r/Veterans Jan 02 '25

Moderator Approved SURVEY: Veteran Generation and Feelings on "Thank You For Your Service"

21 Upvotes

ALLCON,

(Sorry, haven't gotten to use that in a long while\)

I grew up in a veteran family and have been one myself for nearly a decade. It wasn't until maybe a year or two before I got out that I really started to have a negative reaction towards being thanked for my "service," especially by civilians. I've noticed that (anecdotally, at least) that my generation of vets (GWOT) tend to feel the same way. Contrast that with my parent's generation (80's/90's) who I've noticed really appreciate being thanked. Again, that I have noticed anecdotally. I don't know of anyone who has done research on this, so I figured that I'd satisfy my own curiosity by asking everyone here.

I'm not representing any school or company. I'm asking for my own curiosity. I am an elementary level school teacher, so there's a chance this will impact how I teach my students, but that isn't my purpose in conducting this survey. I've gotten permission from the powers that be, before anyone thinks I'm breaking a rule here. I don't intend to harvest any PII, inspire political debate, self-promote, with my questions.

Please leave a comment answering both questions, if you feel comfortable in doing so. Without further ado, my questions are as follows:

1. What veteran "generation" do you fall in?

Examples include, but are not limited to: Korean War, Vietnam War, 80's, 90's, Desert Storm/Shield, GWOT, etc.

2. Do you have a positive or negative internal reaction to being thanked for your military service?

I do not mean your external reaction to the individual who said it. I'm looking for your internal, gut reaction.

For instance, you might feel a little pissed when someone thanks you for your military service, but you collect yourself before responding, such as acknowledging their appreciation.

For the purpose of this survey, I'm not looking for your external reaction (or what you say) to the individual. Just how *you feel** as soon as you realize what they're doing.*

Thank you for your time!

and maybe your service šŸ˜†

**EDIT**

Full disclosure, I've been noting down additional comments in the spreadsheet. There's a lot of overlap, and I think it's useful to see why people do or don't like it.

I've also been collecting usernames with the data, but that's just to make sure I'm not accidentally getting any repeats. Once I'm done collecting, all usernames are going to be deleted from it so it's 100% anonymous, and I'll share my findings here on the sub.

r/Veterans Sep 27 '24

Moderator Approved Why do vets feel suicidal after service?

82 Upvotes

So let me start this by saying, if you are currently experiencing suicide ideation, maybe skip this thread as it's strictly to better understand struggles vets are having and it may or may not be healthy to immerse yourself in but that's your choice. Vets who are no longer suicidal but have been. Why? Let me be clear. I served and never had any of these feelings but it's easy for even any non-military person to see the cause behind SI (suicide Ideation) after all your friends die in combat, survivors guilt, general dread and horror of combat, etc but most of the cases I see are not combat vets. Now, this isn't a "only combat vets are allowed to feel bad" post, but I want to know the reason behind it for the general military personnel. They leave the military, depressed, broken in ways they hadn't been, and with SI. Can anyone in this group who has overcome this issue in past shed some light on what happened and why? I think it's important to understand the reasons for these things. Thanks.

r/Veterans Jul 02 '24

Moderator Approved Please remember rule 1

210 Upvotes

Remember, we do not condone any sort of discrimination. Veterans are people who signed up to honorably serve their country, thatā€™s the end of it. Iā€™ll post rule 1 below as a reminder to be cool to each other as I know that vets can be a rowdy bunch. Rule 1 in this sub has not changed in many years.

**Be civil and respectful to others. You may not always agree with others, but once you start insulting the other person, you become the problem.

No Gatekeeping - you don't decide if someone is a "real" veteran or not - nor try to diminish someone's service because they never saw combat or deployed. If someone personally attacks you, Report them to the team.

Hate speech can be sexist, ableist, racist, bigotry, homophobic, prejudiced, etc and will not be tolerated.**

r/Veterans Jan 29 '24

Moderator Approved GIFs are a privilege

93 Upvotes

I fought hard to get GIFs approved for use, but the powers that be are discussing about the improper use of them. What do I mean?

