NH National Guard Program National Model

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When they arrived at the Manchester Armory last February, the soldiers of the 172nd Field Artillery's First Battalion had been in Iraq for nearly a year.

And these 170 New Hampshire National Guard soldiers met cheering crowds and words of appreciation from Governor John Lynch.

(fade up cheering)

"You have been there for us. Now it's our time to be there for you…".

(fade cheering down)

But eventually the cheering dies down and the soldiers go home…..back to the life they knew before they went to war.

Cadet Ben Flanders came home last March after a year in Iraq.

“For a National Guard soldier, here your life has been interrupted—dramatically—with a whole new schedule, a whole new lifestyle. And then you’re just being sent back to your home, and everything that sort of had a context of the army or Iraq is gone—like that—obviously once you return back to your family. Which is normally a good thing, but I think it just makes the transition a little bit, even more stressful.”

And Colonel Deborah Carter, Human Resource Officer for the New Hampshire Guard, says officials began to notice some problems when soldiers returned on leave.

“…….We had some situations where, you know, too much drinking and things like that during that two week period. So we decided at that point that we really needed to look at having more of a supportive role as they came back into the state.”

To help these soldiers in their readjustment, State officials have developed a program called "Operation Welcome Home".

And they've coordinated their efforts with the Department of Veteran's AFfairs, community volunteers and several state agencies.

“Department of Labor, Department of Employment Security. Education was involved, Safety was involved, Department of Health and Human Services. I mean, the list of our partners just goes on and on and on.”

Every returning National Guard soldier must take part in the three-day program.

During that time, soldiers can apply for VA health and education benefits.

Representatives from state agencies inform them about local social services and how to apply for them if necessary.

They attend classes on how to cope with the stress of combat…and with the expectations of coming home.

But perhaps the most distinctive element of New Hampshire’s re-integration program is a required 1-on-1 counseling session for each returning Guard member.

The concern was that many soldiers might need help in dealing with their combat experience or in readjusting to civilian life.

But chances were good they would not seek counseling themselves.

Tim Beebe is the Northeast regional manager for the Readjustment Counseling Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs.:

“The biggest barrier to treatment will be this perceived stigma in asking for help. With the National Guard mandating this counseling session for all its returning soldiers, it took away that stigma.”

The three-day re-integration program, especially the required counseling portion, was not without initial opposition, however.

Again, Cadet Flanders:

“The typical response is ‘We don’t need that. We don’t need it. Let’s just get us home. Just release us so we can be with our families, because that’s what soldiers want. They don’t want to sit there and listen to some guy who’s never been anywhere yammer on about PTSD, that they have no knowledge about, and things like that.”

But few are complaining about the program now.

“Of the soldiers who’ve been through it, we’ve had literally almost no-one say that ‘You just duplicated what I had already heard and it was a waste of my time.’”

Major General Kenneth Clark, Adjutant General for the New Hampshire National Guard:

“Nearly everyone said, ‘What you gave me either added to what I had already heard, or was the first time I really heard it, and that it really made sense to me.’”

In addition, the program offers follow-up counseling for up to 6 months for those who want it.

And according to the National Guard, about 48% of the soldiers requested their counselors check in with them periodically.

The success of “Operation Welcome Home” has begun to attract national attention.

In August, the New Hampshire Guard command shared their experience with their counterparts from other Northeastern states.

More recently, members of the U.S. House Veteran’s Affairs Committee came to New Hampshire to learn more about the program.

1st District Republican Jeb Bradley sits on the committee.

“What came across to me is the one-to-one contact that individual Guard and reservists have with all of the range of services that are available to them. And that is certainly something that should be replicated in many other states.”

Indeed, Guard leaders in several Northeastern states are now considering similar re-entry programs.

And Dr. Alfonso Batres, Director of VA Readjustment Counseling Services would like to see the psychological counseling piece adopted nationally.

“We’re using the New Hampshire model in some projects we’re developing right now at Fort Lewis, in Washington. We’re going to use a similar process. And, in fact, I’m promoting the New Hampshire model as a model for the rest of the VA in the country.”

Despite the program’s apparent success, Cadet Flanders says there's room for improvement.

“I don’t think they did that great a job talking about transitional stress. They sort of pitched it in terms of, ‘You’re either going to fine and you’re not going to have any problems, or you’re going to have PTSD.’ And then you go home, and you’re driving really aggressively. Well, does that mean you have PTSD? I don’t think so. Just means you’re having stress associated with transitioning from a combat environment back to civilian life.”

And while Major General Clark is pleased with the program, he is concerned that the Guard leadership not rest on its laurels:

“…..I’ve had opportunity to talk to too many people going back to World War II veterans, to Vietnam veterans, who let us know that the transition from a battlefield environment can be very long and can be very delayed. And for us to suggest that because we exposed people to this when they came back six months ago that we’ve done our duty, would be the biggest fault that we could have.”

About 200 New Hampshire Army National Guard troops remain in combat positions overseas.

They are expected to return home sometime in early 2006.

For NHPR news, this is Carolyn Sawin