Sunday, October 6, 2013

Rebuilding disabled veterans lives

             http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/us/cnnheroes-conklin-veterans/index.html?hpt=us_t4
              "When these guys come back from war, they are broken," he said, reflecting on the missing limbs, traumatic brain injuries and other devastating wounds he observed.” I believe this to be very true because I’ve seen movies about men coming back from war very damaged. In the movie the lucky one, when he comes back he isn’t injured or anything but he goes through experiences most other don’t experience. He came back and got defensive when people would play fight and he remembered seeing his best friend die in war. Even if their bodies are in good condition, they are damaged in their mind. Having to see people get injured and even die in front of their eyes can change a person and make them more protective when they get back.
                "Every one of them is different," Conklin said. "Some will need service dogs, guide dogs, housing assistance, special equipment put through the house, drivers." Reading this you can’t imagine how hard it is to come back from that setting not only injured but having to get assistance you’ve never needed before. You would have to think about the kind of jobs out there that would want you working for them. In the article when it talks about finding jobs for these men and women. This is very important because them being injured it can be hard to find a job that will work with their disabilities.
                “The Sentinels of Freedom program rigorously screens each candidate, and scholarship recipients must continually provide status updates to keep getting assistance. But it's not just about the money, Conklin said. It's about building relationships and reintegrating people into society.” I think that after coming back from war they need all the support they can get. I’m glad to see that they have someone checking up on them and somebody to talk to about what is going on in their life. They definitely need some kind of moral support after going through war. Even those who aren’t damaged need to bring out their feelings and what is on their mind.

                I would imagine if these men and women didn’t have anyone to talk to about their experiences with the war that they would have a hard time adjusting to the real world. They could be a lot less relaxed and still have tension from the war bottled up inside them which could lead to a mental breakdown.  I’m very happy to see people talking to and helping out with veterans after the war. 

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