How to Support Our Military Servicemen and Veterans

Veteran's Day is here again on November 11^th, and our country still has an existing problem. Men and women servicemen are returning home after bravely sacrificing their bodies and souls protecting the country we live in. They return home having to adjust to life back in the states with minimal support from the military and the country they fought for. The military has spent the majority of their programs preparing our servicemen for battle but has done minimal in services to prepare our veterans for the post effects of military service. Our brave servicemen and women come home suffering from post traumatic syndrome after experiencing the horrors of war. They come home to face family and marital issues. They return with employment and financial difficulties as civilians.

On Veteran's Day we honor brave men and women who've lost their lives to battles of war through the years. We remember their names, place flags at their military grave sites, share their stories and cry. We take time to thank our veterans for their brave sacrifices, with town and city parades and salutes. In my town, Mt Airy Casino and Resort held a week-end celebration and salute for our veterans, including a Rolling Thunder's motorcycle escort for disabled veterans from local veteran's hospitals. Men and women proudly wear their military service garb, displaying military medals of Honor, insignia patches, and decorated hats. They display their flags, their specific units and branches, and their years of service. We applaud and shake veteran's hands, graciously thanking them for their years of service. As soon as Veteran's Day is over, most of us go on with our lives and feel we've done our part.

On Thursday, November 5, 2009, Fort Hood military base in Texas experienced a horrendous act of violence against their military servicemen by Maj. Nidal Hissan, one of their own fellow servicemen. He viciously took innocent lives and injured many other lives, and many servicemen and their family's lives are forever disrupted. The full extent of the story isn't understood yet, regarding whether it was a pure terroristic act or a violent act by a disturbed serviceman. Somehow our brave servicemen preparing for deportation to Iraq or returning home from Iraq weren't protected on their own military home base. I'm sure this will be a question that'll be discussed for months to come. Hopefully as citizens we won't forget what occurred, and won't forget the affected servicemen and families.

The men and women who enter military service are for the most part young, in the twenties, not even in the prime of their lives. Some of these innocent military service people have just graduated from high school, and never had the opportunity to experience life on their own yet. Their young lives are trained to willingly protect and honor our country to the best of their abilities. They willingly march into situations many experienced adults would run from. They return with experiences that are way beyond their years. Still they bravely risk their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms we have living in this glorious country. What can we do as civilians to support our military servicemen and women, and ease their transition when they return as young veterans?

First I believe we should support our military servicemen whether we believe in or don't believe in the conflicts our country has thrust our military servicemen in. If you notice a military serviceman or woman, approach them kindly, and offer your thanks and words of support. If you know a family who has a family member in the service, reach out, ask if there's anything you can do to show your support. It may be as simple as writing a note of support and encouragement to be passed on.

Fridays are redshirt day, a day to wear the color red and visibly show your support for our military servicemen and women.

www.anysoldier.com is a website that shares listings of military servicemen needs. Browse through this website and you'll find handy links for addresses to send care packages and letters to support our servicemen.

http://operationwearehere.com/IdeasforSoldiers.html is another positive website with links to many websites to assist and support our deployed servicemen.

http://www.redcross.org is the Red Cross website. You will find information about sending letters and care packages to military servicemen and other ways you can assist.

For our wounded vets, contact your local Veteran's hospital and ask if there is anything you can do to show support or give assistance to our veterans. Since 9/11 rules have changed about gift giving and letters but you can find out the latest restrictions by contacting them. Sometimes a friendly visit to older veterans in nursing homes goes far to brighten their day.

http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx is Walter Reed Army Medical Center's website, where you can find further information and contact information to offer support to our wounded warriors.

Also speak out, contact your state representatives and ask about and demand further legislation be made to support our returning veterans. Our veterans will always require extended physical and emotional support.

Our military servicemen and veterans have given selfishly of themselves to protect us. We as civilians can do simple things to reach out and show our support, on days other than Veteran's Day.

The End