carolina veterans support group

CAROLINA VETERANSHELP FOR THE FORGOTTEN

These numbers will only grow with returnees from Iraq!

Carolina Veterans Support Group

On any given night in North Carolina, 1,659 men and women veterans are homeless!On any given night in North Carolina, 182 funded beds are available for homeless vets!

On any given night in North Carolina, 1,477 men and women veterans are without a bed!

Source Long March Home

A sense of dutyTo follow in the footsteps of their fathers, uncles and siblings

To earn money for collegeAnd often, as a Career Choice!

These young men and women experienced a growing sense of pride as they worked to gain their initial proficiency in a selected MOS (Military Occupational Specialty. Equally important, each had grown in maturity and were capable of performing their duties as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States!

CONSIDER THE VETERANSYoung men and women who joined the military for a variety of reasons:

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

How do these professional men and women become someone who lives under a bridge or a camp in the woods?

Is this your child? Your grandchild? Your niece or nephew?

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

From this To this

CVSG

Remember in 2008 when the Senate killed an amendment offered by Senator Webb of Virginia (Vietnam Veteran) to require longer rest periods between deployments? Still another reason for the growing epidemic of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder….MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS.

Today, with a “Professional Force” of limited size and with the absence of a draft, Multiple Deployments have become the norm! Servicemen and Servicewomen have no time to adjust to the return to the world of the other 97% (who do not serve and have no personal stake in our Police Actions). At the same time. Preparations begin immediately for the next deployment, the servicemen must worry about their family and themselves Will you come home this time? Maybe, but you’re going again in 12 months or less!

CAROLINA VETERANSLet’s talk about Multiple Deployments!

Time + Multiple Deployments = Stress

No Treatment for stress = PTSD!

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

Time Travel!

Returning Veterans of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan all experience Time Travel! Leave from a hilltop in Vietnam, a desert outpost in Iraq or a lonely platoon outpost in Afghanistan and Poof! You’re home in 3-4 days! Talk about TIME COMPRESSION! No one can move from a dangerous combat zone to a family (civilian) setting in three short days!

What do the Veterans return to find? They arrive to a “Peaceful America” where everyone seems busy with their lives and not overly concerned with the returning members of the World Police Force. The Veterans have no outward impact on the lives of the average citizen. But in 12 months or less, Veterans are expected to return to Iraq or Afghanistan with each tour strengthening the dangers of PTSD and its vicious impact on lives and families.

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

The Great Family Disconnect!

The Great Disconnect begins at the ramp as the returning Veteran is immediately enveloped in a Sense of not belonging. The thrill of seeing loved ones overpowers the feelings of disconnect, at least for a few days. Men and women returning from exposure to heat and cold, to enemy fire, to roadside bombs, discover they don’t belong to this world!

Returning Veterans feel they belong with the Veterans still experiencing the hazards of deployment. The Veteran wants to get back to their unit, but must be concerned with their families back home. What about the wives and mothers left behind assuming the role of mother and father, keeping the family together. Dependent families share the same disconnect as their spouses.

Children of these families are known as Military Brats and suffer the same disconnect as their parents. Brats are shaped by moves, a culture of resilience loss of friendships, never having a hometown, absence of a parent due to deployments, strong patriarchal authority, threat of parental loss in war, stresses associated with the psychological aftermath of war (living with war-affected returning veteran parents).

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

So the Great Disconnect has an impact on the Military Family, not just the service man or woman.

Time + Multiple Deployments + Family Difficulties = StressNo Treatment for Stress = PTSD

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

CVSG

Veterans leave the service and experience one family difficulty after another with no idea that many of their problems are a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They now face the last and greatest obstacle to a safe return to a civilian life with their family and children enjoying their time together. Finding a job!

The first shock comes when the Veteran discovers employers are not impressed by their duties in the military and have no idea what a MOS means or place a value on that MOS. The two most important factors in the job market are presently education and age. Not service education and experience, but college education. AGE? the Veteran is too young or too old. How can a 50 year old Veteran respond to a supervisor 20 years his junior? What’s the Veteran going to tell their family? They can take an entry level position below their abilities (another step towards depression)

The Final Straw…………..Finding a Job!

