Social Work In The Military

The need for social work within the military should be a spotlight for the public, however, military issues have gotten more attention than in the past. People are aware of PTSD and TBI as common issues among the military, suicide and sexual abuse get attention as well. Important issues such as these should continue to receive public attention yet more common issues should be in the spotlight as well. Away from friends and family, dealing with finances and jumping into adult relationships usually do not go along with an individual’s first job, but for many soldiers it is their reality. Only legally adults, many of the young men and women who serve our country still have a lot of growing up to do. Our soldiers step into a system with lofty
Taking advantage of opportunities such as April being the month of the military child, military appreciation month in May, Memorial Day, and Veteran’s Day in November can aide in the cause of awareness. Communities will often host events which individuals from military groups can speak at. Speaking engagements, an online presence, political advocacy, and using current issues in the spotlight are all strategies to bring about awareness and keep military issues relevant in your local community. Sexual harassment has been catapulted into the spotlight due to the marine nude photo scandal. Harassment of all kinds is a topic deserving of attention and those responsible for posting the photos should face punishment. Tragic as the nude photo scandal story is, nor to take away from it, during this scandal is an opportunity to get other issues into the public eye as well. This story broke the beginning of March 2017 and we may not hear much about it in
It seems like the nature of the military and the nature of social work are at odds. The violence of the military is a turnoff to many who seek to help individuals through the lens of social work. Joining the military exposed me to a population that had all their physical needs met, but were emotionally left in dire straits. The military population is not equipped more so than civilians to deal with financial hardships, relationship troubles, or other personal battles. These struggles are only compounded by the stress of the military lifestyle that is misunderstood by many who have not served. Academic research and crossing over military with civilian issues, where relevant, is required to interest more social workers in the military. Opaque army values were words that I committed to memory at the start of my career, but with experience their meaning was made clear. Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage are the army values and each one earned a unique meaning to me through my experiences. Service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence are the core social work values. From an ethical challenge I experienced with my first client I was able to see the importance of the social work values in