John J. Whelan
  • Home
  • About John
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Going Crazy In the Green Machine >
      • Sample Chapter from Going Crazy
    • Ghost In the Ranks >
      • Sample Chapter from Ghost In the Ranks
    • Narcissus Called My Name
  • Bookstore
  • Contact

Blog

January 18th, 2016

1/18/2016

0 Comments

 
Report critical of Veterans Affairs buried as ombudsmen investigate Add to ...
Murray Brewster
OTTAWA — The Canadian Press
Published Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 4:02PM EST
Picture




Veterans ombudsman Guy Parent says he’s not seen the draft, let alone a final version of the report on Veterans Affairs, but wants one. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

They just don't get it. Just taking off the uniform does not bring a military veteran any closer to navigating the hurtles of adapting to and finding meaning in civilian life. This is especially true for men and women who are released medically. In fact, the ability to make the mental transition to civilian life may require the same level of training that it took to teach us how to reject civvie life in the first place. If the feds are interested in developing programs, how about one called "Adapting to Civilian Life" that is run similar to any other military qualification course. I think that we have to be taught how to say good-bye to the uniform, including having our say, before walking out the gate for the last time. The assumption that we remember the values and the mindset of civilian life is not true for most of us. In fact, it can take years to figure this out and to find a new place on the outside. We need to figure out what we are leaving behind before finding a new normal.... there is no going back.    
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    John J. Whelan

    John J. Whelan, Ph.D., is the author of Going Crazy in the Green Machine, available now on FriesenPress.

    Follow John on social media...


    Archives

    September 2018
    May 2018
    November 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    The Book

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About John
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Going Crazy In the Green Machine >
      • Sample Chapter from Going Crazy
    • Ghost In the Ranks >
      • Sample Chapter from Ghost In the Ranks
    • Narcissus Called My Name
  • Bookstore
  • Contact