Social Media: The Veterans’ Saving Grace.

Now what?

You just return home from war and now what? I enrolled in college, got a job, and spent time with friends and family but something was missing. Where was my support? I needed to connect with other veterans. I needed to know while the world was moving around me; there was still someone out there like me. Instead of turning to the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars, I went online. The veteran community sprawled from blogs, online organizations (VoteVets and IAVA), meeting people via Facebook, to connecting with the Department of Veterans Affairs through Twitter. All the comfort I needed was now at my fingertips, literally. At the beginning of this month, The Department of Veterans Affairs launched its first official blog called VAntage Point: Dispatches from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. I like to call it the intermediary of a very confusing system. In one corner is the veteran, unsure of how to navigate the brutal VA system and in the other corner is the VA, known for being intimidating and unwelcoming. What the new blog hopes to do is ease the tension between the veteran and the department. Not only will it provide a new line of communication but will also make the VA more obtainable. Social media was the missing link that has united veterans with other veterans and hopes to strengthen their relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Recent article regarding the use of social media by veterans by Lisa Waananen.