When soldiers return home from extended deployment, they are often expected to transition back into civilian life without a hitch. However, returning to normal living is often not that simple, not only for veterans themselves, but also for their families and communities. In fact, on any given night, more than 50,000 veterans find themselves homeless; more than 225,000 have spent time in jail or prison. For those who have not served in the military, a soldier’s experience overseas can be difficult to understand. Few US communities escape the direct impact of the deployment and return of combat veterans, yet most people are at a loss about how to welcome this new generation of veterans and care for their families. In Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Ministering to Returning Combat Veterans (Abingdon Press, December 2009) this growing issue is addressed and is especially relevant in light of the recent Ft. Hood shootings.
This unique book will not only heighten awareness of issues related to veterans and their families, who are often hidden in plain sight, but it will also give practical help so that local churches and communities can minister more effectively. This book is a call to go beyond the symbolism of hanging yellow ribbons and putting bumper stickers on our cars to welcoming veterans and their families home by helping them truly get back to regular living.
Authors David A. Thompson and Darlene Wetterstrom offer straightforward, challenging practical help for returning soldiers and their families. Thompson has experienced three deployments and clearly understands the challenges families and communities face. He is the military family life consultant for the Minnesota National Guard, a licensed professional counselor, and retired Navy chaplain. Wetterstrom is a licensed independent clinical social worker. She works with families and youth in a variety of settings including foster care, adoption, and the military.
“Our service personnel and their families, active duty, reserve and National Guard, who live in plain sight in our communities, are undergoing increasing stress from repeated deployments. They face multiple challenges in deployments and readjustments upon return," says David Thompson. “Knowing who to contact and how to help these special needs veterans and their families seem more important than ever in light of the shootings at Ft. Hood."
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Ministering to Returning Combat Veterans
978-0-687-46575-0 • December 2009 • $13.00 • 144 pages • paperback
About Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press is the publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House. Abingdon Press has a distinguished record in religious publishing for a broad ecumenical audience and specializes in products for church leaders, as well as scholars and students engaged in theological education and the practice of ministry. Abingdon Press offers a wide array of quality academic, professional, reference, and devotional titles published each year.
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