Last week at the 26th annual Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Policy Symposium, I came away from the two days feeling like there are a lot of people who know and care about the issues discussed. This year’s topic was on helping returning soldiers — especially the National Guard and Reservists — reintegrate within their family, the workplace, and the community.
It seems timely to talk about some of these issues to honor tomorrow, Veterans Day.
The most moving stories for me came from the day’s first panel discussion, focused on the family. Ron Capps, a 25 year veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, told his story of dealing with the realities of war, and then of coming home and dealing with his feelings.
“At the end of the day, I found myself categorizing myself as ‘All right, vaguely not all right, and seriously not all right.’”
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Fantastic piece, John! As an active researcher on workplace reintegration by military vets following periods of extended combat deployments, the attention you are driving to this vital issue is commendable. And as a combat veteran myself, I appreciate your message of honoring those returning!
Ancient cultures long understood the importance of re-integrating their soldiers returning from the horrors of war. And psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, author of Achilles in Vietnam, theorized that a primary purpose of ancient Greek theater was to reintegrate warriors into a democratic society. “These stories were written by veterans, for veterans,” noting that Sophocles was twice elected general. “They helped heal soldiers, and so did the communal act of bringing soldiers together in the theater.”