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The idea of military masculinity was not something I was really familiar with prior to this class, but in learning about this idea, it became clear that this was something that plays an integral part within the military culture.

Throughout the first week, I learned that military masculinity not only plays a role within the military service itself but also within the family. Tina pointed out to me, that, in many cases, individuals were raised within "military" families and masculinity was a part of their upbringing and the discourse within their home, which causes an inter-generational effect on the idea of military masculinity. This idea has stuck with me throughout the semester, and I tried to be conscious of this as I examined and learned about society's response, as well as my own response to service members and the concept of war.

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I felt frustrated as we explored content related to the DoD and VA. It's frustrating because so much more needs to be done to better support service members when they return as civilians and it's just not happening. It was sickening to hear individuals try to advocate for themselves to receive the support they needed. It must have been so difficult to ask for that in the first place, but to then be belittled and treated with disrespect and disregard is completely inappropriate.

In Thank You For Your Service, one person interviewed explains that the military should have been providing more/better training for mental health care providers to be able to meet the need for more support and structure in caring for those affected by being in the military and combat. This idea stuck with me throughout the semester, as this could be one way to provide better support to those in need. It could also cut down on the stigma service members face when deciding to get help, which in turn could save the lives of individuals struggling with addiction, major depression, PTS, and moral injuries.

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When learning more about poverty and homelessness within the veteran community, I felt so frustrated. I found it difficult to listen to stories of homeless veterans as they talked about wishing for things most people take for granted, such as having a home and having food for them and their loved ones to eat. THESE ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS THAT EVERYONE DESERVES and it's not right that people aren't getting that.

Below is a picture of Randy, a veteran who was interviewed on the Invisible People series. I chose to use Randy's picture because his interview was a very memorable part of this class for me. I remember feeling so many emotions when I watched his video because of the challenging issues he's had to face. I wanted to be able to do more than just watch his video. I want to do something to help him and those like him, something that contributes to a change for Randy and others like him. At one point, the interviewer mentions that he thought there was a lot of support for veterans. Randy explains that there is, to an extent, but that when he tried to receive some support from the VA he was told he was not homeless enough, that he needed to be on the street for 180 days before they could help him. This is NOT the way our systems should be set up. We need preventative systems put in place, that way people don't have to spend any days on the street.

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There was so much I didn't realize or think about in terms of addiction and drug use surrounding service members. I learned so much about taking drugs during combat, something I had not given any thought to prior to this class. Until the week of covering addiction as we share the burden of war, I thought of drug use as primarily a coping skill used once returning home to a stressful civilian lifestyle. After reading the material, I learned about the use of illegal drugs in Vietnam, and how they were often available and pushed as a tool to stay awake and complete lengthy missions (Kuzmarov, 2007, p.122). It was said that these amphetamines used could make those individuals feel more aggression and irritation, and therefore likely play a role in those same individuals' mental health post-deployment.

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Within the incarceration week's content, I read that the three reasons veterans return to their civilian life and end up in prison are:
1. Alcohol and Drugs
2. Difficulty Adjusting to Civilian Life
3. Economic Disadvantages
(Rice-Missouri, 2017).
As I read that, I thought about how preventative strategies could reduce and even eliminate all of these problems. Alcohol and drug use, as well as adjusting to civilian life can all be deeply affected by trauma experienced in combat and being a member of the military. Therefore, programs put in place to help veterans coming out of the military return to civilian life in healthy ways, with healthy coping strategies, would help reduce these factors of incarceration. Programs that help to reestablish veterans in the workforce, and provide fulfilling careers would reduce economic disadvantages, as well as the other two factors talked about that lead veterans to incarceration. It's frustrating, like many of the topics covered in class, to think about all of the people wanting and needing help, but not being able to receive it.

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When learning more about suicide within the veteran population, I came across this article that discusses veteran-related suicide and research which shows that removing firearms during high-risk times reduces the likelihood of impulsive suicides and how this can be done. I found the article to be a really good source and helped me as I explored this week's content.

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Lynn Rolf III owns a lot of guns, but only one makes him stop and think whenever he sees it.

