he got out. “I thought there would be manager and I had a strategic plan “Programs like ours should be in
more opportunities after the military. — short- and long-term. I went to the news,” says Panky. “In the years
The more I struggled, the more I school and became a squad leader since the war on terrorism began,
drank. My substance abuse got out of in the building. When I graduated, we’ve learned a lot from the fi rst
control, and I prayed for help.” I got a management position at an group of veterans and the DoL, DoD,
It was then that a former Army industrial company where I was a and the VA are stepping up services.
buddy told him to check into a VA shipping and receiving manager by We now know we have to identify
hospital. After completing a three- day, and I worked a security position PTSD early. We have to get veterans’
week inpatient program, he was ac- at MCVET at night.” needs evaluated and addressed. We
cepted at the Maryland Center for Panky now is a full-time follow-up have to let them know they should
Veterans Education and Training counselor at MCVET, and his is one contact a VA offi ce immediately if
(MCVET) in Baltimore, where he of more than 5,000 success stories they need help.”
lived for 17 months. of former students who have gradu- “Prevention is key. After Vietnam,
“The fi rst thing I remember ated from the program since 1993. there were no programs to address
thinking is I have a roof over my MCVET is a DoL-funded HVRP pro- PTSD. We didn’t even know it ex-
head. Then I worked with a case gram and was designated by the U.S. isted. We had veterans sleeping under
Department of Housing and Urban bridges,” says Williams. “We’ve got to
Development as a national model for get to them before they go under the
community-based organizations pro- bridge, and we’re doing that.”
viding services to homeless veterans. John Driscoll, president and CEO
Col. Charles Williams, USA-Ret., an of the National Coalition for Home-
MOAA Life Member, has been execu- less Veterans (NCHV) and a Vietnam
tive director of MCVET for 15 years combat veteran, says such outreach
following a 30-year military career. At now is the priority in reaching vet-
age 70, he has no plans to retire be- erans. “We need the media to focus
cause his job “doesn’t feel like work.” not just on the problems but on those
The fi rst step to successful rein- doors that vets can open for help,”
tegration at MCVET is to help veter- Driscoll says. “There wasn’t a place in
ans address their the community where a veteran could
debilitating issues, turn to for help 40 years ago. That
such as PTSD or has changed dramatically. What’s
substance abuse, missing is a government effort to put
through an array the word out in public service an-
of services. Then nouncements [PSAs] — that you are a
they can begin to combat veteran and you have earned
train through the access to help, there are benefi ts you
employment ser- have earned, and you should be proud
vices program. “We to get help. Here’s where you go. We
don’t let them leave need public service announcements
without a piece of that are as pervasive and well-known
paper — a degree, a as the PSA that says, ‘Be all that you
certifi cate, a diplo- can be — in the Army.’ ”
ma — that qualifi es NCHV is working on passage of
them for a career,” H.R. 2559, in which the VA would
says Williams, who conduct a national media campaign
runs MCVET not that directs veterans to the services
like a homeless they need. “The services and the help
shelter, but like a are there like never before. We need to
college campus. make sure our veterans know about it
“That’s how we get and how to get to it,” says Driscoll.
them back into William Corley didn’t know he
the community.” had earned [CONTINUES ON PAGE 91]
NOVEMBER 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 61
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