Former military acclimating to civilian lifestyle

I am not military but I live in a military town. Here are some things I have been acquainted with:

(1) Sounds are a big deal. Huge. In one case I remember, a guy driving heard a car backfiring or some such, and had an episode. He grabbed his wife, shoved her into the floorboard of the passenger seat, and started driving like a lunatic. The cop who pulled him over was sympathetic and let him go, but not before he took a time out to come out of it.

In another example, a guy heard something - maybe something in the bathroom fell over or some such - while he was sleeping and threw his wife off the bed and got on top of her.

I have read that one of the reasons couples really did sleep in twin beds in ye olden yonder was PTSD from the military, because the guys might act up in their sleep years later.

(2) Feeling like the place you're in is too "open." You can see it sometimes in the eyes and faces of military guys when they are at Wal-Mart or whatever, like they're barely managing to restrain themselves from panic. This is just a personal observation unconfirmed by any reports from soldiers.

Hope this is helpful!

If the person served overseas (eg in a sf off world) for long periods then their mind set gets out of phase with social norms back home. Two examples would be in dealing with the opposite gender, and the changes in social norms. Case in point, imagine dropping someone back into American society after they functioned in the MENA arena for ten years. The two cultures are quite different and people will acclimate to the off world environment after awhile.

Career Navy Chief Beginning Second Career

The MC in my WIP is a retired Navy CPO who is beginning a second career as a city bus driver.

For the last twenty years he was the subject-matter-expert. He navigated warships, planned voyages, and often made recommendations to the Commanding Officer. Subordinates and peers afforded him a high degree of respect merely because he wore the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer. When he gave orders, people obeyed them without-question.

But now he is a rookie bus driver who is always studying the manuals in order to be "the expert" again. He also doesn't relate to civilians--doesn't trust them--he always says, You wouldn't understand.“

He wears the same uniform as every other driver, he is no longer The Chief. So when his passengers ask, “Why do I have to show you my ID?” He answers, “'Cause I'm the Bus Driver, that's why.”

But when he encounters a passenger or co-worker who was in the military he opens up with “friendly” jokes or insults and sea stories. In both cases going just a little to far, to the point where it is no longer funny.

A sub-plot in my mystery is changing loyalties. He must defend a rival bus driver who is involved in an accident that kills a supervisor. And must also learn to trust an irritating civilian in order to catch the real killer.

The transition out of military life is tough even before tossing PTSD into the equation.

I went from electrical operator of a nuclear power plant driving a billion+ dollar submarine to driving a school bus (nuclear power positions pay really well, but there aren't so many of them). That's a hell of a shock to the system, the brain, the ego. It's like the whole foundation you've spent years building up about what you are, it's just gone.

Take the last decade of your life, and pretend it's gone. Keep remembering it, though. You've had all those experiences, all that responsibility and authority and places you've been, things you've done. And it means nothing to anyone that you can tell.

That's what it *feels* like.

Also, combat vet or not? I assume so, with PTSD, but could be either. Combat vets usually take six months or so to decompress and slow their instinctive reactions to a civilian rate. PTSD has all sorts of additional recovery issues.

Most general vets do fairly well at adapting, especially if they have a home life, family, etc . Specialists, especially those without civilian counterparts, have a tougher time. Some (many?) end up in para-military careers, law enforcement, first responders, etc. Anywhere there is a rigid command structure they feel comfortable in.

But, you can write almost anything in that you can figure out how to justify. And that works for your character needs.

Jeff

Your're essentially dealing with two disparate problems for your MC: the post-military career transition, as well as the PTSD. Each are handled differently and have their own scope for solutions.

We've had a number of soldiers returning from the Afghanistan theatre with PTSD for a host of reasons; not all are directly related to physical injuries sustained from an IED, what have you. For many of these, they end up posted to a JPSU (Joint Personnel Support Unit), where the member is provided the specialist care to deal with their issues. This will typically either lead to a medical discharge or a return to normal duties. The complexity and severity of the PTSD would define the problems and requirements once released, something not really achievable given the info provided and expertise needed to really address this issue (I'm no psychologist).

Transitioning to "civilian" life is much easier for me to relate to. In the military context, orders are given and once received they are followed. The expectations from a military supervisor to a civilian supervisor can differ dramatically. It is akin to any long-standing employee of a company who must retire and cope with the loss of position, authority, sense of belonging, reason to wake up and get dressed (even if you grumble about it), familiarity and routine, friendships, sense of accomplishment, loss of salary, hit to the ego, in some cases trying to figure out how to live with your spouse again day-in day-out, etc. Take a look at any post-retirement horror stories or difficulty re-integrating; the military aspect simply adds another element to it. Throw in some sci-fi elements to the society the former member may not be familiar with and things can get complicated, quickly.

As far as a former military member in a "high-stakes corporate environment," I'd start asking questions like: What was the member's former career? What are his/her skill sets? What corporation are we talking about (size, industry, etc)? Does the mc reasonably expect to have the required skill sets for this job (ie. former grunt without significant training in computer networking is now an IT security manager is too far of a leap)? Is this a junior officer now amongst a slew of twenty-something go-getters and he now considered an outsider by virtue of age and lack of common experience/tastes?

One thought: Why was she retired out for PTSD reasons? In real life they have counseling programs and other treatment and discharge for PTSD alone is really a last resort. Just something to think about as you set it up.

I can't speak for everyone, but the issue with "open space" such as stores and Walmart is less about the space than what's in it. Walmarts are mazes of racks and sharp turns that can hide anything, and are often filled with people paying no attention to how close they come to running you over. It's like doing a foot patrol in a street market. Vendors everywhere trying to get your attention, sometimes even trying to grab you. People pushing everywhere, and little kids trying to steal the mags out of your pouches or get you to give them candy. Anyone of them could have a gun on them or an explosive vest. You literally have to watch and look at every single person as you walk through. You have to see them and try to recognize them as people to see if they look nervous or too interested in your presence. You have to look at each stall, each crate, each rock, and every single thing there is around you. Because it's too easy to dismiss the one thing or person that's a real threat to you. A foot patrol was one of the worst things I had to do because of how wrung out and tired it left me.

It follows you back to the civilian life. You get to Walmart and you're looking everyone in the face. Getting tense as you see a little old grandma four times in the cereal aisle. There's a pallet of boxes and you don't know what could be hidden in it, and some kid just ran behind you. Brushed up against you and probably stole something from your pocket. Worst of all, your battle buddy doesn't have your back and you don't have the weight of your rifle to calm you down.

Logically, you know it's not the same, but the hyper awareness takes time and effort to go away. For some people it doesn't fade easily.