"I've had conversations with one of my pistols numerous times about how easy it would be to put it in the mouth," he said. "Pretty one-sided."

Rolf had those conversations inside a "dark tunnel" he fell into after returning from a deployment to Iraq shortly after the war began in 2003.

Rolf, 45, eventually left the Army and found work as a military contractor. He was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and received treatment. Now when he sees that gun he thinks about how the bad parts of his life are outweighed by the good. Rolf thinks about his fiance and his job with the VFW. He thinks about chasing critters with Boomer, his hunting dog, at a cabin on a lake near Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Although Rolf sought out mental health resources and avoided tragedy, many of his fellow veterans don't.

In 2016, the suicide rate for male veterans was about 40% higher than non-veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The rate for female veterans was even worse.

Many of those suicides involve firearms, and research has shown that reducing access to means of suicide can help prevent what is sometimes an impulsive act.

And there's a growing body of research that people like Rolf should be talking about guns - with their doctor.

Chris Haxel / KCUR

"It's very clear that veterans are at higher risk to die from suicide (than the general population,)" said Dr. Marcia Valenstein, a researcher, psychiatrist and professor emeritus at the University of Michigan. "Veterans with mental health conditions are at even greater risk."

Many doctors worry their patients will get mad if they try to talk about guns, Valenstein says. For VA doctors working with patients who were in the military, that concern is amplified because veterans are perceived as being more conservative and unwilling to part with their weapons.

Valenstein and a team of researchers surveyed VA patients who had already received mental health treatment. They asked how open the veterans might be to a series of interventions, ranging from basic screening questions and free gun locks to temporarily storing their guns with family members or in a VA-managed program.

The results were surprising: 93% of respondents were open to a low-intensity technique, such as talking about guns with their doctor. About 75% of veterans also endorsed at least one of the more intensive options.

"I think this is pretty clear that this is a positive response from veterans and high-risk veterans in mental health care," Valensten said.

The key factor, she says: making these interventions voluntary.

Education Is Important

"Clinicians are more likely to talk to individuals when they know the avenue that would make people safer," Valenstein said. "If they have pathways where the veterans can smoothly and easily remove the gun from their home during high-risk periods, I think that also makes clinicians more likely to talk to them because they know what to do."

Veteran outreach also helps. For example, Rolf said he was initially afraid to seek mental health treatment because of persistent rumors that he might lose his security clearance over a PTSD diagnosis. He later learned that happens only in very extreme cases.

Department of Defense statistics bear that out: Between 2006 and 2012 about 85,000 people had their security clearance denied or revoked. Only 145 of them lost the clearance for mental health reasons.

Chris Haxel / KCUR

The VA did not respond to a request for comment, but the organization funded Valenstein's research. It has also stated its intent to prevent suicide by putting "time and space" between veterans who express thoughts of suicide and their firearms.

President Donald Trump in March established a veteran suicide prevention task force to be headed by the VA, Department of Defense and several other cabinet-level federal agencies.

The president's executive order instructs the task force to establish a grant-making program for local communities, and develop a national research strategy to improve veteran suicide prevention.

The move followed a federal report that found less than one percent of the VA's $6.2 million budget for suicide prevention outreach in 2018 was actually spent.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can contact the Military Crisis Line.
Guns & America is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.

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Giving Up Guns: High-Risk Veterans Are Ready To Talk About It

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Lynn Rolf III owns a lot of guns, but only one makes him stop and think whenever he sees it. "I've had conversations with one of my pistols numerous times about how easy it would be to put it in the mouth," he said. "Pretty one-sided."

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I couldn't believe how many wars our country has been in. When discussing this during class, we chose one war to talk about that we hadn't previously known about. This was difficult for me because I wasn't familiar with many of the wars within the content we explored. I was taken aback by the United States' involvement in conflicts between different countries. I was also quite shocked to find out that the United States has been at war for over half of my life and have been at war 100% of the time since my children have been born (Bump, 2017). This is a sad realization especially when thinking of all the military families similar to my age, and how war affects their lives.

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So much of war plays a role in our lives as civilians and helps to shape how social institutions are formed. I created a brief infographic that highlights just a few of the ways combat affects society.

