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 Welcome to the all-purpose Veterans Megathread. This is a place to talk about how great your last unit was (the one you hated while you were in), how you're going to start running again probably next week, and how much civilian friends suck. Veterans come in all shapes, sizes, genders, orientations races and creeds. There are combat veterans and non-combat veterans, liars and quiet professionals, fatties and folks in better shape after active duty than ever before.  The term "Veteran" once applied to most American males after WWII. Fast forward to Vietnam and "Veteran" usually meant crazy homeless guys, and the population of smokey stale-beer VFWs and American Legions. Today, this term applies far more inclusively, both because fewer service members see combat (causing most to say "gently caress it" and call everyone a veteran), and the diversity of service members has increased greatly in the last 10 years (again, safer to apply the label universally). Some of us leave our units, and go on to lives in which our service is only a memory. But the opportunities for veterans are growing thanks to a national desire to help, empower, educate, etc. veterans that are often perceived as under-supported by the US government. Most veterans today (OIF, OEF, Gulf War, Vietnam, etc.) are finding opportunities for work, education and "extracurriculars" that have never before been so widely and freely available. Mostly non-profits, these organizations are usually founded in the name of helping veterans and/or getting those donations and grant money that (pre-budget crunch) existed in abundance. While money does indeed limit the effectiveness and reach of pretty much everything, it is common to see excess in the form of foundations that exist purely to chase money, marketing, logo-spamming, photo-ops and ridiculous amounts of swag (looking at you, WWP). But move out of the way, American Legion and VFW. These organizations are ignored by many thanks to flashier, more tangible benefits of investing time and attention with newer groups. Keep in mind many of these organizations are local. In my own experience you can reach out anywhere and folks across the country will help you find something of interest near you - whether that's a writing group, fishing club or art workshop for veterans. You have to reach and ask, though. When I left the army last year I avoided anything that reminded me of the military for several months. I ended up volunteering at a veteran community outreach center, and now I work there. A lot of guys I know now, especially the 100% disability ones, have a hard time interacting with the world in general. All of the programs below do great things in their particular field, but the socialization aspect is equally, if not more important. Education-Focused Organizations The Entrepreneurship Boot Camp Puts veterans with a disability rating through an intense "Mini-MBA" designed to prepare veterans for starting or running their own business. Its programs run at several universities throughout the country. Culinary Command is an intense 45-day resident cooking course in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. The course and living accommodations are provided for free. The course prepares veterans for a career in the culinary industry. The only hard part about this opportunity is that you have put your life (and income) on hold for 45 days. Artistic Organizations Veterans in the Arts is a Minnesota-based non-profit that offers classes in writing, visual art, music, theatre, woodworking and photography to veterans. They are affiliated with the... Combat Paper Project, which offers 5-day workshops in which you can recycle your old BDUs/ACUs/cammies/etc. into paper. Combat Paper Project has received some national attention and makes some decent money selling pieces. It's also nonprofit, limited but national. Veteran Artist Program is an east-coast based non-profit that has programs for veterans in film, visual art, and performance art. The Vet Art Project is a national nonprofit that offers workshops, stress-reduction and mindfulness classes, theatre, storytelling, poetry, and a lot more. They have exposure on NPR and other major media sources. Veterans Writing Groups (NYTimes Article) are common in most cities with universities. They are a good way to get into expressive writing, creative nonfiction, and a community atmosphere. Some groups produce their own publications, others are mentored by writing professors that will help you edit a piece into something publishable. National Journals that publish only military-related pieces (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) are growing. Ron Capps famously wrote a piece about his near-suicide in the Darfur desert as a foreign service officer, years after his ETS. He founded the... Veterans Writing Project, which provides free writing workshops to veterans. O-Dark Thirty (yeah, I know) is the literary journal of the Veterans Writing Project. The Journal of Military Experience is one of the publications that consists solely of veterans' writing (I'll be published shortly in Volume 3). Physical Activity, Recreation & Disability-Rating Based Organizations TeamRWB is a nationwide non-profit open to veterans that focuses on group physical activities (runs, ski trips, etc.) and re-connecting with the community through volunteerism. Project Healing Waters is another national