Veterans struggle with life outside the military

Veterans struggle with life outside the military

By Matthew D. LaPlante

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated 32 minutes ago
He had three square meals a day, a steady paycheck, solid benefits and a job with purpose. Life in the Army wasn’t perfect, of course, but Justin Youse was content with the path he had chosen.

Then he broke his back.

Today, the 29-year-old Iraq war veteran is in constant pain. He doesn’t sleep well. He considers the Veterans Affairs medical system, which he relies on for health care, to be a frustrating, impersonal, bureaucratic behemoth. He has battled addiction, gone through a divorce and been laid off from a job.

And he’s not alone in his struggles.

A new study by The Gallup Organization indicates that while military members are generally happier and healthier than other American workers, military veterans fare worse than the general work force when it comes to their emotional and physical health, work environment and access to basic necessities.

That came as no surprise to Youse, who injured his back when he dove from the back of a troop truck under fire in 2003 and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder related to other combat experiences in Iraq.

“Once you become a veteran, you’re still dealing with everything you were dealing with when you were active duty, but all the security and camaraderie is gone,” Youse said.

If he was sick or injured in the Army, Youse said, he would simply walk into the base clinic for treatment. “Now,” he said. “It’s all about jumping through hoops. It’s like being guilty until being proven innocent. You have to prove you’ve got medical issues before they’ll give you a second glance.”
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Veterans struggle with life outside the military