Introduction to Military Culture

Excerpts from Military Families and MFTS
by Dan A. Ratliff, Robert Frame, and Daniel Moll

"Unless you have been in the military, you will never know  or completely understand the type of self-sacrifice and the willingness to give yourself to your country and fellow service members," said Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker, at the dedication of the Army Warrior Ethos Exhibit at the Pentagon, reading a letter from a parent of a fallen soldier. The Department of Veterans Affairs is built on the belief that it often takes a combat veteran to connect with a combat veteran. However, the future needs of service veterans are predicted to overshadow the available resources to provide comprehensive mental healthcare. Therefore, there is a need for non-veteran therapists to better understand veterans' experiences and issues so they, too, can provide much needed services.

Therapists need to understand the values and culture of military service members and their families, which motivate them to freely accept the hardships that their service and commitment to duty entails. While it is true that one will never fully understand the military culture if that person has not lived it, a sensitive therapist can recognize and respect the experiences that military families encounter.

For the complete introduction, please go to giveanhour.org/IMC

DOD Dictionary of Military Terms
http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/dod_dictionary/index.html


Additional material may be found on our Web site, at giveanhour.org/UMC

by Pamela Woll, MA, CADP
 
This manual for civilian counselors and therapists who work with service members or veterans addresses a wide range of topics, from the nature of resilience, stress, and trauma to special considerations in working with service members and veterans.

To read Chapter 5 and parts of Chapter 6, go to www.giveanhour.org/FBWZ