Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Second Advisor

Dr. Michael Hazel

Abstract

If the veteran is lucky enough to ask for help, or help somehow finds them, then transitioning back into civilian life can be much smoother and tolerable; however, if a veteran is not so lucky, transitioning back into civilian life can be rough, confl1sing, and isolating. Trust issues between the veteran and the civilian is low making it hard for a veteran to seek the help they need in order to exist in civilian life. While serving every soldier is taken care of-everything they need is provided. Once entering civilian life, the soldier is left to fend for himself or herself. Employment is hard to find due to a lack of employable skills and some return back to school only to face a new host of fears. Peer relationships are strained and most veterans return home with some kind of scar from the war, some are visible, some are not. Veterans' Organizations, while having the best of intentions, are not always capable of serving the veteran population. Services are insufficient or not geared specifically towards the needs of the veteran. Some organizations are run by civilians who have no prior military experience which makes it harder for the veteran to reach out due to a lack of trust or empathy. By using the Social Penetration and the Relational Dialectics Theories, a self administered survey was sent to a group of veterans and veterans' organizations specifically focusing on employment, schooling, Post Traumatic Stress, and the services that Veterans' Organizations provide along with asking for suggestions on how to better serve the veteran. It became clear that most organizations focus on certain tasks such as employment and skill training but do have the resources to refer the veteran if needed. It also became clear that each veteran has a unique desire for certain services to make their life better and that each issue is as unique as the veteran themselves.

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