Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families (2013) / Chapter Skim
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7 Community Impacts of Deployment
7 Community Impacts of Deployment
Pages 331-386
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From page 331... ...
Second, it commissioned ethnographic studies to illustrate the effects of the deployments on six communities either located near major military installations (Jacksonville, North Carolina; El Paso, Texas; Watertown, New York; Lakewood and Lacey, Washington) or having relatively large, recently deployed National Guard populations (Georgetown and Andrews, South Carolina; Little Falls, Minnesota)
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From page 332... ...
would be reduced by $7.77 million, and a total of 266 jobs would be lost. Although this type of analysis is geographically specific, it does shed light on how a deployment might affect local economies with heavy reliance on military installations.
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The employers were a convenience sample identified by a unit of the Maryland National Guard. The 28 employers, 39% of which were in law enforcement, reported that reserve activation had a negative impact on work scheduling (61%)
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(2004) interviewed a small number of recipients of Small Business Administration Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans, which are given to companies that are unable to meet their operating expenses after an essential employee has been called to active duty.
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allows small businesses that lose essential employees or owners to active duty to defer payment of preexisting direct loans from the Small Business Administration. The law also requires the Small Business Administration to lower the borrower's interest rate.
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looked at employment status among 585 National Guard service members recently separated (45–60 days) , returning from OIF and OEF (Burnett-Zeigler et al., 2011)
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The question is: What types of vocational services are most effective for veterans with psychiatric illness? Resnick and Rosenheck looked at the relationship between PTSD and employment among 5,862 veterans in Veterans Health Administration Compensated Work Therapy, a vocational rehabilitation program (Resnick and Rosenheck, 2008)
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From page 338... ...
The only other estimate, made by the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) , pertains to all homeless veterans -- irrespective of deployment.
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Alcohol abuse, a known risk factor for homelessness, is generally higher among male and female veterans as compared with the general population. Additionally, National Guard and reserve soldiers are at increased risk of new problem drinking in the postdeployment period after combat exposure.
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Investigators identified 994 OEF and OIF veterans among the 44,577 homeless veterans referred to the Housing and Urban Development–Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD–VASH) program between 2008 and 2011.
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The top 10 list of needs varies among the three types of homeless veterans and the providers, but there are many overlapping service needs, such as long-term permanent housing, welfare payments, child care, dental care, job training, and legal assistance (Table 7.3)
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The concept behind Project CHALENG is that no single agency is capable of providing the full spectrum of services required to reduce homelessness. Project CHALENG enhances coordinated services by bringing the VA together with community agencies and other federal, state, and local governments that provide services to the homeless to raise awareness of homeless veterans' needs and to plan to meet those needs (VA, 2012a)
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From page 343... ...
services for homeless veterans (VA) $54,218 VA Healthcare for Homeless Perform outreach to identify homeless $80,219 Veterans veterans for VA services and assist them in accessing appropriate health care and benefits Compensated Work Provide vocational opportunities in $22,206 Therapy Transitional residential setting for veterans Residence Program recovering from chronic mental illness, chemical dependency, and homelessness Homeless Providers Promote the development and $130,000 Grants and per Diem provision of supportive housing and Program supportive services to help homeless veterans achieve residential stability, increase skill levels, and obtain greater self-determination Domiciliary Care for Provide services to economically $98,789 Homeless Veterans disadvantaged veterans Loan Guarantee for Increase the amount of housing $45 Transitional Housing for available, and provide services Homeless Veterans
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From page 344... ...
Research on the Efficacy of the Housing and Urban Development–Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD–VASH) Program Researchers have studied the cost-effectiveness of HUD–VASH housing programs for veterans (Rosenheck et al., 2003)
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(2010) studied homeless veterans who participated in residential treatment programs of three different types.
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of the veteran are met, HRVP assists in the finding and sustaining of employment for homeless veterans. The program then allocates the funding to community-based organizations and government agencies to provide job training, employment services, and other support.
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The State of New York offers mental-health screening and a host of other services under its New York National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program (State of New York, 2012)
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Veterans and the Criminal Justice System Demographics There is a dearth of information regarding crime, incarceration rates, and risk factors expressly for OEF and OIF veterans. The only study that included information on OEF and OIF veterans found that they constituted only 4% of the entire veteran population in federal and state prisons in 2004 (Noonan and Mumola, 2007)
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Because many of these conditions are co-occurring, comprehensive services should be available. Veterans Treatment Courts Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs)
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. Homeless veterans are, in turn, at increased risk for recidivism as a result of engaging in such activities as theft and prostitution to survive on the street.
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From page 351... ...
The locations of the six sites3 selected for the study are depicted in Figure 7.1. The six study sites vary significantly in population size: Little Falls, Minnesota, and Georgetown, South Carolina -- which are the two National Guard sites -- have the smallest populations, at approximately 8,400 and 9,000, respectively.
