Military Culture

The veterinarian Culture Mikaela Barnett Chaltas School of Professional pleader Lindsey Wilson College Author Note Mikaela Barnett Chaltas, The School of Professional Counseling, Lindsey Wilson College. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mikaela Barnett Chaltas, Ashland, Kentucky campus. Email emailprotected com Abstract The ever changing and evolving flori assimilation of Veterans is reviewed and debateed in this paper. This paper has five main parts which acknowledge commentary of the culture, historical information, stereotypes, important values and smells, and counseling get alonges.Keywords veterans, culture, stereotypes, values, beliefs, counseling The Veteran Culture The Veteran Culture is discussed in this paper. The paper is divided into five sections which include a. ) description of the culture b. ) historical information c. ) stereotypes d. ) Important values and beliefs and e. ) counseling approaches. rendering of Culture A Veteran is defined by Dictionary. com (2011, Nov. 11) as a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like, or as a person who has millilitreitary serviced in a phalanx force, especially one who has fought in a war and experienced speak combat.Culture, as defined by J. P. Lederach, is, the shargond knowledge and schemes created by a set of mass for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them (p. 9). all(prenominal) definitions aside, Veterans be, as the VA proudly and courageously states on their website, Men and women who, for some(prenominal) reasons, wear uponned the uniform of our solid ground to root between freedom and tyranny to take up the sword of jurist in defense of the liberties we hold dear to preserve peace and to steady down the winds of war. The United States spendy is comprised of many cultures and individuals rom various backgrounds with various belief systems that take in put the ir wellness and their lives on the line to serve our country and preserve our freedom, as well as the freedom of their families. As tell previously, this group is extremely diverse. They spread cross agencys ethnic and socioeconomic lines, which include people from all parts of the United States (Hobbs, 2008). There argon most 22. 7 million Veterans who assimilate served in the United States Military, aged cardinal and older, according to the segment of Veterans affairs (www. a. gov, 2010). Many other elements of culture at bottom the Military take effect when one moves from civilian into armed services culture. Individuals are expected to move fluently from civilian to legions life with ease. They must learn and live up to force expectations which impact their family life. They must guide military acronyms and landmarks, learn and utilize the military chain of command and protocol, must practice military customs and courtesies, and deal with the endless transitions tha t enter their lives.Military forcefulness and their families are expected to easily jell to new or interim family configurations, properly manage their suddenly military lifestyle, accommodate physical changes, identify new contacts, and cope with any emotional come outs that arise from these changes. These men and women are drilled and taught to work together, support one another, and protect each other, as if they become one with their fellow soldiers. They develop a sense of belong that is hard for them to find outside of their military family.Military culture also places strain on be able to cope amiablely and physically when transaction with ones own stress regarding the changes to ones culture and the experiences that also occur at bottom the military, twain individualized and professional. Both active and inactive military members are accomplished to suck. up their own problems or difficulties (Bryan & Morrow, 2011). They share a rough-cut combat experience and a re part of the warrior culture (Bryan & Morrow, 2011). Mental health issues and instability are also common in the Veteran culture.Many veterans are likely to suffer from Depression, Substance Abuse and/or Dependence, various phobias, sleeplessness, and Post-Traumatic nisus Disorder (PTSD) (Palmer, 2011). Some Veterans also have physical disabilities from combat wounds and it isnt unlikely to manage such pains with pharmaceuticals that also lead to addiction. The imperfection that permeates the military culture surrounding psychical health and the ability to adjust to any condition within the military is always present, lots behave look foring treatment taboo (Jarvis, 2009).Historical Information The United States Military was schematic in 1775, which coincided with the Revolutionary contend. In 1776, the government boosted enlistments into the military for the Revolutionary War by providing pensions to disabled soldiers. In 1789, the subdivision of War was established, w hich would later be renamed the Department of Defense in 1949 (www. defense. gov/about/). The establishment of the military brought on the development of the veteran culture. As state before, Veterans span many cultures and generations (Hobbs, 2008).The Veterans mollify alive today have served in the most recent wars being World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq-Desert Storm, Iraq-Operation Freedom, and Afghanistan. Many older generations of Veterans have expressed their pinch of the younger veterans returning home from war and seem familiar with the problems they face up (Hobbs, 2008). Simply speaking, the older generations of veterans can enlighten one to the keen cognisance of issues that are present in the Veteran Culture that non-veteran civilians do not have. After World War II, the U.S. Military began taking the issue of mental illness seriously (Jarvis, 2009). The breaking down under the stress of military strains and stressors, and the psychiatric casualty, exposed the emot ional side of men and challenged the warrior culture which had been build upon bravery, self-mastery, control, and courage under fire (Jarvis, 2009). The military would use the term enervation when referring to soldiers who experienced mental health issues, hoping this would be a less stigmatizing term when they returned home (Jarvis, 2009. President Roosevelt expressed concern for the men in the military and those coming home from war. He expressed that the ultimate be make for them (Jarvis, 2009). The overwhelming number of vets after WWII diagnosed with neuropsychiatric disabilities lead to media attention, then ultimately, to back and better treatment of mental illness. Soldiers were expected to serve shorter tours of duty and provided with pronto available