CAROLINA VETERANSVeterans find themselves unable to find

help for their disassociation!

The Veteran is suddenly homeless and has few choices of residence:

• A transitional shelter Available from 5:30 PM until 8:30 AM with little or no security for personal belongings. The remainder of the time, the Homeless Veteran must remain on the street

• Under a bridge Available 24/7. No security beyond the hidden location or a partner to watch over belongings!

• In a camp in the woods This is the preferred shelter because the Veteran can protect their personal belongings by grouping together…but still all camps are temporary and usually unsuitable for Female Veterans or Veterans with children..

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

How can a transitional shelter provide assistance to a Homeless Veteran when shelter rules only permit overnight “Emergency

Shelter”?

There are often “dormitories” providing 6 month programs to

Veterans willing to participate in a program intended to lead a

Veteran to self sufficiency. How can anyone lead a Veteran suffering from PTSD to self

sufficiency in only 6 months?

Homeless shelters have high sounding mission statements.

Programs are intended to rekindle a desire to return to a

meaningful and productive life. Yet the only mention of a Homeless Veteran is to

comment that about 20% of the shelter population are Veterans.

There doesn’t seem to be any programs intended to address the specific difficulties faced by

the Homeless Veteran. A Homeless Veteran is simply one

of many!

At least it’s warm and dry for a while anyway!

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS

Many want to help….for a while or on a special occassion!

Homeless Vet Stand Down

Sadly, this help doesn’t last long and it usually is simply a “feel good action.”

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANSThe Only Way!

The only way to move Homeless Veterans out from under bridges and out of the woods is to invite these Veterans to live in an area that offers (1) attractive permanent housing (two years), (2) adequate food

and clothing, (3) security from personal invasion, (4) respect for their service, (5) advocate their needs with

outside agencies of the government, and (6) re-awaken their sense of responsibility to themselves

and the community.

Meeting these needs gives the Homeless Veteran a sense of Shared Responsibilities between the

Veteran and the Pride in Self Program.

Let’s return to the unit structure of WWII. Each company had its own company (Unit) area,

barracks, mess hall, orderly room and supply/armory. Rather than 4 barracks with

open bays, 4 dormitories. Two 50 bed dormitories for men, one 50 bed dormitory for

single women with a shared bath between each room for 4 ladies and one dormitory for women with children. Each apartment will contain 2 bedrooms, bath and kitchenette. Fronting the

dormitories will be a dining hall as well as office areas.


CAROLINA VETERANS

“Empowerment to Achieve - Failure is not an option”

Our VisionOur vision is to develop a network of “Pride in Self” campus designed to recover one of our greatest assets and that is the US Veteran! Consider:

• The average Veteran is more mature and responsible at the age of 25 than the average citizen at the age of 50.

• The average Veteran has learned to “Make a Decision” while the average citizen learns to avoid a decision.

• A Veteran understands the importance of “Team Work” to accomplish a goal while the average citizen believes in “every man for himself”, a trait exhibited throughout our society today.

We intend to reclaim these valuable resources for themselves, their families, our society and country. Our Veterans will leave one of our campus having accomplished two major goals.

Pride in themselves&

A commitment to Shared Responsibilities

Our MissionThe Mission of CVSG is to translate our vision into a reality! Safe haven facilities with committed advocates to facilitate continuing education, vocational training, and employment opportunities. Working with homeless Veterans, those suffering from the turmoil of PTSD, and unemployed to develop and execute a “Life Transition Plan” to become a productive, sustaining Veteran who is a proud, participating member of society.CVSG shall instill and reinforce personal values to include:

• Integrity in all facets of our lives• Pride in ourselves and our position as a

Veteran.• Responsibility for our actions• Respect for others and for ourselves• Innovation in our approach to life, our

families, and our fellow Veterans• Excellence in every facet of our life• Sustainability ensuring the continuing

improvement of the CVSG path• Perseverance to overcome any and every

difficulty as a Team• Veteran Centered ready to lead other

veterans in the CVSG path

CAROLINA VETERANSThe CVSG Pride in Self Campus!

