English Composition ( rewritten essay) Title: Variables for a Smooth Veteran Transition to Civilian life

1. Introduction

   1. Thesis statement: Several variables can be integrated to smooth the transition to civilian life for service members, such as greater assistance with proper housing, education, stable social and family structures, and sustainable employment as they revert to private citizens.

2. Body Paragraph

   1. Claim: Career development

1. Evidence: (sound guidance from professional career counselors is one aspect that would smooth the transition by inspiring confidence in the process as well as providing courage in the service members' future job opportunities (Miles, 2014).

2. Evidence: Professional career development counselors assist in a variety of services like writing a good resume, connecting civilian based employment that matches their military experience (Miles, 2014).

3. Discussion: As shown by the research referenced above, the future of transitioning veterans is always on the forefront of their minds. Therefore, career guidance from professionals eases these concerns for veterans as well as providing them with job acquirement skills ultimately helping with their transition.

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   1. Claim: Advice from peers and the community

1. Evidence: Peer to peer advice amongst transitioning service members or from those that have already transitioned instills confidence in those getting ready to leave the service (Ahern, Worthen, Masters, Lippman, Ozer, & Moos, 2015).

2. Evidence: Veterans who perceived that the military and the community around them treated them well and offered all available support programs while serving and after deployments reported successful transitions as opposed to those who felt alienated by the same institutions (Ahern, Worthen, Masters, Lippman, Ozer, & Moos, 2015).

3. Peer to peer sessions to offer advice amongst transitioning members or between those transitioning and those that have already left helps the former by giving them confidence about the process and life outside the military. Advice from the military and the community around the veterans serves the same purpose. This smooths the transition by expelling the fear of the unknown (civilian world) faced by transitioning service members.

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   1. Claim: Further Education

1. Evidence: Montgomery GI Bill to the Post 9/11 by the Federal Government enhancements in 2010 geared towards advancing education to all qualified veterans (O’Herrin, 2011).

2. Evidence: Higher education institutions have however lagged in supplementing existing campus programs and services with such veteran-specific resources (O’Herrin, 2011).

3. The Government has done an excellent job supporting veterans by advancing education benefits such as the GI Bill for active duty and transitioning veterans. However, for a smoother transition, institutions of higher learning must step up and incorporate programs that support veteran-based resources to increase enrollment and opportunities for transitioning service members.

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   1. Claim: Mental Health

1. Evidence: Mental health brought about mainly by post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse while in the service, broken domestic relationships, poverty and medical problems. Back to back overseas tours to Iraq and Afghanistan have largely been to blame for the onset of the above-mentioned problems (Metraux, Cusack, Byrne, & Hunt-Johnson, 2017).

2. The department of Veteran Affairs, in conjunction with both military and civilian care providers and other non-medical entities, has provided opportunities for transitioning veterans to obtain counseling, medical attention and job placement in addressing the ever-increasing mental health issues. As the leading cause of transition uncertainty, the Veteran Affairs department’s actions provide much needed relief and confidence to such transitioning veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders and other psychological ailments stemming from military service.

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   1. Counterargument: Women veterans have always been underpinned and cast off during the transition process mainly because of common cultural conventions that look down on women and gender inequality. This often results to most women abandoning most transition services in lieu of taking care of their families, and unemployment.

   2. Rebuttal: Women veterans are entitled to the same transition services just like their male counterparts.

1. 1. 1. Evidence: As the author notes, professional career development targeted specifically for women veterans is paramount to the successful transition of women veterans (Greer, 2017).

      2. Evidence: Women veterans alienated by the military units they served in and those punished by their units for substance abuse looked up to the department of Veteran Affairs and the surrounding civilian community for support and help addressing their behavior while transitioning (Ahern, Worthen, Masters, Lippman, Ozer, & Moos, 2015).

1. Conclusion

   1. Call to action: Education, career development counseling, mental health and advisory sessions for peers are variables that need to be enhanced if veterans will have a smooth and successful transition to civilian life following their military service.

   2. Concluding statement: In view of the above evidence, various aspects that determine veterans’ future as they separate from the service need to be addressed and improved upon to ensure a smooth transition, while ensuring continuity in their personal and professional lives.

References

Ahern, J., Worthen, M., Masters, J., Lippman, S., Ozer, E., & Moos, R. (2015). The challenges of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans' transition from military to civilian life and approaches to reconnection. Public Library of Science One, 10(7), 1-13. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128599

Greer, T. (2017). Career development for women veterans: Facilitating successful transitions from military service to civilian employment. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 19(1), 54-65. doi: 10.1177/1523422316682737

Metraux, S., Cusack, M., Byrne, T., Hunt-Johnson, N., & True, G. (2017). Pathways into homelessness among post-9/11-era veterans. Psychological Services, 14(2), 229-237. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=cd6256c7-67be-4a39-a1bce88bb78b12cf%40sessionmgr104&hid=104

Miles, R. (2014). Career counseling strategies and challenges for transitioning veterans. Career Planning & Adult Development Journal, 30(3), 123-135. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/docview/1609375049/Record/26F434D980CF4658PQ/2? accountid=32521

O'Herrin, E. (2011). Enhancing veteran success in higher education. Peer Review, Winter 2011, 13(1), 15-18. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=e8de768c-a88b-46c8-8510- d673bfc1ab29%40sessionmgr120&hid=104