http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/08/lonely-men-on-campus-student-veterans-struggle-to-fit-in/261628/ Quote from this site…
“Members of the Oneida Nation returning from war undergo communal ceremonies to sooth their frayed bodies and minds. Tribal elders give the warriors new names to recognize a soul that has been completely transformed. For now, it would appear universities and colleges — communities in their own right — will remain the grounds of a silent return, the half-remembered beach of Odysseus’ nightmare.”
If you want to learn more about “Odysseus’ nightmare” click on http://www.amazon.com/dp/074321157X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=faliwipt-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=074321157X&adid=0P9WDE63YGD8V0F33M4F&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Flivingwithptsd-sparkles.blogspot.com%2F and buy the book. In the meantime, the link just above my comments takes you to a previous posting regarding Sierra Community College near Sacramento, California that started a non-profit veterans group on campus to help veterans adjust to campus life. As discussed in The Atlantic article link at the top of this page, “Lonely Men on Campus,” it is a big challenge for veterans to get back on campus following deployments. The Sierra Community College model appears to offer a solution. My nephew who is a US Navy veteran will enroll in Sierra this fall and plans to get involved. I’ll stay on top of his experience with the campus veterans group to see what he thinks in terms of the value. Veterans have a strong desire and incentive to return to school following deployment and should take advantage of the opportunity. But the challenges of readjustment to civilian life does not exclude life on campus, which presents yet new problems for veterans as they return to life after war.
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story
