Veterans who have served in war may be reluctant to discuss their experiences due to trauma, concerns about upsetting loved ones, or security constraints. However, studies show that discussing wartime experiences can help veterans and their families process their experiences and avoid negative fallout. The high number of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) highlights the need for support and counseling. Neglecting the needs of veterans after service, as seen with Vietnam veterans, can lead to disastrous consequences, and efforts are being made to better support veterans returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, and future wars.
Any country with a military force has a retired military population. When people have served in the military without experiencing a war, they might not have a problem discussing their military service. However, those veterans who have served in war are sometimes reluctant to discuss their experiences and there may be a variety of reasons why this is the case. These could range from reasons like not wanting to upset loved ones, especially wives or children, which is less of a concern today, to not wanting to relive what may have been extremely traumatic experiences.
In previous wars, such as WW1 and WW2, there was sometimes concern about discussing war because it could prove upsetting to children or wives. Many studies have been done with WWII vets suggesting that many of their stories were withheld and that their wives and children had never heard from them. In one sense, this is unfortunate, since it may have created an unrealistic picture of the war, portraying it as more heroic than hideous. On the other hand, veterans of these wars had good reason to hold back given the horrors they encountered.
Approximately 88% of veterans returning from war have had first-hand experience of violence: witnessing it, being a victim of it or causing it. Many have had daily fears for their lives for a period of time. The environment of distrust of all but fellow soldiers is hard to shake when returning home, and a number of vets experience some degree of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS). It has become particularly evident with the return of veterans from the US/Iraq war that began in 2003 that the number of soldiers suffering from PTSS is far higher than previously assumed, and more returning soldiers have sought treatment for the condition than past American wars.
The need for care is not surprising given that living in an environment of violence and risk is traumatic. Few people recover from this without some support, and there may be great reluctance to discuss what has happened because veterans are looking to let go of that environment and re-integrate into a world where there is more capacity for trust and greater security. . Reliving the experiences can make this difficult, or so many soldiers may feel. However, with the number of veterans seeking help, there is certainly some evidence that veterans need a place to discuss wartime experiences. That post may not be the home front, but may instead be with an understanding and experienced counselor.
There may be another reason veterans of recent wars don’t discuss their experiences. They may not be able and may be constrained by security concerns not to mention certain aspects of their service. Especially in an ongoing war, there may be ongoing actions or engagements that need to remain private. This means that some veterans are likely to have to filter all conversations they have about war through the lens of national security issues. To avoid revealing secure information, they may simply not want to discuss it.
There’s still good reason for vets to be open about their wartime experiences when they can. Studies show that vets and their families can suffer without processing these experiences. Some of the fallouts of engaging in warfare include increased strain in families. About 50% of vets have multiple arguments with spouses, 20% have lost sexual intimacy, and over 55% of vets report having some difficulty with family life when they get home. Yet nearly 40% of vets do not want to use military medical services and are wary of the system.
It is very clear from previous wars, especially the Vietnam War, that lack of attention to the needs of veterans after service is a potential disaster. Numerous Vietnam vets have not received the care they needed, which explains their presence not in homes, but on American streets like some homeless people. The many groups now supporting vets are determined not to let that happen this time around and to be better stewards for vets coming home from wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and any future wars, who may need to talk but remain reluctant to do so.
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