Allocating More Resources Towards OEF or OIF Veterans Adjust to Civilian Life

VA HEALTHCARE FROM BOOTS TO SUITS
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Course
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section

Section Title

Pages

1

Summary of Research Project

3

2

Introduction and Problem Statement

3

3

Research Methodology

5

4

Findings and Conclusions

7

5

Recommendations Related to Findings

16

6

Recommendations Related to Additional Studies

16

7

Footnotes

18

8

Bibliography and References

19

9

Appendices

20

1. Summary of Research Project
The research project sought to determine the perceptions of returning Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans in terms of the preparation afforded them by the Armed Forces during re-entry into civilian life. This study employed a quantitative research design where a sample population of veterans who had served in various combat operations was asked to fill in a questionnaire, which was designed to collect collective experiences in relation to the adjustment process. The survey results were later analyzed descriptively and inferentially. It was revealed that veterans, especially those returning from OEF/OIF missions, have difficulty adjusting to new civilian routines as well as navigating social relationships. More importantly, the research project showed that a significant proportion of veterans are ill-prepared for re-entry into civilian life. The study recommends that the Department of Defense allocate more resources towards helping veterans adjust to civilian life as well as expand its compensation program for service-related injuries/disabilities.
2. Introduction and Problem Statement
Research Problem
The research study seeks to answer the research question: What are the perceptions of returning Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans in terms of the preparation afforded them by the Armed Forces during re-entry into civilian life?
Significance of Study
Many veterans experience significant challenges when re-entering civilian life. Although the government has instituted several programs to help veterans during this marked transition, OEF and OIF veterans continue to face numerous difficulties adjusting to civilian life. These problems are tied to the fact that many veterans have spent a significant time in unfamiliar environments during deployments and have also suffered the traumas of combat missions during their military service. Learning how to navigate everyday responsibilities and social interactions involving friends, family, and the general civilian society can be difficult given the ingrained and extant militant perspective. Maintaining the right balance between one's previous life and current civilian demands often results in many veterans experiencing enormous stress levels and subsequent rehabilitation, family readjustment, and mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and various anxiety disorders.[Stanton, M., Parker, M. W., McDougall, G., & Eyer, J. C. (2017). Reintegration Issues of Military Nurses: A Focus Group Approach. Best Practices in Mental Health, 13(1), 1–19. /pmc/articles/PMC6956650/]
The number of veterans suffering from various mental and anxiety disorders is quite large. For instance, a quick search on the Internet reveals that a significant proportion of veterans returning to civilian life are diagnosed with PTSD, commit suicide, have anxiety disorders, or develop insomnia. It is also not uncommon for veterans to have employment difficulties, which further exacerbates the adjustment process: this transition period has been shown to result in major societal challenges that affect not only veterans but also the people surrounding them. Given the challenges faced by many veterans when making the transition into civilian life, this study is significant in that it seeks to explore the specific issues and perceptions of veterans returning from OEF/OIF operations regarding their process of re-entering civilian life and the role of the Armed forces in aiding this adjustment process.[Shepherd, S., Sherman, D. K., MacLean, A., & Kay, A. C. (2020). The Challenges of Military Veterans in Their Transition to the Workplace: A Call for Integrating Basic and Applied Psychological Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 174569162095309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620953096]
3. Research Methodology
The research study employed the quantitative research design where survey Explain why you think the end results were the numbers that they were. E.g. the sample was to small to give highly accurate results
and inferentially (in order to test the generalizability of certain hypotheses to the broader study group). In the first category, the study sought to describe the study population in a meaningful way in terms of gender, race, a branch of service, conflict experience, country of birth, and nature of service. Bivariate inferential analysis was conducted to investigate the empirical relationship between various pairs of variables in turn. This process included evaluating the relationships between the amount of time in which the veteran worked against veteran’s perception of the fairness of their disability increment rating upon discharge, veteran’s perception of the fairness of their current disability increment rating, difficulty reconnecting emotionally with friends and family, challenges managing strong emotions, experiences with the negative effects of deployment during everyday life activities, and feelings of nostalgia after leaving the military.