Because these facilities are attractive and well planned, all Veterans must be

free from alcohol and/or drug addiction.


CAROLINA VETERANSPride in Self

The first step is to re-introduce the Veteran to Pride in themselves. This begins by placing the Veteran in an environment reminiscent of their military experiences.• Familiar surroundings;• All residents are military Veterans;• All residents must subscribe to certain practices

for living;• All residents are supplied with fresh clothing,

bedding, etc. and are expected to renew these supplies as appropriate.

• All residents are to be familiar with and observe all standard operating procedures of the Pride in Self Campus.

The second step is to re-introduce the Veteran to Personal Responsibility • To themselves;• To fellow residents;• To their families;• To the community and general public

Veterans are required to participate in the management and maintenance of the Pride in Self Facility to include all buildings and grounds.

CVSG


CAROLINA VETERANSBegin the process of Giving Back!

Each Veteran will serve as advocates to program participants and will develop training

guides to each advocate position. Veterans serving as advocates will assist program

participants with any state or federal agency tasked with providing services to Veterans both

homeless as well as other veterans. Why inaction to now?

Any sensible person would raise the question. Why wasn’t this addressed by the Military Service while the Veteran was still on active duty? There seem to be many reasons:

• Lack of funds• Lack of adequate services by the VA and other

government agencies• Lack of leadership• Lack of commitment to the Homeless Veteran and

Veterans in general• No recognition of the enormity of the problems, and• Inability to relate, many of our leaders have never served.• Out of Sight…..Out of Mind!


CAROLINA VETERANS

Whenever possible all Pride in Self Campus (Units) will be supervised by retired and/or veteran Non Commissioned Officers of all

services.

CVSG

CAROLINA VETERANS Headquarters Organization

S-1 Personnel S-2 Intelligence S-3 Operations S-4 Supply

All Pride in Self Unit Personnel operate under the guidance of Headquarters

Personnel

CVSG


The Functions of the Carolina Veterans Support Group is organized as three divisions:

CAROLINA VETERANS

Team A - Fundraising EffortsTeam B - Supervision of all Pride in Self Unit Construction ProjectsTeam C - Providing Service Delivery to all Resident Veterans

CVSG


CAROLINA VETERANS Board of Directors

ChairmanPat Lloyd

USA Vietnam Veteran

President & CEOEugene J. Davis

Colonel, USA Retired

TreasurerRichard H. LanePresident, Lane

Financial Services

SecretaryJan Jacobson

Retired

Richard ChiassonUSN Vietnam Veteran

Jamestown, NC

MemberLarry Reid RobertsPresident Roberts

Business Group, USN


Advisory Committee

Marilyn KilleCarrboro, NC

Bob SuberNC National Guard

Raleigh, NC

Richard ToppePresident, Raleigh, NC

MemberDavid W. Tew

CEO. Mundusenergy

CAROLINA VETERANS

I am a Vietnam era combat Veteran suffering from PTSD. Having lived for a time in my car, an in an abandoned building --- without heat, lights, toilet, et cetera; as a result, I intimately understand the pitfalls of PTSD! I was a military brat, and so have perhaps a wider appreciation of the difficulties that a Service Man or Woman and their Families face.

So many wonderful groups and individuals work to help those of us suffering from PTSD. Yet we continue to suffer from neglect! The mission of the Carolina Veteran Support Group is to bring Veterans suffering from PTSD together in a campus environment where each Veteran will have the time and the support to adjust to the impact of PTSD on themselves and their families. Most importantly, this group aims to assist each with how to regain their pride and their lives!

I hope you will consider the Homeless Veteran and the statements depicted in this presentation. Together we can make a difference in so many lives. Together we can address both the problems and the solutions needed to help these Servicemen and Servicewomen to thrive again.

Thank you and God Bless

Pat Lloyd Gene Davis, Colonel USA Retired

[email protected] [email protected]

919-559-1057 703-798-5073

2nd Bn, 1st Calvary Division (Airmobile)1967-1968


mailto:[email protected]

carolina veterans support group

Health & Medicine