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100% 5 2 1 2 8 9 6 90% 13 6 9 80% 15 5 20 70% 12 58 60% 80 50% 96 Asian 86 40% 74 Hispanic 68 59 30% African American 20% 38 White 3 10% 15 0% FIGURE 7.2 Race and Hispanic ethnicity, by study site. Georgetown, which has only a local National Guard armory rather than a nearby military installation, reportedly has experienced no economic boost from the presence of the military.
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From page 353... ...
Because OEF began in the fall of 2001, OIF opened up a second combat theater, requiring a greater number of active-duty service members. In Georgetown, the local National Guard unit saw its first deployment to OIF in 2004.
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5 Georgetown community members acknowledged that many of the local National Guard members had returned home with symptoms of PTSD, but none of the interviewees perceived the symptoms to have risen to a level of community concern.
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Despite challenges to the formal service-delivery systems, informal services and supports were quite robust at all of the study sites. Examples of such supports include face-to-face and online peer supports, services provided through the faith community (including faith-based counseling)
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From page 356... ...
The El Paso Chamber of Commerce has similarly worked to stem the outflow of military families during a large deployment. A local business leader explained: It used to be where we would see a deployment, then we would feel the impact because the families would go home and so all of a sudden the grocery stores weren't as busy, clothing stores, the shopping centers .
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From page 357... ...
When these efforts are successful, spouses of deployed service members will view the community as "home," thus mitigating the potential economic effects of a large exodus of community members. No large-scale economic effects were reported in the two National Guard sites of Little Falls, Minnesota, and Georgetown, South Carolina; however, the limited opportunity afforded by the local economies appeared to contribute to National Guard members' volunteering to go on additional deployments.
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From page 358... ...
Local media outlets extensively cover the local military installation or National Guard unit, and community members pay close attention to the wars overseas. Yet, interviewees reported that formal communication about deployments and demobilizations is confined to a few, very specific areas, such as communication with the business community and with local schools.
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From page 359... ...
Interviewees in Little Falls described a similar scenario -- civilians wanting to engage in community ceremonies honoring the local National Guard unit but being reluctant to do so because they were uncertain about whether the events were "for family members only." Interviewees attributed this uncertainty to weak communication between the National Guard
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From page 360... ...
According to one Chamber of Commerce member, those updates "are well received and help our businesses not be taken by surprise by a large influx of people." The Chamber of Commerce in El Paso and that of Watertown, New York, serve as liaison between their respective communities and local installations so as to ensure timely communication of deployment-related information; and the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership serves a similar function between Lakewood, Washington, and JBLM. Communication About Deployments with School District Officials Strong communication channels also have been established between the local military installations and several of the local school districts.
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From page 361... ...
The impetus for the training reportedly stemmed not solely from the department's concerns about the soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss, but also from officers having numerous encounters with traumatized citizens fleeing the drug violence in Juarez. The Westat study team heard from an emergency-services provider about a similar effort to provide needed skills to local law-enforcement officers in Watertown, New York: We routinely have meetings between state police, the sheriffs, and myself and military police.
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From page 362... ...
Although formal channels reportedly worked well at the study sites with military installations nearby, some channels were less effective at the National Guard sites. Interviewees in Georgetown, South Carolina, said that official communication channels were not well formed at the time of the initial deployment.
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From page 363... ...
In addition, community members from schools and emergency services expressed concern about communications still being too sparse between National Guard leaders and their agencies. In Little Falls, Minnesota, interviewees identified FRGs as a potential but limited source of information because members of deployed units come from such a broad geographic area.
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From page 364... ...
Health of Service Members The current presentation of deployment-related behavioral-health challenges by service members was reported to be quite different among the six study sites. In Georgetown, South Carolina, for example, interviewees stated consistently that they were unaware of any community-level challenges posed by service members.
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From page 365... ...
Also in Jacksonville, both Onslow County EMS employees and police discussed the rise in suicide attempts, and a Health Department representative described an increase in gun accidents: We had two officer-assisted suicides where the people charged the officer with guns, and we've seen some other suicides. [Police Department representative]
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. Health of Military Families Interviewees at multiple study sites did not focus solely on the issues facing the service members themselves, but also reported the "ungodly amount of stress" that the deployments place on military families.
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A mental-health provider in Jacksonville, North Carolina, reported to the study team that she had been getting more calls from senior members of the military and officers: "They're tired and never thought they'd need counseling," she said, "but now their families are falling apart." PTSD is not the only issue challenging service members' families. Numerous interviewees described the strain that the rhythm of multiple deployments appears to be placing on the family as a unit.
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From page 368... ...
