Reintegration & Navigation After Service
The Royal Canadian Legions has been open to the public for decades. However, the initial purpose of the non-profit organizations was to provide a sense of community to Veterans. Strongly influenced by the culture of the Military, these attitudes, beliefs, and values were reproduced in locations across the country. Through past military service and shared experiences, Legions developed a protective connection between many Veterans.
This sense of belonging and trust, amid the transition from uniform into civilian life, was essentially why Legions existed. From information exchange and networking opportunities to the development of a strong sense of camaraderie outside of military service, Legions were once an important resource during transition. However, a growing disconnect is becoming more visible to many Veterans who believe Legions are out of touch with the needs of Veterans today.
Psychosocial Learning & Transferable Skills
Although a contrast is often emphasized between personal and social needs, these are necessarily interconnected in the reintegration process and must be examined as such. When considering professional development specifically, most Veterans are strangers in a new system. To navigate this successfully, they must be at least minimally reliant on support from others in this new setting.
Occupying a divide between active Members and civilians, many who release from service in the Military never genuinely leave. Although there is a strong tie to Military attitudes, beliefs, and values, an identity shift develops after service. Veteran culture develops its own language, symbols, and supposedly gathering places. However, connection through shared ideals is not meant to suggest there is homogeny among Veterans. Different views and experiences communicated through shared language and other cultural components help facilitate learning and the transition process.
Veterans from every rank have valuable transferable skills. However, most lack the ability to properly communicate these in an application to higher education or in an interview with a potential employer. Although the CAF has improved its career transition services since its initial inception of regional JPSUs and IPSCs, the new Transition Centres continue to remain largely lacking in efficiency. Interaction with other Veterans who have already successfully navigated the streets of civilian life, through their own failures and successes, offer much needed insights to these new travelers on civvy street.
Veterans from every rank have valuable transferable skills
Social Capital?
The relocation process into the Veteran community involves a dramatic change in social location. As social competency matures, successful transition can be measured by improved social efficacy. Legions have the capability to provide Veterans with social capital, expressed in tangible resources, such as a property used as a gathering place, and perhaps even more important intangible resources, such as engagement and knowledge with other Veterans.
The value of information exchange and reciprocity among Veterans; and the potential benefits to broader communities, emphasizes the importance of connection during transition from Military service and long after settling into civilian life. Legions were once this hub that provided networking opportunities for Veterans through the development of relationships among other Veterans and civilians who could assist in the successful transition process.
Shifts in Strategy?
The number of civilians with membership to Legions has been a form of discontent among some Veterans. Part of the reason is that civilians generally lack congruity with many Veterans because they do not share the experience needed to understand Military culture and, therefore, the ability to fully relate. Many, if not most, Legion members have never served in the Military or any other First Responder role. As a result, many Veterans feel there is not only a lack of representation but resonation with Legion members. The risk of damaging the protective qualities of a well-connected community poses a risk to professional and personal development, which spans from career integrity in the civilian world to health.
Many Veterans feel there is not only a lack of representation but resonation with Legion members.
This is not to say that those who have never served in the Military cannot advocate or improve their ability to better understand Veterans. One could also easily argue that if it was not for many of these civilian members, including those in administrative positions, many branches would have already closed. Certainly, denying civilians from volunteering to help Veterans is likely to hurt the cause of Veterans.
Nevertheless, many young Veterans are not interested in becoming members in their local Legion. This must be an indication that Legions are failing to attractive these younger Veterans, which essentially harms the purpose the Legion was meant to serve. Certainly, a receptiveness to change is necessary for profit and non-profit organizations. However, do cultural changes necessarily involve strategic level changes? Is it possible for Legions to return to their grass roots foundations and meet the needs of Veterans today by adjusting their vision without abandoning the mission they were created for?
Denying civilians from volunteering to help Veterans is likely to hurt the cause of Veterans.
Finding Alignment
The culture shared by Veterans often develops organically from shared experiences. If we accept that supportive communities comprise a key component to not only financial security but health, the capability of Veterans to successfully navigate their reintegration will be much more feasible when social resources are present. Certainly, there is a responsibility among Veterans to make the necessary efforts in their transition from uniform. However, the unique position of Veterans must also be acknowledged by these social systems.
Incongruences between mission, vision, and values are creating widening disconnects across many Legions and Veterans. Although this may not be the case in all establishments, it is a common pattern that should be recognized. The aggregate losses in Veteran membership among many Legions have significantly eroded social capital, which has both harmed individual Veterans and damaged social relationships. Certainly, when individuals believe that they lack resources to address actual or perceived threats, some may withdraw and further reduce or eliminate the potential benefits of available social support.
Incongruences between mission, vision, and values are creating widening disconnects
The present Veteran climate has experienced an increase in the development of support groups who are filling a gaping vacuum Legions no longer seem willing to fill. Certainly, when organizations experience high turnover or lack the ability to recruit, the source is often a lack of leadership. Many would argue that Legions have kept their mandates in words only. If one of the primary intentions of the Legion was to provide a strong voice to Veterans, are their voices being heard? Do Legions remain a mechanism of social connection for Veterans, or have other means become more relevant to new generations of Veterans because of neglect by Legions? Will Legions become relevant again or only remain organizations for Veterans, in name only?
