Warrior 2 Citizen a unique program for military family counseling

by Ed Mattson

In Wednesday’s column I wrote about a new program available to transitioning troops called Warrior 2 Citizen.

This program was the brainchild of Gen. John Ownings and Col. Michael Roberts to address the needs of the entire military family, not just the household member who is serving in the military. As I have pointed out in previous articles, the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, and other agencies began to take note of soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) falling through the cracks right after the first Gulf War. Yes, most everyone was aware of PTSD going back to WWII, but with each military engagement which has followed, the issue becomes apparent that nearly all the warriors who have faced combat, have been adversely affected by the trauma of war. Ask the Vietnam veteran or those who returned from Korea.

Before anyone in the military is in a position to make the decision to transition to the civilian population, they must have clarity of thought and be able to look at all sides of what such a decision entails. Even without the experience of war, the decision can be life altering and should take into account every issue because it affects the entire family. It can cause irreparable damage if one leaves the service unprepared, can’t find a job, is having marital problems, has lost the ability to communicate with other members of the family, has outbursts of anger, is depressed, or has been contemplating suicide. The soldier needs to get over those hurdles before moving on.

The development of TAP (Transition Assistance Program) was an important step forward by starting the transition process while still in the military with mandatory counseling, and then offering a series of voluntary programs that address specific needs of each individual soldier. But even with such a program one problem that still occurs is that once the transition has been made, helping the warrior through continued guidance and counseling might not be as easy to access as while in the service.

The VA hospital system has become taxed to the limit with veterans seeking help for PTSD, but Americans are committed to providing our warriors with the support they need. Unfortunately the needs of veterans cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, or the VA hospital system.

Programs like Warrior 2 Citizen is a collaborative effort of governmental agencies, veterans groups, faith-based organizations, and concerned citizens, to provide the support needed once the soldier is outside the fence-line of a military base. Warrior 2 Citizen is taking the approach that counseling must be an-ongoing program for many of our military personnel by focusing on:

• Job searching/career development
• Furtherance of education goals
• Family communication
• Intimacy with one’s spouse
• Spiritual development
• Continued PTSD counseling

Callaway Gardens Resort in Pine Mountain, GA, near Atlanta, is the campus for Warrior 2 Citizen. It is a family resort featuring golf, tennis, swimming, fishing, a challenging obstacle course playground, laser tag, the azalea garden, the farmers’ market, and the brand-new Aqua Island attraction, just off the shore of Robin Lake Beach. Additionally there are hiking trails and a mountain bike course. Callaway Gardens creates the perfect, relaxed environment to enable a family to reunite and participate in individual and family counseling without distraction.

Ed Mattson

Following his service in the Marine Corps Ed Mattson built a diverse career in business in both sales/marketing and management. He is a medical research specialist and published author. His latest book is Down on Main Street: Searching for American Exceptionalism

Ed is currently Development Director of the National Guard Bureau of International Affairs-State Partnership Program, Fundraising Coordinator for the Warrior2Citizen Project, and Managing Partner of Center-Point Consultants in North Carolina.

Mr. Mattson is a noted speaker and has addressed more than 3000 audiences in 42 states and 5 foreign countries. He has been awarded the Order of the Sword by American Cancer Society, is a Rotarian Paul Harris Fellow and appeared on more than 15 radio and television talk-shows.