Military mental health, reintegration discussed in Farmington Hills community conversation
(CBS DETROIT) - Another community conversation hosted by Suicide Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) comes to Farmington Hills. Wednesday's focus was veteran and military mental health.
A panel of speakers takes to Farmington Hills City Hall to address an issue that millions of soldiers face upon their return home -- reintegration.
"And learning how they operate .... was crazy to me," Gary Easterling says about taking a civilian job. He's a panelist speaking about his role as the director of the American Legion.
He recalls his struggles, following his 25 years of service, of taking a civilian job when he got home and learning to be around his wife and sons, who also served, after constantly being away from them.
"I have a wife and two kids, so I had to learn how they lived, you know, so that was the tough part," says Easterling.
Chris Cornelius was in the Army National Guard Reserves for eight years and chose to begin a nonprofit after hearing stories from men he served with who went to combat. Cornelius says the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund supports Michigan-based soldiers. It's the support that he's happy to be seeing more of.
"You find there's more organizations out there to help in different ways. We kept roofs overhead, we kept food on the table, we kept kids fed, we kept diapers on kids, it was everything they needed," Cornelius.
"We can get 10 people, we can get 150 people, and I always tell them, you know, it doesn't matter what you do. It's how you do it and how you help," says Easterling.
