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Lives of Service To be away from home at this
time of year creates emptiness that is never forgotten.
As you read this, there are men and women in foreign lands
serving our country with the highest degree of responsibility.
They will never forget the sights, sounds, and smells of their
experience of serving their country.
They think of home every day.
They miss the simple sounds of everyday life.
Each has an internal time clock that ticks away with the anticipation
of returning home. It counts down each month, week, day and hour
until they return to the safety of their home and family. When the time finally comes, anticipation of returning home
is sometimes overshadowed by the reality that some things are not
the same. This disquieting
realization can give rise to many of the same fears that shadowed
life overseas: enemies hidden among the civilian population, danger
on the most routine trips, etc. Many Vietnam veterans experienced extreme stress
after returning home from that war; today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
are facing similar stress. Challenges of Return Studies have been done on the impact of combat on returning
soldiers; the results are sobering.
Approximately 35 percent to 40 percent of soldiers returning
from this Iraq conflict show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and other lingering problems.
Some of these disorders become evident as soon as three months
after the troops return home. The difficulty may be compounded for National Guard and Reserve
troops, such as our Minnesota soldiers, who are demobilized quickly
after their return to the States.
Since their active duty is ended so quickly and they return
directly to civilian life, they often lack the support of others who
have “been there” and know what they are going through.
Family members, friends and coworkers may not understand why
their good friend now becomes anxious in heavy traffic, or can’t handle
the crowds of a mall. If returning
service men and women lack adequate support in their struggles of
readjustment, family and social problems can arise that could otherwise
be avoided. These issues should be frontline concerns for the community. God willing, the combat brigade of Minnesota soldiers — over
3,000 men and women — should return next March and April. Their return may present challenges for their
families and communities but these should not be viewed as negatives. These men and women have dedicated themselves
to the principles of freedom and democracy.
Meeting their needs at this critical time is one way we all
can make the slogan, “support our troops,” become a reality. Supporting the Troops The Minnesota National Guard is out front with an innovative
approach to reintegrating their soldiers, which also includes an aggressive
community education campaign. We
at the bar are preparing for the return of these heroes by giving
our total support to this effort.
The MSBA Military Law Committee is organizing a program to
bring the Guard’s Community Reintegration Training Seminars to members
of our profession before the Minnesota contingent returns.
The program addresses key issues such as:
Through the holidays we will remember the service men and women
and their families as they serve their country. If you have sons, daughters, or family members serving overseas
I would be honored to send them a short note thanking them for their
service on behalf of the Bar. If
you have any suggestions, please contact the Military Law Committee. Happy Holidays. PATRICK J. KELLY is president of the Minnesota State Bar Association, a founding partner in the St. Paul law firm Kelly & Fawcett, and a recognized Minnesota SuperLawyer. He practices in areas of municipal law, labor and employment law and litigation, real estate, and administrative hearings. |
