Military veterans are individuals who complete military service whether at home or deployed overseas, in peacetime or in combat. They have made sacrifices for their country and they are often subjected to different health issues than most civilians. As a matter of fact, these veterans are at risk of various injuries that can happen during combat. Sometimes, these injuries are serious enough to cause a variety of disability.
Some injuries include shrapnel and gunshot wounds, lost limbs, head and brain injuries, Tinnitus and hearing loss, sprains, broken bones and a limited range of motion, especially in ankles and knees.
But the pain of being disabled doesn’t stop there. The pain might be dramatically visible but the stress and trauma can put military veterans at risk for mental health challenges. These include anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, depression and substance abuse. Suicide can also be a serious, yet oftentimes hidden concern.
Disability among veterans does not have to be a defining condition or the only factor in a person’s life. In fact, an ex-army Mangkornthong Limprasertkul who once held a bright future in the military, could barely support himself after being injured in South Thailand insurgency after a bomb attack. The explosion disabled him but he was able to regain his life back little by little through his father’s support and his will and heart for military. His story is a proof that disability is truly not the end of everything.
Another story from a veteran whose life changed in an instant after a roadside bomb blew up the truck he was driving and disabled him. He shares how he rebuild connection with his family despite the burned body surface and amputated left hand. Coping up with his disability after the massive disaster made him more cautious about his surroundings but now he was carefree, outspoken and outgoing than ever before. He credits his full recovery from his family and fellow injured veterans.
There are many stories of difficulties and trials that our Service Members have struggled through that can serve as an inspiration to us all. They can also give us an appreciation of the sacrifices they made for their Country.
Goodgear.TV is intended to be a comprehensive video based resource for Veterans, Service Members and their families. We hope that you will find the information easy to navigate and enables you to understand more of the difficulties and challenges our veterans face during their service in the military as well as when they return to civilian life. Whether you are a veteran, related to a veteran or are seeking to understand and honor our country’s veterans we believe Goodgear.TV is a great place to be.
– by Jey Gee Layno