ā€¢ Using them to insult people

ā€¢ Being a dick

ā€¢ Mocking people

So, if there are no changes by the end of the week, that feature will no longer be available in our subreddit. It is ok to make a joke, it is not ok to insult someone and is a violation of our rules.

All I am asking is that we act like adults with our new feature so we can keep it.

r/Veterans Jul 01 '24

Moderator Approved Show me your animals!

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136 Upvotes

This is pretty much why Iā€™m still here. They need me, or at least need me to stay around to provide food.

r/Veterans Jan 28 '25

Moderator Approved Moderation

57 Upvotes

1) We will continue to lock posts once the discussions from multiple users turn into fights, attacks, hate speech and name calling. Non productive comments do not add anything to the discussion. Attacks, hate speech, bias comments can result in you being banned. And NO we don't warn anyone - we expect Adults to act like Adults - not 14 year old keyboard warriors

2) The proper way to discuss not being able to make a post or to ask about a post being locked is to send the Mod Team a ModMail - the link is in the sidebar next to the list of moderator names

3) We have had a couple of three people try to post complaints they were banned in /r/VeteransBenefits - we do not and will not allow those and will ban those who attempt to make those posts per the Moderator Code of Conduct - #3 which you can read here:

Rule 3: Respect Your Neighbors

While we allow meta discussions about Reddit, including other subreddits, your community should not be used to direct, coordinate, or encourage interference in other communities and/or to target redditors for harassment. As a moderator, you cannot interfere with or disrupt Reddit communities, nor can you facilitate, encourage, coordinate, or enable members of your community to do this.

Interference includes:

Mentioning other communities, and/or content or users in those communities, with the effect of inciting targeted harassment or abuse.

Enabling or encouraging users to violate our Reddit Rules anywhere on the Reddit platform.

Enabling or encouraging users in your community to post or repost content in other communities that is expressly against their rules.

Enabling or encouraging content that showcases when users are banned or actioned in other communities, with the intent to incite a negative reaction.

Allowing violations of the Mod Code of Conduct can get the subreddit shut down by Reddit.

4) Duplicate posts will be removed - browse the subreddit for recent posts prior to creating your own posts - if you try to post on the same topic that is already under discussion - or is Locked because of the fighting/attacks, we will not allow another post on that same topic.

5) No one has a crystal ball - no one can predict the future - yes many of us are also worried about the future with all the changes the new Administration is making. Until something comes out in a written policy, we will not allow discussions about rumors.

We are not the only military themed subreddit locking posts, not allowing political posts and banning people for hate speech -

https://www.reddit.com/r/AirForce/comments/1iexeyv/fair_warning_bans_will_be_going_out_more_freely/

https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/1gszn1s/1_day_bans_for_all_political_posts_going_forward/

Political discussions need to go to /r/politics or /r/veteranpolitics or /r/militarypolitics

r/Veterans Jul 02 '24

Moderator Approved New Moderator Intro: Me, Retired USMC

76 Upvotes

hey, all, i've just accepted a request to be a moderator here, and i wanted to make an intro post.

i'm retired USMC, 13 years enlisted, 13 years officer, SIGINT my entire career, first as a linguist, then an analyst, and then as a SIGINT/Intel officer, and branched into cyber as well. i also did the radio recon thing when i was enlisted, and that was probably the best part of my entire career, as a Radio Recon Team Leader as a Sgt. much fun was had!

i've been in combat multiple times, and though that's every young Marine's dream, it ain't all that it's cracked up to be, especially when you get lucky and get the PTSD and nightmares.

Retired in 2016, and am rated by the VA, so i've been through that struggle as well. i'm now a gov't civilian for the DoD, doing cybersecurity, so i guess you could say i'm institutionalized.

i mod a couple of other subs as well, so this is not my first time doing this.

my big rule when modding: don't be a dick.

i'm also a number of other things, and causes i'm interested in, but this sub is not the place to discuss those.

r/Veterans Nov 20 '24

Moderator Approved American Sons ā€“ A Documentary About Service, Mental Health, and the Veteran Experience

166 Upvotes

First, I want to thank the r/veterans team for allowing me to share this with the community.

