Surviving and Transitioning After the Military

Written by L.D. Johnson Sunday January 29, 2012 5:07pm

Hero's Homecoming Growing up in Windham, Ohio, Stan Roberts wanted more out of life than his friends there did. “They’re still doing things we were doing in our teens,” he said. He attended ITT Tech to study electronics, but a recruiter convinced him that the Marine Corps was better for his long-term needs. A sergeant in the 2nd AAV in Camp Lejeune, NC, he planned for a full career with the military until, during his third tour in Iraq his amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) hit an improvised exploding device (IED) and caused an explosion that resulted in the loss of his right leg. His right arm was also damaged and he was left with a traumatic brain injury.

Roberts recovered and returned home as a civilian. Like countless other veterans, he found that while adjusting to life after the military can be daunting, especially in cases involving injury. There are, however, resources to help vets survive and thrive after service.

Operation: Coming Home

In 2010, while he recuperated, Roberts called Andy Ladner, Home Builders’ Association of Raleigh – Wake County (HBA) vice president of marketing and membership and member of the Board of Directors for Operation: Coming Home to express his interest in the program.

Operation: Coming Home is a joint volunteer project led by the (HBA) and the Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans (TREAC-V) and supported by Royal Oaks Building Group and Gaines & Company among others. The project builds and donates homes for disabled combat veterans who have served in the Middle East and who have been interviewed by a selection committee to determine the best fit and best use of resources. Roberts qualified for the aid, and the process to get himself and his family settled into a new home began shortly thereafter.

Operation: Coming Home provided Roberts, along with his wife and four children, a free home, with ownership vested over a five-year period. When that time expires, the family can sell the home, preferably to another disabled veteran.

The program runs on donations of time by home building subcontractors and vendors, who work together to get the home built, while tax-deductible contributions support the program. The program’s third home will be completed later this year.

Roberts appreciates his specially-made residence and the mobility it allows him.

“The house is handicapped accessible,” he said. “The hallways are wide, the doors are wide. The kids love the neighborhood.”

Royal Oaks Building constructed the home, while neighborhood developer Gaines and Company donated the site. The home is located near another ITT Tech campus, where Roberts plans to earn his associate’s degree in Information Technology in December

Educational Opportunities

Roberts was a ground technical specialist in communications in the military, but he is more interested in IT now, and he recommends veterans make use of the Post 9/11 GI Bill to pay for their educational needs.

“Take advantage of free school,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity. If you want to be a lawyer, it’ll pay for it.” Hero's Homecoming

The bill applies to online programs as well, an advantage if veterans have not decided where to reside permanently or face transfers and duties on the road in their civilian life. To meet those needs locally, NC State University has expanded its Jenkins MBA part-time evening program to the Internet, making the program available online beginning this year. The online degree takes two years to complete with the same academic requirements as the working professional’s degree offered at both NC State’s main and Research Triangle Park campuses. The first cohort of 35 students has been selected for the inaugural fall 2011 semester.

Online MBA students compile the same amount of time as “regular” Jenkins MBA candidates. The students have the opportunity and flexibility to work on assignments on their own time and location while staying interactive with their fellow students and professors.

“It’s the same professors, the same networking and the same back-and-forth you get from our regular classes,” said Cecil Bozarth, lead faculty member for Jenkins MBA. There are a few tweaks to the online program, such as blog-based discussions of certain cases.

The university plans to grow the program, but to keep the cohorts small, around 35 students per cohort.

“As we grow, we want to make sure we maintain a quality and educational experience that our students would have experienced if they did it face to face,” said Bozarth.

NC State appreciates veterans and wants them as part of the program. “Frankly, they have a level of discipline and experience that adds a lot to the class,” Bozarth said.

Hero's Homecoming A Few Other Considerations

Some vets have emotional difficulties adjusting to civilian life. Roberts can joke about dealing with his children, but it did take him time to handle the family situation when he left the military.

“You’re used to being around adults, and me being a sergeant, when you say, ‘Go do this,’ they do it,” he said. “Kids don’t.”

Roberts is more serious if a vet is having severe emotional or mental distress, and he advises them to seek professional help. He keeps himself mentally and physically fit, and he recommends other vets do the same.

As for his children, Roberts says his only son, 7, has expressed an interest in going into the military when he grows up. That could change, though – after all, he is only 7.

For more information on Operation: Coming Home, visit http://www.operationcominghome.com.

For more information on the Jenkins MBA online program, visit http://www.mgt.ncsu.edu/mba/academic-programs/online.