The interview

  I wanted to get some insight on the military through another veterans perspective. So I went on a quest to find a former veteran who has been through the process of being a soldier. From the early stages of  being a recruit to going on their first tour over seas. I had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing a gentleman named Phil Carlos Contreras. He is a former Marine and enlisted straight after high school as myself. He is doing well for himself after being honorable discharged from the Marines for over two years now. He served a 6 year term, and served a tour in Iraq. Below are the questions I asked him:

1   Why did you pick the service branch you joined and what made you decide to enlist?

It was a challenge that I wanted to fulfill since it was a branch that many did not want to join as it seemed to be a top competitive branch. I joined the United States Marine Corps because of my family not feeling as they were Americans when they came to this country, especially when my parents were at work or around many Americans. Joining the military gave me a prideful moment that my parents were now Americans and they can always walk around their work areas honorably that their son is a U.S. Marine.

2   How did your service and experiences affect your life?

It affected my life by opening myself  up to others as I was very shy with an introverted personality. The U.S Marine Corps helped me see who I am and changed the views of many of my family members about joining the military in a positive way.

3   What recommendations can you give a soldier entering into boot camp?

The one recommendation I can give a soldier is to take the fear as a positive sign.  Take each moment as a challenge, embrace it and let it make you stronger. The only person you should worry about is yourself. Also try not to complain about this experience as one day you will want to look back on it and remember the good times. It is always mindful to view everything that you are doing at boot camp is for the sole purpose of becoming part of something bigger in life. Always remember the reason you joined and use that to motivate you.

4 What were some of the most memorable experiences while being deployed?

One of the most memorable experiences that I had while being deployed was when we parked our convoy at night, in the middle of nowhere, in the dessert of Iraq. We stationed a 360 perimeter so we can sleep that night. LCPL Yoon, a very particular guy who was my best friend, laid on a cot next to me as we were trying to fall asleep with the Humvee next to us. Our buddy was on the Humvee turret gun as a security watch. We looked at the stars and just talked for a while about life wondering what we were doing there and then suddenly we began to quietly sing Christina Aguilera’s song in reference to the stars.  It was like, we didn’t care about what was going on around us and the song just made us strangely happy. 

 5   How has your relationship with your significant other/your family been affected by deployments, if at all?

My family and I are still very close, we have been apart for so long that we are now used to the time. It took time to get used to the separation and my parents experienced a lot of anxiety while I was deployed. At times you can say our relationship was strained because there were constantly stressing and worrying about me. As time progressed and I came back home we were able to build back our relationship to where it was at before I left.

 6    What did you go on to do as a career after being discharged?

I took some time off and decided to go to school and finish up my degree first. After I graduated with my Bachelor’s, I began working as an independent contractor and started my own business. There is only 6 men working in my company and two of them are former Marines as well.

7   Is there anything you would like to add that we have not covered in this interview?

Yes, I noticed on your blog you mentioned The Sandbox, I don’t know if many people know this but there is also a book out as well. Someone referred me to this book and at first it must have sat on my nightstand for a month or two until the day I decided to crack it open. When I did I couldn’t seem to put it down. This book had allowed me to make connections within myself and others.

8  Is there any advice that you can give me that I can post on my blog that can help other soldiers or veterans?

One piece of advice that can be helpful is suicidal awareness with other veterans and soldiers. I have met some men and woman who experience deep depression after leaving the military. Any additional support or information that can be provided for these individuals is greatly necessary. Even if you’re a veteran yourself, it is great to reach out and help each other when needed.

Phil brings about some interesting key aspects in his responses. I interviewed him in person and his demeanor described a lot more than just the words written on this post. What struck me the most was when I asked him about a memorable experience while being in the military. He seemed to be at peace, his posture relaxed, as he stared in to the distance and begins to answer the question. As the interview continued and eventually ended, each question aroused different emotions. Being apart of the military is just that, a roller-coaster of events and emotions. I enjoyed getting to hear about another veteran's experience and outcome to becoming a part of the U.S. Armed forces and hope you did to.

