"We've yet to meet anybody who's anti-warrior"

Oregon Guard helps its soldiers make transition from war

Support team aids veterans with job and health issues

CAPI LYNN
Statesman Journal

March 19, 2008

The Oregon Army National Guard has earned a silver-star reputation in the war against terrorism.

More than 6,000 of its troops have served with distinction alongside members of the regular Army, Navy and Marine Corps in the Middle East since the Sept. 11 attacks, many of them multiple times. Its units have been singled out for important missions.

"I would say we've met every requirement that's been given to us and exceeded it," said Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees, adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard. "Typically when we go someplace, we're always adding something in the way of innovation, just that little extra touch that makes our approach noteworthy."

Now on the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, perhaps as noteworthy is the service happening right here at home, not on the battlefield.

The Oregon National Guard provides a plethora of post-deployment support to its soldiers through its Reintegration Team, everything from marriage enrichment classes to career guidance to mental-health counseling. More than 500 have taken advantage of some form of assistance.

"We're a 411 for returning troops," said Sgt. 1st Class Vince Jacques, one of the team's area managers. "We don't give handouts. We give handups. We're their advocate."

Other states have similar programs, but few have staff members dedicated to the effort full time.

"It's cutting-edge, precedent-setting stuff," said Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Maas, who manages the Career Transition Assistance Program.

For soldiers facing divorce, unemployment and disability after spending a year or more away from their homes and their families, the program is a life-saver.

"It's been rough for a lot of guys," said Wayne Kassebaum, a retired staff sergeant who lives in West Salem. "I don't think people realize that these guys that come back, they do have problems."

Changing roles

The role of these so-called citizen-soldiers has changed during the past five years. Oregon has been involved in just about every aspect of the war — convoy security, medical evacuation, logistics, personnel services and reconstruction — and paid a high price.

At least 91 military personnel with strong Oregon ties have lost their lives, including 16 from the National Guard, according to the Statesman Journal's online database. Countless others have been wounded.

"You know that there's people's lives on the line," Rees said. "Mistakes cannot be made. We've got to do it right the first time. And frankly that pressure, even though it is stressful, at the same time I think it has been good for the organization.

"There's clearly no doubt in anybody's mind now about what their role is, what their mission is. I think there's a clarity of purpose in our organization that may not have existed before."

Kassebaum served in Iraq from November 2004 to November 2005 with G Troop, 82nd Cavalry, which fought insurgents and provided security for civilians. He received assistance from the Reintegration Team upon his return and later joined forces by helping out in the team's office.

"I was so amazed how these guys went the extra mile to help people who are having trouble getting jobs or actually go to a vet's house and talk to him," said Kassebaum, 41, who is married and has three children.

He was injured in combat, including shrapnel wounds in his right arm, and hasn't been able to return to work. He had a civilian job as a truck driver before he was deployed. The Career Transition Assistance Program is helping him get connected with an apprenticeship program for equipment operators.

Maas said CTAP has placed 384 service members and/or family members in family-wage jobs since March 2005. He and Jacques have organized several job fairs around the state, with events planned this fall in Medford and Eugene.

Nearly 37 percent of soldiers returning from the war are unemployed or underemployed, according to the Guard. Maas said some were underemployed before deployment, perhaps working at a fast-food restaurant.

"They come back and their self-worth is different," Maas said. "They're not a fry cook anymore in their head."

His program opens the door to new job possibilities and offers career guidance. The National Guard has enlisted 175 employers statewide to register with CTAP and post job openings on the Guard's "job hot sheet" that is released every Friday. It's about 200 pages long, organized by county.

Maas and Jacques couldn't carry out their mission without the support of those employers, other organizations such as the veterans centers and clinics, and individual citizens across Oregon. They have been welcomed with open arms wherever they have traveled.

"Even if they're anti-war, we've yet to meet anybody who's anti-warrior," Maas said. "That's in any town we've gone in this state. That speaks volumes to the citizens of this state. No matter how they feel about the war, they are ready to help a service member."
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