Forward Brightly: Helping Our Service Members Find Normality

**Guest Post by: Rhonda Underhill 

**Rhonda can be reached at Rhonda@getwellderly.com

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For many of America’s service members and veterans, finding a lifestyle they enjoy or a home of their own can be a challenge after or during the breaks in service. Luckily, there are many ways you can help facilitate a return to normality – here are a few.

Starting a Business

For many service members and veterans, a life without work is no life at all. That’s why so many try their hand at business. Once you have a laptop or PC, founding a business in the modern age is cheap and relatively easy – you can build a domain, manage sales, accounts and communication with just a few free software downloads. Even if you don’t have money to invest, you can help a service member to get started just by showing them how to navigate these simple programs.

Finding a Home

For many veterans, gathering the savings or income to secure a property can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are government schemes to help with a purchase, such as the VA loan. This is a guaranteed benefit issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs that is free of a down payment and does not require mortgage insurance. You can help a veteran by directing them to the available resources or by offering to help with the installation of home modifications they may need to improve life functionality.

Accessing Medical Care

If a veteran or service member you know is struggling with mental or physical health issues, you can encourage them to seek help. The Veterans Health Administration  offers free healthcare for any injury or illness that is deemed related to military service. If a veteran you know struggles with mobility, you can drive them directly to one of 1,293 facilities located across the country.
If their ailment is not covered by the VA, but they are enrolled in one of these four courses (including the standard veterans’ health care program), they should qualify for Obamacare.

Re-Entering Education

It’s never too late to re-enter education. If a veteran you know is struggling with what to do next, an online course could be the perfect solution. Right now, computer science is a burgeoning field and qualified graduates are in high demand. An education in this area can help improve knowledge of AI, computer theory and data structures. Alternatively, a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration would prove widely applicable in a range of business-based roles. Because these courses are online, all learning can be done remotely, meaning they’re Covid-friendly and unrestricted by location.

Connecting With Loved Ones

Many veterans would love nothing more than to connect with old friends and loved ones, but taking the steps to do this can be intimidating. You can help by setting them up on social media or hosting local social events so that they have an excuse to invite or meet with a friend. Alternatively, if there are no immediate social options, hosting veteran social events are a great way for service members to meet other kindred spirits. If you’re looking for local veterans near you, try one of the many directories set up for this reason.

It’s important that we help the men and women of the military when we can but, whilst our help is often needed, we also need to respect personal space and boundaries. There’s no harm in reaching out to local service members but always remember to do so with the utmost consideration and respect.

**Image by Pexels