Interviewing a Military Veteran & Reflection Essay

Interviewing a Military Veteran & Reflection Essay

Interviewing a Military Veteran & Reflection Sample Essay

Military veterans have diverse perspectives on their service in the military and contribution to society. An interview with one of the veterans details a host of issues that they consider important yet none asks about them. For instance, military veterans, especially when celebrating the Veteran’s Day, do not want such sentiments like “Thank you for your service,” when one interacts with them in their community. Many believe that this is a way of dismissing them. They prefer having solid and useful conversations based on questions and issues like if they need help and how their service was, not necessarily about if they killed people but instead if they have a story that they can share (Meffert et al., 2019). The purpose of this paper is to detail an interview with a military veteran based on posted questions and provide a reflection of the overall moment, especially what they consider as important when engaging them.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE ON;Interviewing a Military Veteran & Reflection Essay

Question 1: Branch of Service

The interviewed military veteran is Jackson Silvar who served in the U.S. Navy.

Question 2: When, Where & How Long

Jackson Silvar served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean because of his station being Hawaii. According to him, he served for 26 years as a naval officer and through ranks to be one of the senior members on Pearl Harbor Navy Base. The veteran was placed at INDOPACOM in Pearl Harbor for most of his service to the U.S. Military. However, he asserts that he also had a stint at the infamous Guantanamo Bay in the Caribbean during the U.S war against terrorism. During this time, he coordinated activities on the incarceration of those terrorist suspects, mainly from the Middle East at a time when the U.S. was waging a war in Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein and Afghanistan to capture Osama Bin Laden and all his terrorist network.

Question 3: Involvement in Combat

According to Mr. Silvar, military officers must be deployed and get involved in combat at any point in their military careers and service. Imperatively, he was deployed in Combat during the Afghanistan war as he was part of the American military personnel in the Gulf of Oman in Middle East whose mandate was to ensure that the military does not run out of supplies for all the materials and foods that they needed. Mr. Silva said that his deployment lasted towards the end of the withdrawal of the U.S. involvement in both Afghanistan and Iraq after its efforts to stabilize the region did not seem successful in the long-term.

Question 4: Job Assignment or Area of Work

As one of the high ranking military officials in the U.S. Navy, his assignment or area of work was mainly to ascertain that all logistics were in order and the personnel offered sufficient resources to meet the needs of those in combat situation. He also ensured that the war ship was safe from any enemy or intruder’s attacks and activities.

Question 5: Engagement After Service

According to Mr. Silvar, after serving the military for 26 years, he retired back to his local community and sought for part time work at a local grocery to keep him busy. While he was entitled to benefits as a veteran, he felt that working would help him get back to the community and interact well with people after many years of service to the nation through the Navy.

Question 6: Using VA Services

Asked about Veterans Affairs (VA) services that he uses, Mr. Silvar was categorical that he uses a number of them. He listed rehabilitation services, home loan guaranties and healthcare services that include clinics and visiting medical centers under or authorized by the agency. He said that he uses these services since they are critical for his wellbeing (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019). For instance, the rehabilitation services are essential for him to overcome any traumatic experiences linked to the events that he witnessed while on his deployment and on duty to different parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and the Guantanamo Bay. The use of healthcare services arises from the need to ensure that he is healthy and does not have any condition that may affect his lifespan.

Question 7: Opinion on Healthcare Services for Veterans

According to the interviewee, healthcare services for veterans are essential for their overall wellbeing and their families. He asserted that these services are good and allow the veterans and their dependents to have access to health care despite their levels of incomes. For him, having served for over two and a half decades means that he does not have another plan but leverage the services to ensure that he is healthy and the family gets healthcare services as it needs. Imperatively, he recommends VA for all veterans as the most affordable and accessible way to getting healthcare services.

Question 8: Changing Healthcare if given the Opportunity

Mr. Silvar asserted that what he would change is increasing VA centers and clinics across the country so that the veterans do not have to cover long distances to access healthcare services. He was also categorical that ensuring that all veterans enjoy these services is critical to helping them overcome emotional and mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) that they suffer as a result of serving in the military.