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"Thank You For Your Service" and the military/civilian divide

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"Thank You For Your Service" and the military/civilian divide

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The idea of thanking a service member for their service is something I still struggle with. Given what I know after learning so much through these courses, I don't think it's enough and I think it further divides service members from civilians. However, I sometimes feel almost rude or unkind if I'm in certain situations where one would typically thank a veteran for their service. When I'm in this situation I think of Wes Moore's TedTalk. He points out that he too used to say this, as it seemed "right", but points out that asking service members questions and having conversations are better ways to make veterans feel you're acknowledging who they are and what they've experienced.

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Sharing the Burden of War through needed policy change and private sector programs

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Sharing the Burden of War through needed policy change and private sector programs

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I mentioned this in my journal, but I've continued to think about how powerful the content was in terms of needed policy change and private sector programs, as it allowed me to think about what the future could look like and how a change in policy could make such an impactful difference in the mental health of service members who may need support.

The content from this semester has at times felt overwhelming, and it was difficult to not feel discouraged when learning about how much work there is to be done to make services more available and less-stigmatized, but the resources shared during this week were quite inspiring. I can't wait to learn more about successful interventions and how to better utilize myself as an advocate for service members.

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The trip to Washington D.C. was a very powerful experience. It was a bit bittersweet at times, as I felt so happy and honored to go on such a trip, however, we explored some heartbreaking and life-changing places that felt anything but happy. It was painful to walk through both the Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery, specifically the areas of the cemetery that consisted of mostly young service members who served in our most recent wars. Walking past pictures of family members and treasures left for those buried made me feel sadness deep within myself. I've attached a few pieces from the trip that left the biggest impact on me and will forever play a role in my life as a social worker in the years to come.

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Etched in the class are Jewish cities and towns that were either partially or wholly lost due to "The Final Solution". This was one of the most powerful moments of my trip, as this list of lost communities just went on and on, through an entire walkway from the floor to the ceiling.

*I did not take the photo below, it was found on the internet. I took a video I had intended to post, but the file size was too big for this presentation.

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I've dreamed of taking a trip to Washington D.C. for so many years, partially to stand in this exact spot and just experience this beautiful, inspiring place.

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I know so little about my grandfather's experience in the Korean War, and since he's passed away, I cannot talk with him about it. Visiting this memorial made me feel a sort of connection to him and his past.

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Arlington Cemetery: The Breath-Taking Views and the Heart-Breaking Section 60

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Arlington Cemetery: The Breath-Taking Views and the Heart-Breaking Section 60

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I love being in nature and taking moments to appreciate the beauty in my surroundings. This was one of my favorite places to do that on this trip.

During that same experience, I later cried as I mourned the loss of so many service members who've been buried in Section 60, which is shown in a photo I took and am using as the background to this presentation.

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Arboleda, I., Tyson, M., Sprayregen, G., Sculy, R.K., Levy, J., Lacey-Kiley, K., Edwards, S., and Casby P. (Producers), & Donahue, T. (Director). (2016). Thank you for your service [Motion picture]. United States of America: GathraFilms.

Invisible People [Screen name]. 2016, September 28. Randy is a homeless veteran living in a tent near Columbus, Ohio [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H2ty7Zkwes

Kuzmarov, J. (2007). The Myth of the 'Addicted Army': Drug use in Vietnam in historical perspective. War & Society, 26:2, 121-141, DOI: 10.1179/072924707791591640

Rice-Missouri, S. (2017). 3 reasons returning U.S veterans end up in prison. Futurity. Retrieved from https://www.futurity.org/military-veterans-prison-1535212/

Bump, P. (2017). Here’s how much of your life the United States has been at war. The Washington Post. Retrieved from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/08/22/heres-how-much-of-your-life-the-u-s-has-been-at-war/

Haxel, C. (2019). Giving up guns: High-risk veterans are ready to talk about it. KUNC Community Radio. Retrieved from https://www.kunc.org/post/giving-guns-high-risk-veterans-are-ready-talk-about-it#stream/0

TED [Screen name]. 2014, May 23. Wes Moore: How to talk to veterans about the war [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P04stEjJ9E