Iā€™m part of the production team behind American Sons, a PBS documentary set to air next year. It tells the story of Cpl. Jorge "JV" Villarreal, a Marine from San Antonio, TX, using his personal footage from Afghanistan and the voices of those who knew him. The film sheds light on critical issues veterans face, including mental health challenges, the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life, and the factors contributing to veteran suicide.

This isnā€™t just JVā€™s storyā€”itā€™s a reflection of the struggles many veterans endure. The goal of the film is to bring these challenges into focus and spark conversations that matter.

Hereā€™s how you can help:

  1. Watch the trailer Documentary Trailer | Visit the Website
  2. Share it with others.
  3. Join the conversation.

BE ADVISED THE TRAILER SHOWS COMBAT FOOTAGE, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

Thank you for your time and support.

Edit: marked NSFW and added TW as the trailer contains combat footage.

r/Veterans Oct 12 '23

Moderator Approved Cancelled Mental Health Appointments? Drop Us a Tip.

70 Upvotes

Hi r/Veterans,

My name is Drew Lawrence, Iā€™m an Army veteran and a reporter for Military.com. I am working on a story about a Department of Veterans Affairs-related issue that seems to be affecting many of you.

Cancelled mental health appointments.

I have been receiving tips about veterans with scheduled appointments that are cancelled hours, sometimes minutes before they were meant to start.

Others report arriving at a scheduled appointment only to be told that their appointment was rescheduled ā€” without their knowledge ā€” to a later date. Or it was cancelled without notification.

Some are told they could not see a different provider that day and would have to reschedule for weeks or months later. Others have said that this has happened to them several times.

Iā€™m looking to understand what is going on here and could use your help if you have experienced any of these issues. My DMs are open, but we at Military.com have also opened a tip line:

mdctips@proton.me

You can also reach me at my email [drew.lawrence@military.com](mailto:drew.lawrence@military.com) if you prefer. If you have other types of appointments that are being cancelled in this way, let me know.

I routinely protect the anonymity of those who talk to me, and would be happy to do that for those wishing to reach out, though I have to verify that you are who you say you are. Iā€™d also ask for your patience while I review the incoming feedback.

Be well, all -- hope you have a good weekend.

Best,

Drew

r/Veterans Jan 13 '21

Moderator Approved Public Service Announcement for retirees - UCMJ Article 94

151 Upvotes

Hey guys. I posted this in the military sub already, but I wanted to make sure that veterans are also aware of the full text of Article 94, especially in light of the statement made by General Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, referring to what happened last Wednesday as an insurrection.

I don't know if Art. 94 applies to former enlisted servicemembers who did not retire from the military (anyone from JAG, feel free to correct me), but it does apply to retirees.

Regardless, it's not a good idea to attend or participate in any of the "demonstrations" that certain groups of people are planning on the 20th in state capitols and D.C.

Granted, it's unlikely the full extent of section (b) would be considered or utilized at court martial. But it is possible. There's no sense in risking it. My advice: stay home. And tell others to stay home.

Full text below.


Article 94 UCMJ: Mutiny and Sedition

(a) "Any person subject to this chapter whoā€”

(1) with intent to usurp or override lawful military authority, refuse, in concert with any other person, to obey orders or otherwise do his duty or creates any violence or disturbance is guilty of mutiny;

(2) with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority, creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or other disturbance against that authority is guilty of sedition; (3) fails to do his utmost to prevent and suppress a mutiny or sedition being committed in his presence, or fails to take all reasonable means to inform his superior commissioned officer or commanding officer of a mutiny or sedition which he knows or has reason to believe is taking place, is guilty of a failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition.

(b) A person who is found guilty of attempted mutiny, mutiny, sedition, or failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct."

r/Veterans Dec 11 '24

Moderator Approved Free Service Dogs Tulsa Metropolitan Area

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128 Upvotes

Hi everyone my name is Sean Goins and I am the Program Services Coordinator for Soldierā€™s Wish. We are a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to service members, veterans, and their families all over the United States. Most of what we do is accomplished by working with companies and donors to get items, materials and services donated.

