Understanding the Role of Language Use in Veteran Transition to Civilian Life

The military provides excellent training upon induction, however, no provision exists for the reversalof the said training for preparing the veterans to face the civilian life ahead of them (Bulmer & Eichler, 2017). Veterans must have a transitional phase before being discharged from service. Such gradual transition provides an alternative to trauma and reduces the difficulties that the veterans are expected to face during their integration into the civilian way of living.

Armed Forces personnel often believe that the civilians speak a different language. In the context of the India, the language may apparently be Hindi or any other regional language, however, the manner in which the given language is spoken in terms of dialects, narratives, and intent may differ to a great extent. It is, therefore important that the veterans are taught to decode the civilian language and adapt themselves to the same. For instance, the civilian way of communication may significantly differ from that of a veteran in the case of appraisals and feedbacks wherein civilians, in general, tend to be more compassionate and sensitive to the information being transmitted or received (Rose et. al., 2017). The same holds true while providing feedbacks and appraisals at workplaces. The pleasantries may often muddle the communication and diminish the impact of the feedback. The military way of feedback and appraisals, on the other hand, is strict and direct.

The civilian way of communication may also include overpromising and under-delivering which, for example, often happens in job interviews, wherein not wanting to disappoint a candidate, the employer might not directly say no (Hasiak et al., 2021). Some employers might promise to review a resume submitted to them, however, might never do so. This reduces the clarity and directness of communication and veterans might find it difficult to detect the shifts in intent and language and react accordingly. It is, therefore, important to recognize and understand the difference in the communication styles. It must be understood that the civilian method of communication is not wrong, but only different and not in congruence to what the personnel of the armed forces is used to for most of his life. However, efforts must be made to facilitate the adjustment and integration of the veterans into the civilian culture, way of living, and language.

The military way of living is straightforward and direct and aligns with the goal of the armed forces (Ainspan et. al., 2018). The civilian life, however, may not resonate with this as the language spoken by the civilians is inspired by their lifestyle which may not be as strict and disciplined as that in the armed forces (McCormick et. al., 2019). Thus, it may be felt by a veteran that the civilian language inherently encompasses a shifting intent or subtext which must be decoded in order to understand the actual context. The veterans may also encounter code-switching of narrative which might cause mental discomfort to someone who is not used to such type of language. Personnel of the armed forces, by virtue of their training and lifestyle, are habitual of being specific, candid, and straightforward. Hence, there may be several instances wherein they might encounter uneasiness when confronted by a method of communication that does not match their expectations. The civilian society has a general responsibility of supporting the veterans during their transition to civilian life, however, there exists a gap in awareness and availability of resources.

References

Ainspan, N. D., Penk, W., & Kearney, L. K. (2018). Psychosocial approaches to improving the military-to-civilian transition process. Psychological services, 15(2), 129.

Bulmer, S., & Eichler, M. (2017). Unmaking militarized masculinity: Veterans and the project of military-to-civilian transition. Critical Military Studies, 3(2), 161-181. Bulmer, S., & Eichler, M. (2017). Unmaking militarized masculinity: Veterans and the project of military-to-civilian transition. Critical Military Studies, 3(2), 161-181.

Hasiak, M., Flaherty, M., Hayduk, N., & Stavkova, S. (2021). Building civil society with former military and their families: the role of higher education in bridging the gap between military service and civil life. Bulletin of the Cherkasy Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University. Series" Pedagogical Sciences", (4).

McCormick, W. H., Currier, J. M., Isaak, S. L., Sims, B. M., Slagel, B. A., Carroll, T. D., ... & Albright, D. L. (2019). Military culture and post-military transitioning among veterans: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Veterans Studies, 4(2), 287-298.

Rose, K., Herd, A., & Palacio, S. (2017). Organizational citizenship behavior: An exploration of one aspect of cultural adjustment faced by US Army soldiers transitioning from military to civilian careers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 19(1), 14-24.