The trials and tribulations of the modern veteran
Elmer Weimer has had many titles throughout his life.
Son. Father. Sailor. Criminal. Hero. Husband. Veteran. Addict. Survivor.
Though comparatively it might seem extreme, Weimer’s journey is tragically similar to many of the newest generation of combat veterans who served in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars and make up 25% of the total veteran population in Fayette County. Although all veterans are eligible for equal benefits, regardless of service era or location, the modern generation of combat veterans faces distinct challenges such as substance abuse, feelings of isolation, and struggles with often stigmatized mental health disorders.
Weimer joined the Navy in 2007 where he worked as a gunner’s mate in Okinawa, Japan. He was responsible for maintaining munitions, missile launching systems and machine guns. Weimer, who was 19-year-old at the time, said it was the first time he was ever really treated like a “man.”
That meant being able to partake in “manly” activities – like drinking.
“We were in a different county and nobody cared, and I just began drinking,” Weimer said. “At first I’d only drink during off week, but it became progressively more and more, and faster and faster.”
Wanting to fit in with his fellow sailors, Weimer said he soon began smoking marijuana and eventually moved on to pain pills prescribed by a Navy corpsman.
“I was a people pleaser, just trying to be one of the guys,” he said.
Drinking, drugs prevalent in modern military
Substance abuse is a major issue among veterans. The National Center for PTSD estimates that 1 out of every 10 veterans who served during the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan war have a problem with alcohol or other drugs.
“To say drinking is romanticized in the military is an understatement,” said Army veteran and Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele, who served in the Afghanistan war. “It’s just what we did – and you could function in the military in that kind of atmosphere.”
Patrina Supler of Waynesburg is an Army combat veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq from 1999 to 2013. Supler said she experienced her own struggle with substance abuse when she returned home, likely stemming from post-traumatic stress disorder from her experience in combat.
“As a veteran when you (get out of the service), you lose some of your outlets to take care of yourself,” Supler said. “So when I came back from Iraq in 2004, I had severe PTSD. It was really, really bad, and I was drunk a lot.”
Supler and Weimer both went on to describe that once they left the military, they both found themselves lost and overindulged in substances as a way to cope with the transition from military life to becoming a civilian.
“It was a horror story,” she said. “It was just so difficult to make the adjustment from coming home from a war zone.”
Supler said one of the difficulties was finding people who could not only listen to her but also understand what it was like to be in a combat zone and the overall stresses associated with serving the country.
“I was so used to having different people to talk to all the time while I was in, and I don’t think I realized at the time they were my support,” Supler said. “It was definitely a dark time for me and something I think a lot of veterans, especially women, have to go through.”
Weimer said once he left the military, he found himself starting to isolate from friends and family, including his then wife and daughter. Alone, hurt and afraid, Weimer’s feeling of worthlessness intensified as he sank deeper into his addiction.
“I felt like I became undesirable to everybody. Nobody was there to give me orders, and soon all the excitement and joy and that feeling of people being proud of me quickly went away,” he said. “I could never get the thought of being undesirable out of my head.”
Feeling lost
Transition from military to civilian life can be one of the toughest challenges veterans who served in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars can face. The former director of veteran affairs for Fayette County and Marine veteran Brian Bensen said he thinks one of the biggest issues millennial-era veterans face is feeling like they are alone once they get out of the military.
“Biggest thing I fear for our younger veterans is purpose. In the over five years I have been doing this job- when there is no reason to wake up, that’s where our problems start,” he said. ” Some Veterans receive compensation for injuries and don’t need to work. They isolate themselves.”
Aubele, who serves as Fayette County’s district attorney, echoed that sentiment of how challenging it can be to find structure and purpose once getting out of the military.
“When I got out in June, it was the first time I hadn’t served my country in a capacity since I had turned 18,” Aubele said. “Fortunately I was able to fill that void with this position pretty quickly, but I understand that lull can play on you. When you take that uniform off – it means something.”
Director of Veteran Affair for Washington County, Bobbi Cumpston said she also believes that one of the hardest adjustments for veterans is when they transition out of the military back into civilian life, noting that that millennial aged veterans can have feelings of inadequacy and a lost sense of purpose which she said can be heightened by social media.
“A lot of the hero worship goes away once you get out,” Cumpston said. “You suffer in the uniform but then they get out and look around and ask themselves ‘what’s next?’ and ‘does anybody recognize me? Does anyone see me?'”
Army Veteran Kim Sugden of Washington County, who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars said she believes some of the challenges millennial-aged veterans face revolve around mental health such as PTSD – a complicated condition in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.
“So many veterans deal with PTSD, anxiety and depression, all coming from their time in service and making the adjustment from military to civilian isn’t a smooth ride, and some never recover from the regimented and structured lifestyle,” Sugden said.
The Veterans Association Public Health Organization estimates that nearly 16% of veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer from PTSD, while the National Center for PTSD estimates that almost 30% of veterans who served during that time frame have experienced PTSD.
The organization also estimates one in every 3 veterans with PTSD also suffer from some sort of substance abuse
“It’s really tough because I felt like I didn’t have anyone to talk to, so I would just drink,” said Supler. “I would just get drunk all the time.”
What’s next?
There have been over 3 million people who have served in the military during the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and while each service member’s eventual path to peace is a unique journey, the road to healing is an obtainable one.
Once the pandemic hit and Weimer could no longer have access to pain pills, he eventually began using heroin. From there, his life spiraled out of control, from troubles with the law to losing his family and friends, to becoming homeless.
“I truly was undesirable,” he said.
After one of Weimer’s arrests, the Navy veteran was introduced to the county’s Veterans Court, a program that allows non-violent veteran offenders the opportunity to heavily reduce or even dismiss charges if they undergo therapy or rehab.
Weimer said once he was introduced to several programs offered by the county, he was able to start turning his life around.
“I was finally held accountable, and I got to see that I truly was not alone,” he said.