Easing into civilian life

[unhappycamper]

Easing into civilian life
Monday, August 13, 2007
BY DOUG FINKE
OF GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE


SPRINGFIELD - When Major Frank Bart was preparing to return to Illinois from Iraq in May, he wasn't sure exactly what to expect.

The Springfield native had gone through redeployment in 2000 after a National Guard assignment in Kuwait. But this time was different. In 2000, Bart was single. This time, the Wauconda resident left behind a wife and 3-year-old daughter when he was sent to the Middle East.

"Coming back home was more difficult than I thought," Bart said. "I actually stayed in touch with my wife and child pretty regularly when I was gone. If I didn't call on the telephone, then I would send e-mails or I would try to get on the video e-mail. But that just doesn't take the place of actually being here and taking care of the day-to-day activities that you have to deal with."

Recognizing the tough transition, the Illinois National Guard is beefing up efforts to help Army and Air Guard soldiers readjust to civilian life, a process it calls reintegration. Instead of a three-month break from the Guard - common to troops after overseas duty - soldiers are now back together 30 days after returning. Not to drill, but to discuss family and financial issues, benefits and anything else that returning military personnel face. Attendance is mandatory.

"One thing we are seeing is that 90 days is too much time not to have contact with them," said Stacey Rieger, deputy director of public affairs for the Illinois National Guard. "We want to make sure if soldiers or their families needed something, if they are having difficulty adjusting in any way, we can help."

"We cannot expect our soldiers to deploy and not be changed by war," said 2nd Lt. Justin Anweiler, reintegration project officer for the Illinois National Guard. "Every soldier who has been deployed has combat stress. Reintegration is stressful. Spouses have been apart for a year. It takes time and a lot of hard work for them to reach a new normal."


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