Parenting Styles

Operation: Never Alone and Broken Together

Aimmie C. Jenkins

Liberty University

Author Note

Correspondence concerning this ministry proposal should be addressed to Aimmie Jenkins at (832) 382-6778 or AJenkins22@liberty.edu.

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges a Soldier or Veteran faces is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  PTSD, an anxiety disorder, may follow a traumatic event, experienced in combat.  According to USA TODAY, since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), 211,819 Veterans have obtained treatment for PTSD (Zoroya, 2011).  Sadly, the numbers of Veterans suffering from PTSD is higher, as less than 40% of Veterans seek help.  When Veterans come home, the spouses and even the children, turn into caregivers.  Spouses, children, and the Veterans themselves suffer.  Veterans who have experienced trauma are at a greater risk for suicide.  Suicide within the Veteran community is a tragic epidemic.  The VA estimates 22 Veterans complete suicide each day. However, the number is thought to be much higher since there is no standard in which to report Veteran Suicides.  God, the ultimate healer, cares deeply for Veterans and their families.  Often times healing begins when a Veteran realizes they are not forgotten by the country for which they so courageously fought.  Operation: Never Alone Broken Together (ONABT) will be an asset to the Fort Wayne community, by addressing these statistics in a passionate manner and allowing the Veteran to connect with other Veterans.  The Spouses, children, caregivers, and other family members will benefit from ONABT also, as they are a vital part of the treatment and success of the Veteran.  

Keywords: Veteran Suicide, Wounded Warriors, Caregivers, Children, Family

Operation: Never Alone and Broken Together

        According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are over 16 thousand Veterans in the Fort Wayne Area (Bureau, 2015).  Veterans are not the only ones who suffer when PTSD occurs; spouses and children also suffer.  The spouse and children of the Veteran may have feelings of hurt, alienation, and become discouraged.  The spouse often becomes the caregiver and may neglect their own needs as they devote a majority of their time caring for the Veteran. The Veterans family may develop Secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (SPTSD) and experience some of the same symptoms. It is a daily battle for a family when a Veteran is wounded, whether those wounds are visible or invisible.  The rate of divorce for a Veteran with PTSD is two-times greater than Veterans without PTSD, and three-times more likely to divorce two or more times (Price & Stevens, 2016).  It is important to heal the entire family through this battle and build stronger families, so they may begin to cope and succeed.

 There is one completed suicide for every 20 attempted suicides. Since the annual rate of suicides are 29.5 for every 100,000 Veterans.  This means that out of every 100,000 Veterans, 590 have attempted suicide.  The Veteran Crisis Hotline has engaged in over 2,104,000 calls, online chats, and text messages and has notified emergency services over 56,000 times since 2007 (Affairs, 2013).  On average, over 19,000 Veterans reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line each month.  How many Veterans that contemplate suicide are there that need support but do not reach out?  

A chilling example of what can happen when a Veteran does not get the help they may need, happened some 300 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, in Evansville.  Four soldiers of the 163rd Field Artillery, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a National Guard unit based in Evansville, Indiana, ended their lives after returning from war (Higgins, 2015).  On March 18th, 2011, Ronald Zeller was the first to end his life.  Next, William Waller ended his battle on July 5th, 2013.  Then, it was Justin Williams to complete suicide on November 3rd, 2013.  Finally, April James was the last to die when she went in her back yard and shot herself in the head with a pistol on May 24th, 2015.  

Vision

The biggest problem for the Church as a whole, when it comes to the Veteran population, is many Veterans do not attend church (LaPierre, 1994).  Combat is a subject that is rarely referenced in a sermon.  Understandably so, if the pastor has not endured combat himself.  A large majority of combat Veterans have fulfilled a role that their Commander-in-Chief regarded as essential to the United States of America, and often times, this means ending another human’s life.  This may leave them feeling shameful and guilty, especially so if they believed it was morally wrong.  Some of these Veterans cannot simply resolve their guilt.  Talking with someone who has never been to combat about their experiences is challenging.  These are events that most church goers do not want to hear.  

The sermons at Pine Hills Church (PHC) stress the universal nature of sin and the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.  However, the thought of anyone else forgiving them, especially the Heavenly Father, is beyond comprehension.  Especially when they cannot forgive themselves.   A Veterans heart throbs with shame and guilt because of the flesh-ripping repugnant actions of war.  A Veteran will keep themselves cut off from ones that may love and care for them as a way to punish themselves for the things they have done.  Self-hatred and self-disgust can keep the Veteran from accepting the forgiveness of the Heavenly Father, realizing the good in their life, and the ability to feel the love of others.  

        ONABT will benefit Veterans, spouses, and children with the building of stronger families and fighting the epidemic of Veteran suicide.  Veterans, spouses, and children struggle through the navigation of the peaks and valleys of post-combat.  Though many of them have never met one another, they are family because their voices and stories are the same.  They all have stories to tell.  It is time we allow them to move out of the shadows of combat and into their own light.  Though the Veteran may not have PTSD, life after combat is not easy.

Groups/Classes

ONABT will focus on the Veteran, the spouse, the children, and if there is one, the caregiver.  A roster containing the names, numbers, and e-mail addresses of Veterans, spouses, and their children will be created.  This roster will be open to other Veteran and their family, to allow meet and share their struggles, one-on-one, if they so choose.  Groups will be held on either Sunday morning or Wednesday evening when the church is holding other services.  Three, possibly four groups will be needed to accomplish the long-term goal of ONABT.