The latest “Big Conversation” at Middleham and St. Peter’s Episcopal Parish in Lusby was held Sunday, Jan. 26 and dealt with military veterans in general and members of the Armed Forces returning from combat in particular.

The two-hour event was highlighted by a panel discussion with five experts on the subject of aiding veterans. The panelists were Dr. Al Brewster of Southern Maryland Battle Buddies (SMBB), Dr. Mark Chapin of the Annapolis Veterans Center, Alan Crawley of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Lawrencia C. Pierce and clinical psychologist and Navy Commander Mary Neal Vieten.

Brewster, a U.S. Marine and Vietnam War veteran, described SMBB as “a big brother, big sister type program. We are entirely voluntary and we enjoy zero tax dollars.” The regional organization works with teachers, lawyers, certified public accountants and other professionals to aid all veterans of every age group. Brewster recalled SMBB recruited the help of experts in real estate, banking and mortgage brokering in order at aid a homeless Vietnam veteran.

Chapin, an Army veteran, explained centers like the one he serves as team leader are “readjustment counseling centers.” Calvert County is included in the Annapolis territory and Chapin said he spends one day a week in Prince Frederick helping the county’s veterans. He said veteran centers were established in 1979 when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) “discovered we were doing a pretty bad job of welcoming back Vietnam vets.”

Crawley, an active Marine for 20 years, is DLLR’s local veterans’ employment representative. “There’s work for everybody,” Crawley affirmed, who explained some veterans either don’t hear about his program or “don’t want to go through the steps of having someone help them.”

Pierce, an attorney who served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corporation, said the state’s department “is the umbrella” for the many organizations assisting veterans. She reminded attendees that both men and women “are on the frontlines” now.

Vieten spoke about some of the misperceptions of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning wounded combat veterans. She said PTSD is a “normal reaction. The number that come back mentally ill is zero.” Later on, during the question and answer period, Vieten explained when it comes to treating a combat veteran who has PTSD and a traumatic brain injury “some of the treatments overlap.”

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