SROL and Veterans Day (Fort Dix)
November 14th, 2011
From MaryEllen Salamone and Christianna Capra
Veteran’s Day 11/11/11
Yesterday, Christianna and I spent the day at Fort Dix in New Jersey. We were invited to be a part of a wellness conference for soldiers, their families and their caseworkers. We listened to story after story, and I left with a pit in my stomach that I am sure will stay for some time.
Caseworkers and administrators that work with our returning soldiers highlighted the dilemma we already know exists. They struggle to offer help to soldiers and families who suffer from the effects of trauma, who have become substance abusers, who have ended up in divorce, who face joblessness… but who won’t ask for help because asking for therapy is a sign of weakness. And weakness is not a part of being a serviceman and warrior.
Today in papers all over the country covering Veteran’s Day, the statistics were confirming. The jobless rate for veterans is 12.1%, exceeding the national average of 9%. Those most affected are young veterans returning from war..who passed on a higher education to serve our country. And if you read further you would find another story covering a recent death in Vermont. An Iraq war veteran in his 20’s, came home, found himself struggling from the war and without a job. He attended an “Occupy” event in Burlington, Vermont and they found him the next morning. Dead. He committed suicide this past Tuesday evening.
Young vets who are traumatized and hopeless kill themselves. The suicide rate among vets between the ages of 20 and 29 exceed the number deaths sustained in battle.
Yesterday, I spent time talking with a caseworker who works with off-base families of reservists. His caseload includes two families who continue to grieve the deaths of their husbands/fathers in Afghanistan last year. Each family has two girls around my daughter’s age who cannot get past the death. He went on to talk about how hard it is for children to come to terms with a war related death, a parent who died in a violent attack. How the child feels different, how the image of the death never leaves. And I cried, that hit too close to home.
My children lost their Dad on 9/11..he was killed, violently, because he was an American. While he did not die serving our country, he died because he was a symbol of our country. I cannot compare the loss to that of one who volunteers to put his life on the line to protect this nation, but I have learned the hard way that loss is often the price of our freedom. My kids know this all too well. So do these poor girls.
This social worker, and so many others lined up to work out arrangements to be able to offer the programs of Spring Reins of Life to our military and their families. We spoke to administrators who run family programming at Ft. Dix and they are working to arrange to have us bring our horses to the base to offer services on-site. Alternatively, we offered that we would seek to lease out temporary space at one of the area horse farms so that travel is not an obstacle to providing the help that is needed. The Commander in charge of healthcare at the base sought us out to thank us for our willingness to bring this alternate form of therapy to the soldiers, it was obvious yesterday that animal assisted therapy works.
Our table was placed next to the table hosting the therapy dogs. Many soldiers came in the room, browsed all the tables of organizations offering assistance, but asked few questions. But nearly EVERY soldier stopped to spend time with the dogs and look at our pictures of the horses. One told us the story of the dog he “adopted” in Iraq and how hard it was leaving him..and his friends there when he left. Animals have a way of opening our heart and our emotions. They are the key to open the door to help for those who will not seek the intervention they need.
Personally, I cannot wait to help these guys, these families, these children. Saying “thank you” to a vet somehow is not nearly enough, being thankful through our actions is far more appropriate. We are a new non-profit. While we have applied for many grants to help fund these services for our military…grants take time, especially for a new program. But these soldiers and their families need help now.
Today is a good day to remind yourself of the loss, the sacrifice that young men and women suffered to insure you the freedom and privileges you enjoy as an American. There are four little girls I just learned about who lost their Dad for all of us and cannot come to terms with it. Freedom is not free.
Your generous donation now can help us provide services that will help our active military, our veterans and their families NOW. BEING thankful through your actions and generosity is far better than just feeling thankful.
Please contact me at mem-salamone@springreinsoflife for more information. Please visit our website at www.springreinsoflife.org for more information about what we do and who we help.
And thank you in advance for your donations..
Most sincerely,
MaryEllen Salamone, PT, JD
Executive Director, Spring Reins of Life
www.springreinsoflife.org
Posted in News & Events, SROL Events
Tags: EAP, Fort Dix, Horses and Warriors, Military, New Jersey, PTSD, Spring Reins of Life
