I’ve seen a lot of posts around the net today on veterans, Veterans Day, and military issues. It’s always a struggle for me. As a veteran, I’d naturally like to feel at least vaguely appreciated. As a quiet peace activist, I always feel a wrench in my gut when I see over the top displays of “patriotism” and flag waving that are essentially meaningless glorifications of war. It’s hard to find balance in the public discourse. I still feel strange when people thank me for my service.

Yet all the “thank you”s in the world don’t help if you’re worried about keeping a roof over your head, worried about where your next meal will come from, or so busy trying to deal with your medical problems that nothing else can penetrate your awareness. And this, sadly, is the state of far too many veterans in this country. The Veterans Administration is deliberately difficult to negotiate, and actually acquiring compensation for disability can take years and many rejections or equally many nickel and dime offers that don’t nearly compensate for the actual damage done by your service. If you’re a woman vet, the struggle is often even harder, especially for those suffering from MST, military sexual trauma.

For those who are GLBT and on active duty, there are additional issues based on the unjust DADT law, which actively lays us open to blackmail. It’s no way to guarantee security for the mission or for individual servicemembers. Deliberately making a considerable proportion of your military vulnerable to blackmail makes no sense whatsoever. Thankfully, lame duck sessions of congress are sometimes better at pushing controversial legislation because the outgoing legislators no longer have anything to fear from their constituency — there’s no upcoming election to worry about. It’s possible that DADT might go down in the midst of all this. I remain hopeful.

As reported over on The Wild Hunt today, religious leaders and veterans are calling for a more nuanced view of conscientious objection:

In a report issued Wednesday (Nov. 10), the Truth Commission on Conscience in War called on the military to revise its rules to include “selective conscientious objection,” and urged religious leaders to address issues of conscience during wartime … The report states that current rules about conscientious objection requires an objection to “war in any form,” creating a conflict for those who may have specific moral objections to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ”It denies freedom of religious practice and the exercise of moral conscience to those serving in the military who object to a particular war based on the moral criteria of just war, which the military itself teaches and upholds as important,” the report reads. The report notes that military rules dating to the time of the Vietnam draft leave no legal basis for objection for someone who believes “participation implicates them in an immoral war or in war crimes.

It’s important to note that even if such a thing were to become law/military regulation, there would be extreme pressure from the military to conform and to not file as a C.O. I’m certain that harassment and sanctions would be leveled against anyone courageous enough to openly and publicly object to participating in any war or military action. We see this sort of pressure and harassment applied to people who don’t necessarily object to service in an unjust war, who are simply suffering from the effects of rape or of PTSD caused by other aspects of their service. Those who seek psychiatric treatment are all too often singled out for abuse and, in many cases, this abuse has resulted in suicide.

When we enlist in the military, we open ourselves up to an incredible number of abuses and violations of our civil rights, whether we are women, Pagan, or queer. Military women are statistically more likely to be raped by a co-worker than civilian women. Queer servicemembers face discharge if they are found out. Pagans still face discrimination within the ranks and from the brass, at some commands more than others.

Veterans with PTSD and other mental health issues often find themselves homeless and unable to cope with alcoholism or other problems.

Servicemembers who are dealing with depression, PTSD, and other issues do have places to turn outside of the military system, though most aren’t aware of this. The Soldiers Project and Give an Hour are both programs that can help servicemembers and their families — in some cases even GLBT families/domestic partners/spouses — find help at low or no cost when the command fails them.

Organizations like Veterans for Peace operate coffeehouses and other places where military war resisters can go for support and help, and other resources to aid active duty and veterans with issues ranging from sexual assault to homelessness.

It takes more than a “thank you” uttered once a year to help heal lives that have been broken by military service. It takes more than a “thank you” to support those currently on active duty, risking their lives daily, or working as support troops and in non-combat positions who still have to face stresses not imaginable by most of the civilian world. There are resources, whether you are on the hawk or the dove end of the spectrum; there are people working to preserve the rights and dignity of servicemembers and veterans. Knowing where and how to look are important. I hope that this collection of links can be a helpful place to start.