Time for Communities to Step It Up

By Gregg Piburn

  The American military knows how to prepare its troops for battle. Alas, the military fails to get those same warriors successfully integrated back into society after their tours of duty.

  Marshall Spring, founder of Combat Recovery Foundation (CRF), says people often ask him what the military is doing about that problem. His response surprises many. “It has never been the job of the military to integrate warriors back into society.” He adds, “And the Veteran’s Administrations (VA) seems incapable or unwilling todo all it can to ease that transition.”

  So whose role is it to transform skilled fighters into satisfied and productive citizens? “It has always been up to the community to integrate the warriors,” Spring says. “It’s our job. If citizens across the nation willingly and gratefully send them off to war, we must be willing to bring them back and gratefully support their transition.”

  Obviously, something has to happen. A common statistic we hear is veteran suicides account for 22 deaths per day. Marshall believes the real number could be much higher. Many veterans who don’t choose suicide still face major challenges of integration into society – feeling like outsiders and struggling to find employment, among other things. The “families” formed on tours or even on the battlefield are now scattered and some of those “brothers and sisters” have died way too young. The return to the normal, civilized American life can be lonely and daunting.

  Marshall, like many people, has lost individuals (non-veterans and veterans) close to him to suicide. In 2010, his girlfriend, a police officer who was never in the military, shot herself. Nine years later Marshall’s business partner (a veteran) did the same. As a Marine, four years active and a recipient of the Purple Heart, Marshall knows firsthand the hurdles veterans face during and after their tours of duty. He also realizes the VA is not the solution to this suicide epidemic.

CRF CREATED

  “If nobody else will address the problem, I’ll do it,” Marshall told himself. That bold self-talk sparked the creation of CRF. On Sept. 11, 2023 Marshall started work to develop the non-profit organization, which officially opened August 18, 2024.While he made the decision to dive into this arena full bore, he knew he couldn’t do it alone. Even though he is the founder, Marshall intentionally assumes a low profile. “I have been very strategic to bring in leaders who challenge my thoughts. The staff and volunteers are very dedicated and have all made a choice to serve. There’s a sense we all have to be here.”

  Remember that Marshall says the community is responsible to merge veterans back into that community. How can community members here help? Among other things, a person can:

1. Donate money,
2. Tell other about CRF,
3. Hire a vet, and
4. Volunteer your time and talent.

  (Check out this website to learn more about the numerous ways CRF serves its participants.)

  “People crave purpose, belonging and relevancy,” Marshall states. “Everything we do is created and led by vets but is offered to everyone” (including non-vets).Imagine how a sense of purpose, belonging and relevancy occur if you are a vet who is creating, leading and/or participating in CRF events or programs. And imagine how community members who choose to participate as a donor, messenger, employer or volunteer can also reap that sense of purpose, belonging and relevancy.

  “I believe those who serve in the military are extremely compassionate people, willing to risk their lives to protect their fellow citizens,” Marshall says. “I tell them all the time they are worth the investment. They don’t want charity. They want acknowledgment that they have value and want the opportunity to prove that.”

  The veterans who serve and are served by CRF know all about extreme challenges and hard work. They’ll do their part. Will American communities step forward to do their part?

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