Wisconsin agencies comes together to serve state's newest veterans

(1/20/10) - As about 3,200 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers, who deployed with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, return from Iraq this month, one mission remains - and a team of state agencies are working to give Soldiers the tools they need to complete that mission.

To ensure success on this front, the Wisconsin Service Member Support Division joined forces with the state Department of Workforce Development and the state Department of Veterans Affairs, along with several other agencies, to help returning Soldiers and Airmen understand what rights and benefits they have earned as veterans - in particular, education, employment and health care, and the opportunity to file service-related Veterans Administration disability claims before leaving active duty.

This collaboration is a natural outgrowth for the SMSD, created in 2009 as required by Congress to combine the Badger Yellow Ribbon program, Wisconsin National Guard Family Program Office and the Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP).

Run by the Wisconsin National Guard, the SMSD offers help previously available through a variety of programs through one office to families and employers of service members from all components, both active duty and reserve.

Jeffrey Unger, the transition assistance advisor for Wisconsin's Department of Military Affairs, said many benefits veterans have earned go unused. Beginning Thursday (Jan. 14), he moderated "Wisconsin Day," a detailed presentation to veterans back in the state less than 24 hours from a deployment to Iraq, acquainting them with their benefits. These briefings are considered crucial for returning service members.

"We want to make sure we introduce veterans to the core programs and services that are basically life-altering," he said.

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen returning from overseas deployments have been briefed on such benefits in the past, during their demobilization as well as periodic "reintegration" sessions in the year following the end of their active duty tour.

The idea for this type of presentation, Unger explained, was modeled after a similar effort last summer at Fort McCoy for the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the Washington Army National Guard.

"Reports from unit commanders [are] that this is the way to go," he said.

Mike Hallquist, a representative with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), spoke to 32nd Brigade Soldiers about job security in an uncertain economy.

"Your employer cannot discriminate against you because you served your country," he explained.

Soldiers have a right to return to the same or similar job at the pay rate they would have received had they not deployed, Hallquist said, and if they have been released due to downsizing at their job, they have a right to know their seniority status with the company to determine if their release would have occurred had they not deployed. These rights are spelled out under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act or USERRA.

Hallquist cautioned Soldiers that they have certain responsibilities, such as providing their employers with adequate notice of their upcoming deployment and returning to work within 90 days following the end of that deployment.

If the Soldier believes he or she has been treated unfairly by their employer, they are obliged to contact their chain of command, and then contact ESGR along with the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS).

If the complaint has merit and ESGR gets involved, "then it's the U.S. government versus your employer," Hallquist said. "You can guess who will win that one."

Ken Grant, a representative from the state Department of Workforce Development, spoke to Soldiers about various workshops offered to help those without jobs reenter the workforce. "In these tough economic times, we want to make sure you're the best prepared job applicant," Grant said. "We'll also do all that we can to help you get the right job skills. We want you to be the best prepared and the best qualified."

Ray Perez, from the state Department of Veterans Affairs, outlined federal and state veterans' benefits available to returning Soldiers. Some of these include the Wisconsin G.I. Bill, veteran education grants, assistance to needy vets, retraining grants, veteran homes and cemeteries, and the "Mission: Welcome Home" program.

"Listen up, guys - you're duly entitled," he said. "You're eligible for these benefits, but more importantly, you've earned them."

Rebecca Boehlke spoke about Military OneSource, which provides a vast array of services to veterans and non-veteran service members alike. These run the gamut from free counseling sessions for family issues, programs for weight loss and stress relief, financial counseling, and free tax preparation with a professional service through Military OneSource.

1st Lt. James Khile, the rear detachment chaplain for the 32nd Brigade, spoke to Soldiers about enrichment programs offered by the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs and administered by the chaplain program. There are programs for marriage enrichment (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program, or PREP), single enrichment (Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge, or PICK) and family enrichment. These weekend events are not counseling, but workshops to strengthen relationships and make wise relationship choices.

Jean Bardeen, a military Family Assistance Center representative, spoke about Wisconsin's Service Member Support Division. "If you take nothing else away from today, know that we are the portal for all the agencies here today," she said.

Capt. Mike Brandt, the state behavioral health officer for the Veterans Health Administration, spoke compellingly about post-traumatic stress disorder - what it is, and what it is not.

"What most people come back with is not PTSD, but resiliency," Brandt said. "A war zone is a prime place to build resiliency - opening your mind, doing what is necessary for the mission and the Soldiers around you. And that will serve you well in civilian life."

PTSD, he explained, is first a physical phenomenon, a chemical reaction in the brain that affects how one feels. It is caused by repeated exposure to horrifying events accompanied by adrenaline, he said.

"In a combat zone that can happen on a daily basis," Brandt said. "The brain is not built to handle that amount of adrenaline."

As a result, those with PTSD release adrenaline inappropriately. This can mean reduced problem-solving ability as well as anger-management issues. PTSD also can result in high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel and psoriasis. Early treatment is crucial, he said, as delaying treatment translates into lengthier treatment.

"Every one of you have changed from the war zone - not everyone in a negative way," Brandt said. "Many of you have resiliency.

"The only barrier between you and mental health is you," he continued. "You will get information on where to get help. Don't put it off."