Question 9: One of the Issues Facing Veteran and their Families 

Asked about one of the primary issues that veterans and their families encounter today, Mr. Silvar asserted that reintegration into their communities and even families is a huge challenge. Veterans require sufficient mental health interventions to help them overcome mental health issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety and even suicide ideation. Due to the mental health disorders, many veterans do not have access to health care, face homelessness and lack of education for their children Vest et al., 20. Others encounter food insecurities and limited opportunities for employment, even when they have the right skills.

Question 10: State of Mental Health Among Veterans

Asked about the state of mental health among veterans, Mr. Silvar asserted that a majority have mental health challenges yet there are limited resources for them. Veterans suffer from traumatic experiences of their activities in different parts of the world and coming home means that they should access rehabilitative care to become effective members of their families and communities.

Question 11: Open-ended Question

Asked about anything that should be added and not covered during the interview, Mr. Silvar was categorical that there needs to be more services for veterans, not just healthcare. For instance, he singled out the issue of homelessness as affecting many veterans and which should be a priority to protect their overall dignity and that of their families.

Reflection and Conclusion

The interview with the veteran was a mind opening one as it demonstrated the different areas that require attention to help the American military veterans who languish in difficulties in all spheres of their lives, from social to economic and health statuses. A core aspect of the interview was the relaxed, tentative and enthusiasm that the military veteran demonstrated. Mr. Jackson Silvar was relaxed, focused, and looked enthusiastic to interact with me during the session. He never minced his words and was keen on ensuring that I get his point well.

My thoughts and feelings concerning the interview, insights, and areas that I would like to know more about are that it was splendid talking to him and understanding that there are so many ways to help these veterans so that they live more decent lives after serving the country in the most difficult ways. I feel that the interviewee was fort right and never intimidated to offer the opinions and views that he provided. The understanding that I gained to assist me take better care of veterans today is that mental health services are a core part of the overall integration of these people into their communities and families.

References

Department of Veterans Affairs (2019). Independent Veteran advocate health care survey shows

high marks for VA improvements. https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5328

Meffert, B. N., Morabito, D. M., Sawicki, D. A., Hausman, C., Southwick, S. M., Pietrzak, R.

H., & Heinz, A. J. (2019). US veterans who do and do not utilize veterans’ affairs health care services: demographic, military, medical, and psychosocial characteristics. The primary care companion for CNS disorders, 21(1), 26992. DOI: 10.4088/PCC.18m02350

Vest, B. M., Kulak, J. A., & Homish, G. G. (2019). Caring for veterans in US civilian primary

care: Qualitative interviews with primary care providers. Family Practice, 36(3), 343-350. DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmy078

BUY A CUSTOM-PAPER HERE ON;Interviewing a Military Veteran & Reflection Essay

Instructions

Your assignment is to interview a military veteran. Ask the veteran the questions listed below and an additional question of your interest. Please submit a 4-5 page report on your interview, not counting the cover sheet or reference page, following APA format. If you are a veteran, please interview a veteran who you think may have had different experiences from your own, such as one of a different age range, or who served in a different location or branch of service. Question topics What was his/her branch of service? When and where did he/she serve and for how long Was he/she deployed or involved in combat? Where, and for how long? What was his/her job assignment or area of work? What did the veteran go on to do after service? Does the veteran use any VA services of any kind? Why or why not? What is the veteran’s opinion on healthcare services for veterans? What would the veteran change about his/her healthcare if he/she had the opportunity or ability? What do you think is one of the main issues facing veterans and their families today? Your question ________________________________ At the end, ask the following open-ended question:Is there anything that you would like to add that we didn’t talk about during this interview? Include a substantive reflection at the end of your report. Include your observations about the veteran during the interview. Did the veteran seem relaxed, tentative, enthusiastic etc…? Include your thoughts and feelings regarding the interview, insights, areas that you would like to know more about, and understanding that you gained that will help you to better care for today’s veteran.