GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Milo C. Huempfner Outpatient Clinic in Green Bay honored veterans with a “Welcome Home” event.
The event is designed to do more than just thank veterans. It is also designed to help them adjust to life back home.
Reno Harju is an Iraq War veteran who served in the U.S. Army. He left the military in 2004 and says he had a hard adjusting to life back home.
“The transition back I guess is tough just because, day-to-day, while you’re in the service, you know exactly what you’re doing. There ain’t no changing anything. You have a routine you stay with it. Coming back, it’s hard just getting a full-time job and a family and stuff like that.”
Isaac Armstrong knows a thing or two about adjusting to life after the military. He served in the U.S. Army and did two tours in Iraq. Now, he works with the VA, connecting fellow veterans with the services they need.
“It’s such a shift coming back from combat to civilian life. The rules are different. Everything that meant so much to you there, you’ve lost a big part of that.”
The annual welcome home event is designed to reach out to veterans, like Keith Harnois.
“It’s a really good feeling to know there are people out there who are willing to help and care for the veterans”
Harju says he appreciates the recognition and the help getting connected with the services available at the VA.
“It’s difficult to navigate through. It’s a personal feat to get anywhere”
But he says it can be done. He adds veterans just need to know that help is out there.
The VA clinic in Green Bay is currently serving around 10,000 veterans. It is designed to eventually serve twice that number.