Nevertheless, most site interviewees believed that some youth are adversely affected by the stresses of having a parent deploy multiple times and that this stress is rising to the level of a community concern. Finally, but certainly not least important, interviewees pointed out the strains that the deployments place on the nondeployed spouse.
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The program is not offered at all US military installations, but it does exist at both Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and was mentioned in Jacksonville as an important resource.
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From page 370... ...
As reported by several respondents, the play served as an important opportunity for teens in the community to "voice what their experiences are." Interviewees also reported that the performance of the play has opened up the conversation between military children and their parents in Watertown about the deployment-related stresses that youth undergo. Despite the programs described above and related efforts, at all six study sites interviewees described significant challenges with the behavioral-health service-delivery system, primarily with respect to insufficient service capacity.
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From page 371... ...
Interviewees said that the concern extends to the individual's entire family -- that spouses might also be reluctant to seek care for themselves or their children because of the potential adverse effects on the military spouse's career. This perception was pervasive at the study sites: If you are an officer or an officer's wife, you don't want to be seen walking into the building where everyone knows it is where the mental health providers are.
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From page 372... ...
More than $11.9 million in grants were made to Texas community organizations, including mental-health providers, food banks, and children's services. Fourteen agencies in El Paso received grants, which interviewees reported were important in building behavioral-health capacity and expanding the availability of community resources to military families.
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From page 373... ...
Finally, interviewees at five of the six sites stressed the importance of having behavioralhealth service providers who understand the military, both from the service member's perspective and from that of the spouse and children. A clinician in Little Falls, Minnesota, noted that it is the shared experience that increases the credibility of the provider and makes service members more willing to confide in a mental-health professional.
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From page 374... ...
Partnerships between the military installations and city entities such as the Chamber of Commerce or school districts offer excellent examples of ways in which communities have continually modified their programs to accommodate the ever-changing dynamics with their military neighbors. Georgetown, South Carolina, stands as an exception to this rule, both because there is no nearby installation and because the role of the National Guard effectively changed (from strategic to operational)
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From page 375... ...
And Georgetown's FRG was said by interviewees to have struggled through the first deployment to move beyond its traditional social function to become a source of information and support for families of deployed National Guard members. Enthusiasm for the FRG was mixed in the active-duty sites as well, with one El Paso interviewee saying, "The FRG is helpful to many and for many it's their worst nightmare," as the rank of the deployed appears to influence whose issues are addressed.
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From page 376... ...
Family, Friends, and Neighbors At all six study sites, interviewees described an array of supports offered by family, friends, and neighbors. At both National Guard sites, which are small, rural communities, interviewees frequently commented that extended families live in the area and help pick up the children from school, provide child care while the nondeployed spouse is at work, and offer emotional support to the service member, spouse, or children as needed.
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From page 377... ...
The Armed Services Division within the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce that integrates directly with Fort Bliss. The Chamber of Commerce has made a concerted effort to reach out to Fort Bliss leaders, service members, and their families to try to discourage military families from leaving the area when the service member deploys.
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From page 378... ...
Social Capital As noted elsewhere in this report, interviewees at all six study sites said that their communities were "military towns" and that they both recognized and valued the sacrifices made by service members and their families. With rare exceptions, military spouses who were interviewed by study team members acknowledged the importance to them of living in a community where they felt they were "understood." In addition, the Westat study teams discovered a vast array of community-based supports and services in these locations, including faith-based efforts, outreach conducted by traditional veterans' organizations, and virtual support groups that make use of Facebook and other social networking technologies.
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From page 379... ...
A peersupport network for female service members was being initiated by a community provider in El Paso that might serve as a model for other communities. Communication Despite numerous efforts to establish lines of communication between military installations or National Guard leaders and the local community, interviewees continued to note the need for more formal channels of information exchange.
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From page 380... ...
Finally, a persistent theme in the ethnographic assessment was that clear communication between installations and surrounding communities is important for reducing potential adverse effect of deployments on local communities. Open formal channels of information exchange between base commanders and National Guard leaders with local community leaders, including business leaders, school administrators, law enforcement, and local social service agencies, regarding expected deployments and returns from theater appear to be useful in mitigating some adverse effects on communities.
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From page 381... ...
RECOMMENDATION There has been too little research on community effects of deployments to OEF and OIF. To supplement the published research, the committee completed ethnographic assessments in six communities that are near large military installations or that have recently deployed National Guard populations.
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2011. Mental health diagnosis and occupational functioning in National Guard/reserve veterans returning from Iraq.
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1994. Community impacts from a temporary military deployment: The case of Fort Stewart, GA.
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2008. Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program: Best Practices Profiles of Employment Assistance Programs.
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2012. Homeless veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan: Gender differences, combat exposure, and comparisons with previous cohorts of homeless veterans.
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