Brotherhood and the post-9/11 veteran

Re-adjusting to civilian life can pose a big challenge for veterans, including the 2.6 million servicemen and women who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, 38 percent of active and retired military personnel consider that transition difficult, according to a 2015 RallyPoint/Rasmussen Reports national survey.

Still, many re-enter society successfully. James Schutta, 46, of Malverne, who was on active duty with the Marines for four years before becoming a reservist, is now a New York City Police detective in the bomb squad. Pat Cash, 30, of East Rockaway, found a job in a New York City plumbers union only weeks after returning from active duty in the Marines through Helmets to Hardhats, a program that connects members of the armed forces with construction careers.

According to a Pew Research Center study conducted among post-9/11 veterans in 2011, their relationships and networks, particularly with other veterans, are important — sometimes even superseding the role of family, nonveteran friends and spirituality.

While brotherhood among veterans can be found at traditional veterans organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, those groups have limited appeal to post-9/11 veterans. American Legion Post members in Malverne and West Hempstead report that young veterans are starting to enroll, but many do not follow through after initial inquiries.

“The younger people have difficulty attending our meetings because they’re raising families,” said Peter Zullo, a past commander of American Legion Post 44 in Malverne. The post’s social events that focus on children help the effort, he said, as does its community outreach programs. Zullo’s post has nearly 80 members, 20 of whom attend meetings. Most are veterans of wars that occurred before 9/11, however.

Bob Guerriero, second vice commander of Cathedral Post 1087 in West Hempstead, said that his post is similar. “The vets seem to be interested,” he said. “We had one guy come to a meeting — his wife came, too — to see what it was all about, but they don’t come anymore. Maybe they joined a post from their own era.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Lynbrook attracted and honored several post-9/11 vets, such as Sean Ledwith, 36, of Malverne, with a celebration after their return from active deployment with the Marines in Iraq. Ledwith, now a Nassau County police officer, said he joined the VFW post, but finds it difficult to get to meetings because of job and family obligations. “It’s something I definitely want to get back to,” Ledwith said, adding that two of his best friends and two of his brothers are also veterans. “It’s just tough, and not really feasible right now with the kids.” Ledwith has a daughter, 7, and a son, 3.

Cash said that the VFW reached out to him as well, but he didn't get involved. “I haven’t signed up yet,” he said. “I can’t do it 100 percent because I work nights.”

Dr. Laura Werber, a senior management scientist at the RAND Corporation, whose research focuses on military personnel and families, said that some veterans gravitate toward a new model of brotherhood organizations that involve proactive, engaging missions. An example is Team Red, White and Blue, which started in 2010 and has over 100,000 members nationwide. The nonprofit has a Westbury chapter with more than 800 members. “We run, bike and swim,” said Nick Auletta, the Long Island chapter captain and an Army veteran. “We run marathons, triathlons and duathlons. We practice yoga, we standup paddleboard, we hike, dance and volunteer. We’ve had fun, active events such as sled hockey, curling, a polar bear plunge, and participated in community service events like Run to Rebuild in Long Beach.”

In 2014 and 2015, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families conducted a study on Team RWB and found that more than 50 percent of the veterans who are involved exercised more, maintained healthier weights and less frequently felt depressed, hopeless, anxious or nervous.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, based in Manhattan, says it is the largest post-9/11 nonprofit veterans service organization in the country, with over 400,000 members. The IAVA provides assistance on such issues as financial assistance, homelessness and health care, and organizes activities to unite veterans, including monthly Vet Togethers at its West 41st Street location. IAVA will march in the Veterans Day parade in Manhattan on Friday.

Additional organizations for veterans include Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that offers veterans opportunities to serve communities affected by natural disasters, and The Mission Continues, which pairs veterans with community nonprofits and area leaders to help with neighborhood issues such as mentoring at-risk youth.