My Wikipedia adventure

Being a former Marine and current veteran, I've been interested in knowing the true benefit programs the government has for individuals such as myself. It it highly important to understand the resources that are available to you once your released from service. Usually Veterans come home with no immediate source of income or family to fall back on for that matter. These benefit programs that are created to service veterans to help get back on their feet and keep them stable coming out of service, is truly imperative. These programs assure that our veterans will not be abandoned and will be taken care of. So in my search of Veterans benefits I was discouraged to see that all Wikipedia had under this section was:

  Many veterans rely on this information and The VA, through its Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), provides a variety of services for veterans including disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, vocational, rehabilitation, survivors’ benefits, health care, and burial benefits.

In my journey I've come across many non-profit organizations that sponsor and hold veteran  assistance and benefit programs that unfortunately don't receive a lot of recognition and are unfamiliar in the veteran world.The Department of Labor as well works closely with veterans and uphold a priority policy for veterans when issuing government grants for educational purposes. They get to work closely with a veterans representative, someone who is just like them who's experienced what they've gone through and can assist them in merging back into the civilian world. There is a not for profit agency that is derived from the Department of Labor called New Opportunities. They open there resources to all individuals and have exemplary veteran programs which include additional resources such as  home visits for the ill, disabled, or otherwise healthy veterans, and the list continues. I recommend all veterans regardless of their age to check out this agency, it is very informative.  I decided to add to the Wikipedia page in reference to this important matter and the information I have humbly gained:

The Department of Labor(DOL) provides job development and job training opportunities for disabled and other veterans through contacts with employers. A subsidiary agency associated with the Department of Labor called New Opportunities has a division solely for Veterans. Programs include:

The “Good Neighbor Program” (GNP) provides visits to home bound, ill, or otherwise isolated veterans. GNP is a cooperative effort between the Veterans Administration and RSVP. While training of the volunteers, who will be visiting with referred veterans in their homes, will be conducted by the VA, volunteer administrative support will be provided by RSVP staff. Volunteers wishing to work in the GNP will be required to complete a Veterans Administration Volunteer application, attend a one time VA volunteer orientation session, be finger printed, and pass a background check. “Outreach” - Volunteers for this part of this program will attend “stand downs”, Veteran Service Organizations events, or general community events to provide information to veterans and examine possible assistance for their needs. Volunteer will assess veteran needs and direct veterans to programs and services (government or civilian) that can meet those needs. Volunteer may also assist with the application process and/or following up on an application.

“Job Skill Mentoring” Volunteers working on this part of our program will take advantage of the volunteer’s career and job search experience and skills. Volunteers will provide coaching to veterans in the preparation of resumes, interviewing skills, networking, etc. to prepare the veteran to have a more positive experience when getting ready for job searching. Volunteers will also be able to refer the veteran to the career development programs (e.g.job placement, resume writing, etc.) at the CT Department of Labor (CTDOL). ^[16]

In creating this new addition I also created an account with Wikipedia to check for other areas I can add to with fundamental information. I encourage others who read this blog to do the same. This was an enlightening experience.

The hardest part of going to war is coming home!

Coming home seems to be the easy part, but as strong as we train to sustain the emotional and mental barriers, more often than not, soldiers have difficulty adjusting back to civilian life. Many encompass a feeling of social isolation and feel that it is difficult to adjust back into society. Isolation turns into confusion, confusion turns into stress and stress can turn into anger. You become so accustomed to always having to be on your toes, watch over your back, and living on high alert that being back home and trying to relax becomes foreign. 

War is glamorized in the film industry but many fail to realize the true aftermath and toll it causes upon the mental stability of veterans, even more so on these soldiers that enroll right out of high school. Many suffer strains in their relationship with significant others.

Transitioning can be very difficult and impose mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is the most common illness that plagues soldiers returning home today. So when ever you come across a veteran, say thank you, it not only shows your gratitude but it encourages and solidifies the purpose of their sacrifice in the first place.