non-military life. This mainly affects former service members who suffered from psychological trauma or a service-connected injury. The challenges that veterans face while transitioning to civilian life are in relation to lack of jobs, social support, finances, and proper housing. In addition, many veterans also experience health-related complications such as PTSD and depression, among others. However, with the federal government’s help, the VA has developed many programs and services committed to aid veterans to reintegrate into society and live comfortable lives. These programs include home loans, counseling services, job training, education, and free or low-cost medical care. The programs have been fundamental in readjusting veterans to normal lives because they provide financial assistance, jobs, and housing, allowing the veterans to support themselves and their families. Nevertheless, VA should create more public awareness on veteran programs to assist former militants in understanding how and where they can access the benefits.

Works Cited

“Employment and Training Services.” Military.Com, Web.

“VA Loans.” Military.Com, Web.

“Veteran Disability Compensation.” Military.Com, Web.

Frohlich, Thomas. “About 18 Million Military Veterans Live in The US. Which States Have the Most Vets?”Usatoday, Web.

Gerber, Megan R. Trauma-Informed Healthcare Approaches: A Guide for Primary Care. Springer, 2019.

Johnston, Papple, A. Military Transition for Dummies. For Dummies, 2021.

Matthews, Joseph. Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your Retirement and Medical Benefits. Nolo, 2021.

Morgan, N., et al. “Reducing Barriers to Post-9/11 Veterans’ Use of Programs and Services As They Transition to Civilian Life.” BMC Health Services Research, vol. 20, no. 525, 2020, pp. 1-14. BioMed Central, Web.

Powers, Rod. “How to Qualify for Veterans Benefits.” Dummies, Web.

Click Here To Order Now!