Helping Service Members After The Return Home

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Letting returning service members know they’re appreciated is important, but experts say they often need more than that.

On the web heart-warming homecoming videos are easy to find.

But what we don’t discuss as much is what happens after that.

“We talk a lot about deployment but we don’t talk about the tools needed to rest their minds, reset their bodies physically,” William Freeman with the Department of Defense said.

“We see a lot of soldiers who are not sleeping. they get maybe four hours of sleep,” Freeman went on to say.

Freeman is holding a session on stress management and healthy living. It’s one of many sessions at the Mississippi National Guard’s Yellow Ribbon post-deployment event. It’s designed to help recently returning service members reintegrate, along with their families.

Seargant Eugene Alvarez said he’s still struggling.

“Don’t let the pressure of being around people effect you too much so that way you can relax and know hey you are back home, not over there anymore, you’re ok,” Alvarez said.

But Lieutant Colonel Deidre Smith said service members and their families need more than just emotional and mental support.

“We are bringing resources to them in a timely manner to make sure they are ready for life and what’s thrown at them,” Smith said.

This weekend, they discussed everything from communicating with family to finances.

Smith said she also developed an app aimed at helping service members find answers with their fingertips.

While returning is much more difficult than most civilians can imagine, at least days like this, make it a little easier.

Smith says service members from Jackson and Tupelo attended the event.

They hold a similar session before deployment.