The strongest relationship was observed between participants who reported that their current disability increment rating was fair and those who stated that they had challenges reconnecting emotionally with friends and family. The weakest relationship was observed between participants who reported that they experienced negative effects of deployment during day-to-day life and those who stated that they missed the military after discharge. An inverse relationship was observed between those who reported challenges managing string emotions and those who experienced negative effects of deployment during day-to-day life. This last result was contrary to study expectations. Some of the minor inconsistencies in the findings were most likely the consequence of the study’s small sample size.
The same approach was used to investigate the relationships between veteran’s perception of the fairness of their current disability increment rating, difficulty reconnecting emotionally with friends and family, challenges managing strong emotions, experiences with the negative effects of deployment during everyday life activities, and feelings of nostalgia after leaving the military and the remaining relevant variables. Simple linear regression analysis was performed to estimate the relationship between feelings of nostalgia after leaving the military and difficulty reconnecting emotionally with friends and family. The study wished to determine the correlation between emotional regulation when transitioning into civilian life and attachment to previous active duty life. The t-test inferential statistic was conducted to determine differences between if there were any differences between the genders in terms of difficulty reconnecting emotionally with friends and family. The value derived from the t Critical two-tail fell in the critical area thereby illustrating that there was no difference between the genders in terms of difficulty reconnecting emotionally with friends and family. This was consistent with expected results. However, the accuracy of these study findings was likely to have been affected by a small sample size. Besides, the ANOVA test was performed to evaluate the means of the rank of veteran versus veteran's perception of the fairness of their current disability increment rating and also ethnicity versus feelings of nostalgia after leaving the military. The test results revealed a high F-value thereby indicating significant variations in veterans’ perception of the fairness of their current disability increment rating in relation to rank as well as feelings of nostalgia after leaving the military in relation to rank and ethnicity respectively. These findings were also consistent with study expectations. However, the accuracy of these study findings is likely to have been affected by the fact that a small sample size was used.
From this research methodology, we learned that quantitative analysis is more concrete and compelling than qualitative analysis. Although a qualitative approach would have been suitable in answering the research question, the quantitative analysis makes it easier to make generalizations owing to the objectivity and accuracy of findings. However, the quantitative approach has several shortcomings, including lack of depth and specificity, over and above, strong emphasis on numbers rather than actual participants' attitudes, feelings, and experiences. These weaknesses are the result of using structured surveys that allow for limited and general responses. The statistical investigation part went well, and the researchers encountered very few challenges in conducting descriptive as well as inferential analyses. However, the whole process was quite time-intensive and cumbersome. Besides, quantitative analysis is marked by several inherent weaknesses, including falsely compelling correlations, which require the investigator to make comparisons with other studies on the same issue. There is also the risk of improper representation of the target population. Even after applying suitable sampling methods, the representation of the subjects relies on the probability distribution of observed data, thereby resulting in the miscalculation of probability distribution and false conclusions.[Knottnerus, J. A., & Tugwell, P. (2018). Challenges in quantitative analysis need more attention, also in reporting. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 104, vi–viii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2018.10.013] [Henson, R., Stewart, G., & Bedford, L. (2020). Key Challenges and Some Guidance on Using Strong Quantitative Methodology in Education Research. Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 13(2), 42–5942–59. https://doi.org/10.21423/jume-v13i2a382]
4. Findings and Conclusions
Findings
Of the sample population of 50 veterans, 86% were male, 12% were female, while the rest identified as non-binary. The study population was further split into various ethnicities: 42% white, 14% Asian, 10% African American, 10% Hispanic, 12% multi-ethnic, and 12% other ethnic groups.
The study findings revealed that 32% of the sample population had served in the United States Navy, 14% in the United States Coast Guard, 6% in the United States Air force, 2% in the United States Marine...