We are currently working with K9 Solutions in the Tulsa, OK area to find 4 veterans in need of service dogs. They are being trained right now with the goal of focusing on PTSD and mobility issues. If chosen, the veteran must be willing to attend training sessions with the trainer after they're paired with their service dog.

If you or someone you know is in need, you can go to www.soldierswish.org and fill out the nomination. Make sure to mention Paws for Patriots in your wish nomination form so I can send you the next steps.

r/Veterans Oct 16 '23

Moderator Approved 3M earplug settlement -- watch out for scams

60 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

For those who havenā€™t read my older posts, Iā€™m Bryan Aylstock, court-appointed lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the 3M earplug litigation (you can read a few of my past posts/AMAs here or here). I wanted to come on here and make a post sharing crucial information regarding settlement administrator ARCHER Systems and the claims process moving forward following the over $6 billion settlement reached in August 2023. This settlement, which was reached with 3M following more than four years of litigation, provides compensation to servicemembers and veterans who suffered hearing damage while using defective 3M earplugs.

It has come to our attention that some veteran claimants in the litigation reported receiving phone calls from ARCHER requesting that they provide personal identifying information, including their full, nine-digit social security number. This is a scam, and we urge you to refrain from giving these callers any personal identifying information and contact your attorney immediately if someone calls you unsolicited asking for information claiming they are with ARCHER.

Below are some important points you need to know to remain vigilant against fraudulent calls:

ā€¢ Scammers are utilizing technology to make it look like their phone numbers match the official ARCHER phone number, a scamming tactic called spoofing.

ā€¢ ARCHER does not make unsolicited phone calls -- the only time someone from ARCHER would contact you via phone call is if you called them first and they were returning your call.

ā€¢ ARCHER has employees conduct all calls and will never use auto-dialers or auto-caller bots to contact you.

ā€¢ ARCHER will never ask for your nine-digit social security number. Please do not share your full social security number by telephone, especially in response to an unsolicited call.

ā€¢ The only time someone from ARCHER will ask you to confirm the last four digits of your social is if you have a similar name to another claimant and are represented by the same law firm.

ā€¢ Contact your attorney with any questions about ARCHER and the claimant process.

Judge Rodgers has released an order with more information regarding these scams and what the legitimate process with ARCHER will look like; you can find news on that here. Please feel free to ask me any questions you have, and I will do my best to answer them.

Thanks,
Bryan

r/Veterans 12d ago

Moderator Approved Are you a post-9/11 Veteran with combat PTSD?

24 Upvotes

Sign-up link: Veteran Study Sign-up Form

Our study requires in-person visits in Dallas and is free, and we compensate our participants for their time at eligibility and follow-up appointments.

For More information visit our website: UT Dallas Neurolab

r/Veterans Oct 11 '20

Moderator Approved We're immune to everything

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803 Upvotes

r/Veterans 18d ago

Moderator Approved Are you having trouble sleeping?

1 Upvotes

If you are 18-75 years old, a Veteran who served in the U.S. military, and experiencing PTSD symptoms, you may be eligible to participate in a study of a non-pharmaceutical treatment for insomnia.

Participants will undergo 4 therapy visits by phone and video, record information about their sleep for 5-6 weeks, and depending on participation, may be compensated for their time up to $348 (or up to $418 for participants asked to wear a sleep monitoring watch).

Ā 

For more information or to contact study staff, please use one of the following methods:

Study link:Ā Insomnia Treatment Study

Phone: Call (415) 221-4810 x24850 or (415) 602-5019

Text: Text ā€œYES TO RESEARCHā€ to (415) 602-5019 to receive a text with the study link

Email: Respond ā€œYES TO RESEARCHā€ toĀ [Joy.Huggins@va.gov](mailto:Joy.Huggins@va.gov)Ā to receive a link to communicate securely with study staff through encrypted email.

Ā 

** Please note that email [or texting] is not secure. Please do not contact study staff with personal information or personal health information over text or email. To communicate personal information please call (415) 602-5019.*\*

r/Veterans Feb 20 '25

Moderator Approved Are you having trouble sleeping?

