OPINION:
Our post 9-11 war fighters who are attempting to recover from emotional and physical trauma rely on the compassion of caretakers, re-tooling and role modeling for their healing. Still, studies suggest that only half of returning service members who need treatment for their mental health actually receive care. And the response to that care is not always successful.
Former Commander in Chief George W. Bush understands this. He has told me that he is committing the rest of his life to helping veterans recover and transition. Mountain biking with him and some of his former soldiers on his ranch in Crawford, Texas during the Warrior 100K bike ride, I have witnessed his brand of leadership up close — personal, compassionate, yet uncompromising. The yearly ride is therapeutic and promotes bonding and healing.
The George W. Bush Institute now has a first of its kind program to help post 9/11 veterans transition, known as Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.
Col. Miguel Howe, retired Special Forces officer with over two decades combat experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Latin America, is a fellow and former director of the Military Service Initiative at the Bush Institute. Col. Howe helped to launch Stand-to last summer and is involved in its ongoing curriculum.
Col. Howe has described the program as “aimed at individuals serving our nation’s veterans who are motivated to broaden and improve their skillsets, knowledge and influence. Scholars study four elements of leadership, critical veteran issues, and how to drive systemic change.”
Not everyone in the program is a veteran, some are active duty, some civilians, all are brought in for six months to work on post 9/11 transition issues. Civilians provide a useful outside perspective. President and Mrs. Bush meet with the scholars on their projects and Mrs. Bush helps them examine the role of caregivers and spouses.
One of its first graduates this fall, Afghanistan Veteran former Army Capt. Meaghan Mobbs, is studying for her doctorate in clinical psychology at Columbia University. She told me in a statement that whether a veteran has post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury or not, in any case “the stress veterans experience as they transition out of the military is remarkably heterogenous and multi-faceted. Soldiers and veterans are undeniably resilient, both by selection and by training but they are not superhuman. The process of transitioning and reintegrating back to civilian life is often stressful and can generate lasting psychological difficulties.”
Capt. Mobbs indicated that the decision to name the Veterans Leadership Program, “Stand-To,” was not accidental. Stand-to is short for Stand-to-Arms, and is traceable back to trench warfare in World War I. It was a state of heightened readiness, indicating that an attack might be imminent. The Bush Institute in choosing this term is acknowledging the supreme challenge of re-integrating into society, while at same time remaining optimistic that the time will come to “stand down.”
Another member of the first group of leadership graduates, former Army Sgt. William Parker is the senior quality improvement coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where he works to improve patient outcomes and quality of care. Sgt. Parker’s project for Stand-to involved building a comprehensive healthcare-specific employment program in Central Ohio that focuses on educating and preparing veterans for open opportunities, while also educating partner healthcare organizations on the value of hiring veterans.
Sgt. Parker told me how much the Bush Institute experience meant to him. “This program has provided me with so much more than just the knowledge and tools needed to improve veteran outcomes. I now have confidence in myself that I am the right person to be a leader in this space, as well as a tightknit network of peers and fellow scholars that I can rely on as resources.”
The second group of over 30 in the Bush Institute’s pioneering veteran leadership program will start class in mid June. It is clear they are lucky to be the ones chosen to hone and develop skills that they can then spread around the country to other veteran war fighters who may be seeking direction. As Meaghan Mobbs says, different transitional skills are needed for each veteran.
Let the projects begin.
• Marc Siegel, a physician, is a clinical professor of medicine and medical director of Doctor Radio at NYU Langone Medical Center. He is a Fox News medical correspondent.
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