Frederica Freyberg:
Indeed, times are changing. Veterans come home now to a wider spectrum of services than ever before. Not long ago I interviewed someone who helps coordinate those services for the Wisconsin guard. Lt. Col. Tammy Gross. I began our conversation by asking Col. Gross what kinds of things vets carry with them when they step back into the hometown.

Tammy Gross:
Everything from a sense of accomplishment for a mission well done to, you know, anxiety, returning home, to maybe something unknown, to excitement to be returning to their families and their communities, and their civilian life they went behind.

Frederica Freyberg:
How hard is this transition home and what kinds of services are offered to them?

Tammy Gross:
Well, everyone is going to experience their reunion differently, and it's, for some it may be difficult and for most it's going to be just a simple reunion process, getting reacquainted with their families and we have several programs that are available to them. In particular is our Badger Yellow Ribbon Re-integration program. That program is designed to provide education and outreach and resources to the service member and their families to help them through this readjustment period. And we consider reintegration for a full year after they return.

Frederica Freyberg:
Are these programs mandatory or voluntary?

Tammy Gross:
They are mandatory. Yellow Ribbon is a DOD mandated program, three-phases. The first phase typically occurs 30 to 45 days after return from the demobilization station. The second two phases are timed usually between 60 and 120 days, and then the third one will be anywhere from 90 to about 180 days.

Frederica Freyberg:
What kinds of screenings for things like PTSD are mandated for the returning service members?

Tammy Gross:
Sure. The PTSD screenings are part of the medical process and before the service member returns from theater, they are going to complete an assessment with a mental health provider and then again approximately 90 to 120 days they'll go through a second screening for their medical and mental well-being. But that's not part of our reintegration program. It's just a complementary program through the medical system.

Frederica Freyberg:
Now, we, of course, expect the return of more than 3,200 members of the 32nd returning from Iraq after the new year. What kinds of special provisions are we making for their return, such a historic deployment and historic reintegration?

Tammy Gross:
Certainly. Right. And we are excited to have all of our service members returning home, and we are not doing anything different for those 3,200 soldiers that we won't do for one single service member. So all the programs we have in place are for the smallest unit to the largest unit. And, of course, because there are so many returning with the 32nd Brigade, we are having to increase the number of events and the number of personnel that will support the events, and we are requesting support from the surrounding states and bringing in some on demand specialists to help with us.

Frederica Freyberg:
What have we learned about how to reintegrate returning veterans?

Tammy Gross:
We have learned that it's important to provide them with information at spaced intervals. A lot of times the first time you hear something you don't absorb it. Or maybe you don't need the service at that time so you don't listen as closely. So that's why they hear information at the demobilization station and then will hear similar information three more times.

Frederica Freyberg:
What should families do if they seek specific services because specific issues come up.

Tammy Gross:
Again, through the reintegration program they will learn about the services available, through individual counseling to the military one source consultants, military family life consultants, if it's a health issue, may be working through tri-care, now that they are veterans they can work through the veterans administration for their health and education benefits. So there's lots of resources available to them. And as they go through the reintegration process, we are going to be talking to them about what specifically the Wisconsin National Guard will offer them, and how to contact those resources.

Frederica Freyberg:
Col. Gross, thank you very much.

Tammy Gross:
Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:
We spoke with Lt. Col. Gross Thanksgiving week.