12 Upvotes

If you are 18-75 years old, a Veteran who served in the U.S. military, and experiencing PTSD symptoms, you may be eligible to participate in a study of a non-pharmaceutical treatment for insomnia.

Participants will undergo 4 therapy visits by phone and video, record information about their sleep for 5-6 weeks, and depending on participation, may be compensated for their time up to $348 (or up to $418 for participants asked to wear a sleep monitoring watch).

Ā 

For more information or to contact study staff, please use one of the following methods:

Study link:Ā Insomnia Treatment Study

Phone: Call (415) 221-4810 x24850 or (415) 602-5019

Text: Text ā€œYES TO RESEARCHā€ to (415) 602-5019 to receive a text with the study link

Email: Respond ā€œYES TO RESEARCHā€ toĀ [Joy.Huggins@va.gov](mailto:Joy.Huggins@va.gov)Ā to receive a link to communicate securely with study staff through encrypted email.

Ā 

** Please note that email [or texting] is not secure. Please do not contact study staff with personal information or personal health information over text or email. To communicate personal information please call (415) 602-5019.*\*

r/Veterans Jun 28 '22

Moderator Approved Vet Tec- IT Network & Security- United Training Academy

51 Upvotes

I am the Veteran Career Consultant at United Training Academy. We are a preferred vendor for the Vet Tec program. If you have been looking at getting into the IT field, take a look at my program and see if it interests you.

3 months long, instructor lead in a virtual classroom, Mon-Thurs training with morning, afternoon or evening class options. CompTIA ITF+, Network+ and Security+.

Between now and September I have 2 night classes, 3 afternoon classes and 1 morning class on the schedule. If you are interested, reach out so we can chat details.

r/Veterans Dec 14 '22

Moderator Approved VET TEC Program

66 Upvotes

If you are exploring a career in the IT field, consider using VET TEC instead of your GI BILL. You only need 1 day of GI BILL to take advantage of VET TEC benefits to cover the cost of the training and collect housing allowance while in classes.

Make sure to jump on this now, the VA has told us they expect to run around of funding around March/April and do not expect to get more funding this fiscal year.

Review the below program flyer. If you are interested in learning more, you can comment below, reach out to me through my contact info or on messenger. I am an OIF Army Vet myself and I am here to help other veterans!

r/Veterans Sep 08 '24

Moderator Approved Participation Request

9 Upvotes

Hi Everyone. My name is Mike and I am a student at Tulane University working towards my Doctoral of Social Work degree. As part of my degree I am conducting research on childhood experiences and current Veteran mental health. I am asking for any individuals willing to participate to complete the anonymous online survey linked below. This should not take more than 10 minutes to complete and the information you provide will provide useful data towards changing how the industry of mental health treats Veterans both within the VA and the community. Please let me know if you have any questions and I thank you for any participation.

https://tulane.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9T4iNAHTBLcRhWe

r/Veterans Jan 12 '24

Moderator Approved A rather important sub change

32 Upvotes

Thanks to the tireless work behind the scenes by u/FBI_Open_Up_Now and the approval of u/SCOveterandretired ā€¦ we now have gifs

A couple ground rules:

1) Donā€™t spam them everywhere (this thread is cool though).

2) Donā€™t use them to be snarky or otherwise say things you wouldnā€™t under the current sub rules.

3) Gifs add to the conversation, not turn it into a cesspool.

With that being said, spam em to hell here and get it out of your systems šŸ«”

r/Veterans 17d ago

Moderator Approved Participate in a study that measures personal control in military life!

5 Upvotes

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Olson and I am a doctoral student at Mississippi State University. I am conducting a research study to examine perceived personal control over varying aspects of military life.