psychiatric care on the front lines (Jarvis, 2009. ) Then, post-Vietnam, a study shift occurred in funding the treatment of mental illness within the military.This continues to be a focus and an area of concern for our ve terans and military personal to this very day. Stereotypes As with any culture, stereotypes are common. The media plays a part in stereotyping military veterans and the military culture. Commercials focusing on, Be all you can be, multitude Strong empowering people to be one of, The Few, The Proud and to, Do something awful are just a few of those stereotypes that are engrained into the minds of people (Bryan & Morrow, 2011). All of these focus on the strength and agility of the military culture.Barbara Safani (2011, April 15) pointed out and debunked several(prenominal) common stereotypes used to describe veterans and others within the military culture. She reported that many believe that the people who serve our country are rigid and they dont think. We must always remember that even though on that point are incidents which may lead the civilian population to trust in these stereotypes, we must all identify that the majority of the military culture wonder their country and th ose to which they serve. Important Values As individuals, Veterans have varying values due to having come from an array of backgrounds all crosswise the United States.It would take an enormous amount of time and energy to discuss individual personal values within the veteran culture. As a whole, however, the military helps instill several core values into those who choose to serve this country. The United States Army listed their 7 Core Values on their website, (http//www. army. mil/values/). As with many cultures, they hold these values and practices dear to their hearts. The U. S. Military Values consist of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, revere, Integrity, and Personal Courage (www. va. ov, 2010). Taking a moment to explain these values in terms of military lyric may help civilians understand the culture in a way that they may not otherwise. Loyalty Bear true faith and obedience to the U. S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other soldiers. Duty Fulfill your o bligations. Respect Treat people as they should be treated. Selfless Service Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Honor Live up to all the Army Values. Integrity Do whats right, legally and morally. Personal Courage Face fear, danger, and adversity, both physical and moral. These bulky groups of individuals share a common bond as they experience the knowledgeable culture of the US Military. Veterans share a common language, symbols, and gathering places that people who are not Veterans do not understand (Hobbs, 2008). Counseling approach issues There are several approaches to counseling veterans and others within the military cultures that have proven successful. These often depend upon what type of treatment and the severity of the issue being treated.Many therapists use Reality Therapy, Choice Therapy, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and medicine to treat symptoms related to various mental health concerns within the military/ veteran culture (Palmer, 2011). It is common knowledge in the mental health profession, that many mental health issues within this culture are often co-morbid with others. This makes treating the mental illness complicated at times. The Department of Veterans Affairs (Feb, 2010) has a vast database of information for treatments and places that provide treatment, depending on the depth of the presenting issues.There are Outpatient serve offered for Veterans where mental health counselors are available (Department of Veterans Affairs, Feb, 2010). Suicide prevention programs with a hotline available for those on the verge of self-harm, along with information on the warning signs associated with suicide. There are also a vast number of confederate support groups available for those needing a regular outlet for processing of the issues they face. harmonise to Nick Palmer (Oct. 2011) the most important aspect of treatment is the support system.He stated that the people and professiona ls close to the veteran or active duty soldier can help them recognize their symptoms and reinforce therapeutic interventions needed for them to seek assistance if and when it is needed. He also stressed that individual therapy sessions were of utmost importance, as well as marital or relationship counseling, and systematic family interventions, which could make the difference between life and death for many veterans from this culture experiencing mental health issues. References Bryan, C. J. , & Morrow, C. E. (2011).Circumventing mental health stigma by embracing the warrior culture Lessons learned from the defender. Professional Psychology Research and Practice,42(1), 16-23. Culture. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com Unabridged. Retrieved November 09, 2011, from Dictionary. com website http//dictionary. reference. com/browse/culture Department of Veterans Affairs. (2008, Aug. ) Suicide prevention men and women veterans know the warning signs of suicide. Brochure. Department of Veterans Af fairs. Department of Veterans Affairs. (September 2011). The Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide.Office of depicted object Programs and Special Events. Website http//www. va. gov/vetsday Hobbs, K. (2008). Reflections on the culture of veterans. AAOHN Journal Official Journal of the American Association of Occupational wellness Nurses, 56(8), 337-341. Jarvis, C. (2009). If he comes home nervous U. s. world war II neuropsychiatric casualties and postwar masculinities. The Journal of Mens Studies,17(2), 97-115. Lederach, J. P. (1995). Preparing for peace Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse, NY Syracuse University Press. Palmer, Nick. (2011, October 28).Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Understanding and Treating Veterans. Ashland, KY. United States Army. (n. d. ). keep the army values. United States Army. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http//www. goarmy. com/soldier-life/being-a-soldier/living-the-army-values. html Veteran. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com Unabridged. Retrieved November 09, 2011, from Dictionary. com website http//dictionary. reference. com/browse/veteran Veterans Affairs National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n. d. ) Recovery a guide for Veterans, family members, and healthcare providers. Brochure. Veterans Affairs National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.