non-profit for veterans with a disability rating that organizes group fly fishing classes and expeditions. The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every disabled veteran has a backpack. Experiences may vary - in my neck of the woods, WWP has a bad reputation due to refusing church donations, requiring guaranteed minimum donation amounts of fundraising events in its name, and appearing to prioritize marketing itself over offering anything of substance. That said, all veteran programs and non-profits will generate some negative buzz, bad experiences, etc. simply due to the demographic they cater to. Basically ever CrossFit Gym ever offers discounted memberships to veterans. Service Dogs are increasingly common as a method of helping veterans with severe PTSD re-engage with the outside world. There are several programs that partner a veteran with a service dog. Some provide fully trained service dogs to a veteran applicant at no charge, others find dogs with a fitting personality at a shelter (evaluated by professional dog trainers) and use an "Owner/trainer" model that requires the veteran to attend sessions, effectively creating their own certified service animal. All service dog programs typically require a diagnosis of PTSD (or physical disability), proof of ongoing treatment/therapy and recommendation by a therapist. Some programs include Patriot Paws, Veterans Moving Forward, Hero Dogs Inc., and Clear Path for Veterans where I am currently employed. Lastly, Vet Centers (warning, VA.gov link) are a great low-key place to vent, talk, hang out or get away from all the crazy civilians out there. There are over 300 Vet Centers in the US. I can't speak for all of them (check first if this matters to you) but most have a one-way relationship with the VA proper. Vet Centers are funded and maintained by the VA, but the VA does not have access to Vet Center records. This means you can see a counselor (all Vet Center services are free to combat-deployed veterans) about anything that may be bothering you, talk about anything you want and not worry about it coming back to you. You may choose to authorize a Vet Center to release some or all of your records to the VA, if for example you decide to seek a diagnosis or other treatment and don't want to "start over". Usually, VA mental health professionals are able meet veterans at their local Vet Center for informal appointments, if you have a "regular" therapist. If not, you can meet with any of the VA professional that rotate shifts at the Vet Center. YMMV depending on location. Find a Vet Center near you Keep discussion focused on life as a veteran and relevant topics. Specific questions, issues and rants about VA benefits, education, and employment with the DoD already have their own threads. Related Threads: VA Benefits Megathread Educational Benefits Megathread "Get Help" Thread Civilian ThreadContractor Thread Last but not least 
Zeris fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 21:05
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Smoke Crack posted:TLDR; For all intents and purposes, if you are enrolled with VA healthcare you are exempt from the affordable healthcare act. Entirely exempt? What if the comprehensive coverage is expired and you're only receiving coverage for documented disabilities?
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Aug 26, 2013 01:44
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Delizin posted:Helping Hands https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsoD7jro1cE
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Sep 8, 2013 03:22
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AvianPundit posted:You can just get (or make) service/companion dog harnesses. It is illegal for any establishment or company (even an airline) to question its status or ask for proof. No / sort of. I work at a place that trains Veterans to train their own service dogs. We wrestle with this daily. The best / most responsible method is to put working dogs in a very visible vest and come prepared with ADA FAQs and information. We give our program participants a card with our phone number so the business owner can call us to get more info if they'd like. There is never reason to be a dick, or shady, about where your dog can/can't go. It also makes it tougher for other people with service dogs to get fair treatment. Businesses that mess with this law usually get lynched by the media. http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm posted:
http://www.ada.gov/svcabrs3.pdf posted:
All that said, there are many attention-craving idiots (just like in the army, strange...) who latch on to any mechanism that increases their sympathy draw. PTSD isn't hard to fake and there are many, many charitable organizations that help train dogs or literally give away trained service dogs for free or no cost. There are also strangely written articles that sound more like Tom Clancy fan fiction: http://tbo.com/list/military-news/dispute-with-college-centers-on-service-dog-20140226/ posted:Bill Smith, a 100 percent disabled retired Green Beret colonel, survived the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, several deployments to war zones and ailments seen and unseen as a result. Zeris fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Mar 1, 2014 |
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Mar 1, 2014 20:15
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