TR veterans to get tips to ease into civilian life

By Ashley Johnson/tr news editor

TR Campus veterans will receive information about how to make their transition back to civilian life easier at Veterans Support Day, said TR health services coordinator Veronica Warrior.

Many people go into the military straight out of high school, and some have been in their entire adult life. Every facet of their lives is handled by the military while they are serving. Once they get out of the military, it can be difficult to re-enter civilian life, she said.

“When a person comes back to the civilian world, it’s almost like a shock,” she said. “The military has everything structured for you, and once you’re out, you’re on your own. It’s like a kid leaving home for college.”

Having served six years in the Air Force, Warrior said she knows firsthand what is needed to return to a normal civilian life.

“I was very aware of the benefits I could receive, and it was much easier for me as a veteran to transition from the military back to civilian life because I knew the civilian community and the resources,” she said.

Veterans Support Day will introduce veterans to 25 or more vendors from Veterans Affairs that can answer questions many are asking and guide them to the resources available to them and their dependents, she said.

Many veterans are coming back to school but don’t know they can actually receive money for it, something the vendors can help with, she said.

“They come to me and say, ‘Ms. Warrior, I have no clue what I need to do. But I need a job, I need some money and I have to have a paycheck,’” she said. “If you don’t have a job but you’ve served in the military, you may have paid into your G.I. bill, and that can pay for you to go to school.”

Veterans need to realize they have a major advantage, she said. They can receive money to pay for their education and gain new skills to make themselves marketable in a bad economy. They also have many other privileges such as housing and medical insurance, she said. It’s important that veterans come to learn about their benefits and be pointed in the right direction, she said.

“Many of them don’t know where to start, so they can talk with those vendors out there and find out what they need,” Warrior said.

All vendors will have a booth set up on Main Street from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 23. Tyrone Hunter of Veterans Affairs will discuss how to better serve veterans noon-1 p.m. in Action A (TRTR 4202). For more information, contact Warrior at 817-515-1167.