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Homecoming Is A Process, Not A Parade
Nov 17, 2008

U.S. Army Captain (Retired) Scott Quilty knows first hand about the challenge of recovering from the wounds of war. On October 1, 2006, Scott was on patrol in Iraq when he was severely injured by an improvised explosive device.

"I lost my arm and my leg in Iraq, but I gained a sense of self. The toughest part for me was answering some of those existential questions, 'How am I going to go on from here, and how will I take care of my family?' Now I am working to rise above my circumstance and give back to others.”

Scott joined Survivor Corps in 2008 as the manager of the U.S. Program. The U.S. Program links veterans and service members to each other for support. “I know from personal experience that some of the best help comes from those who have been there too,” explains Quilty.

Of the more than one and a half million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, an estimated 20% have reported symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or major depression. Roughly 200,000 veterans are homeless, and the suicide rate among service members and veterans is the highest it has been since the Vietnam War.

Traditional psychiatric care is not an appealing solution for many members of the armed forces. "The really tough area here is stigma," says Army psychiatrist Cameron-Ritchie. "We know that soldiers don't want to go seek care. They're tough, they're strong, they don't want to go see a behavioral health-care provider."

"The real central issue is relationships," adds U.S. Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Ran Dolinger. "People look at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, they look at length of deployments ... but it's that broken relationship that really makes the difference." Survivor Corps has seen this to be true for conflict survivors around the world. The peer support programs Survivor Corps provides in the U.S. and worldwide are based on the principle that social support is key, and the best help comes from someone who has been through a similar experience.

On Oct 22, 2008 Survivor Corps hosted the Initiators Conference on the Community Reintegration of Service Members and Veterans in Washington, DC. Over 40 government, business, nonprofit and academic organizations from across the United States took part in the conference. The group explored new approaches to helping service members and veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to overcome trauma and reintegrate into civilian life. The Conference was the kick-off event for an ongoing collaboration to better support U.S. veterans and service members as they leave war behind to rejoin their families and communities.

Quilty shares, “From my own personal experience and from seeing what my friends coming home are going through, I can say that the process of reintegration is a long road. It may begin with the welcome home parade but it doesn’t end there. Homecoming is a process, not a parade.”

Stay tuned for more updates on the work of Scott Quilty and the team members of the U.S. Program.