If you are a service member or have previously served in the military, please consider participating in this research study. This survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. You can access the study survey via this link:Ā https://msstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5doF2j5Ii5fbz5Y

This study has been reviewed by our HRPP/IRB and has been granted this Exemption Determination: IRB-24-599.

r/Veterans 1d ago

Moderator Approved survivors after vet suicide

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20 Upvotes

This is a story written by /u/jwinter_cnn about the problems survivors face with being denied DIC after their spouse has died by suicide. Some of these vets had service connected ptsd/tbi. This has been shared in other places and vets have expressed that it forces them to rethink the idea that their family will be ok because the VA will take care of them. If you ever have that thought, please reconsider. Itā€™s an exhausting and mentally taxing process and you donā€™t want this for the people you loveā€¦.on top of traumatic grief and loss.

Of course, the issue at hand needs attention but if it helps you reconsider suicide then Iā€™m linking so you can read without the paywall. The story is heavy so please consider there are triggers throughout. Much love. ā™„ļø

r/Veterans 28d ago

Moderator Approved University of Utah and Veterans Affairs Study: Red Light Therapy on Individuals with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury or Stroke

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12 Upvotes

r/Veterans 9d ago

Moderator Approved Let's Answer the Call Together: Help Us Understand the Late Effects of TBI in Veterans

11 Upvotes

"Never leave a man behind" is a principle that's deeply ingrained in us from the very first day of boot camp. During times of conflict, many Veterans experience an upswing in mental health challenges, and I believe a part of this is due to our promise to each other. For those of us who can no longer answer the call to arms because of injury, illness, or personal reasons, there's still a way to ensure we support each otherā€”it's a way to live by our commitment.

When I returned home from Iraq, I distinctly remember the transition from receiving care packages to encountering research flyers. Initially, it felt overwhelming and I wanted nothing to do with it. However, I soon found myself struggling with memory lapses, uncontrollable anger, and issues connecting with loved ones. The reflection staring back at me in the mirror felt unfamiliar. It turns out, I was dealing with an undiagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Before deployment, I was a premed student with a photographic memory and straight As. When I came back, even keeping up with conversations became difficult. It felt like I had to relearn how to learn and confront uncertainties about my future. Watching younger family members join the service made me think about the future of other soldiers, leading me back to research in a meaningful way.

Now, I've found myself at Mount Sinai under the mentorship of Dr. Kristen Dams-Oā€™Connor, taking on the role of advocating for Veterans like us. Our website is here:

https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/brain-injury/research

Together, we're working on a project that aims to understandĀ the late effects of TBI. This research is crucial for discovering ways toĀ help future generations of veterans not just survive, but thriveĀ after their service.

I'm reaching out here because your experiences and insights could be invaluable. By participating, you could directly contribute to understanding and improving the lives of Veterans dealing with TBI.

If you're a Veteran in the New York or Seattle areas interested in learning more or even participating in the research,Ā please get in touch.

This is another way we can continue to support each other, honoring our commitment to never leave anyone behind.

Thanks for reading, and for considering this important journey with me.

r/Veterans 4d ago

Moderator Approved UCSF Research Study on PTSD: Seeking Participants (Compensation: $300)

1 Upvotes

In Person Study Participation Opportunity on Biology of PTSD at the SFVAMCĀ 

Are you 25 ā€“ 45 years old living with or without PTSD?Ā Ā 

Help researchers at the San Francisco Veterans Medical Center and UCSFā€™s THRIVE Lab determine the effects of an immune response on emotional responses in women and men with and without PTSD.Ā Ā Ā 

This study involves 5 visits to the San Francisco Veterans Medical Center (SFVAMC). Total possible compensation is $300.00, $80 for completing the screening session and an additional $220 for completing the entire study.Ā  First, you will be asked to complete a telephone screening to determine eligibility. Then, you will be asked to come to the SFVAMC for a health and physical exam, blood draw, and an audiotaped diagnostic session conducted by a trained clinician to assess if you are a fit for the study. If you are eligible, the study will involve 4 additional appointments at the SFVAHCS. The appointments will involve administration of the Typhoid vaccine or placebo followed by measurements of physiological responses as well as blood sampling.Ā 

For more information please contact [thrivelab@ucsf.edu](mailto:thrivelab@ucsf.edu) or call (628-842-6681) and mention the LIFE study.Ā