Are you familiar with Vet Centers that are available for you to use?

I found information on this subject from the American Military Retirees Association (AMRA) and thought I'd pass it along. I'd heard of them a year or so ago, but according to the article, they've expanded their eligibility requirements.

The article begins here:

Life isn't always easy after a deployment. That's where Vet Centers can help.

Not to be confused with VA Clinics, Vet Centers across the country provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to combat Veterans and their families. Vet Centers guide Veterans and their families through many of the major adjustments in lifestyle that often occur after a Veteran returns from combat.

Services for a Veteran may include individual and group counseling in areas such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alcohol and drug assessment, and suicide prevention referrals. All services are free of cost and are strictly confidential- you do not have to be enrolled in VA Healthcare to get their help, nor does anything that is discussed at the Vet Center go into your VA medical record.

Who's eligible to use Vet Centers? They started as a result of Vietnam, but eligibility quickly expanded. Please visit the Vet Centers website (http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/index.asp) for eligibility dates for each of these eras/conflicts/war:

World War II
American Merchant Marines
Korean War
Vietnam War
Lebanon, Grenada, Panama
Persian Gulf
Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Joint Guard, & Operation Joint Forge
Global War On Terrorism
Sexual Trauma And Harassment Counseling
Bereavement Counseling