Challenging missions: vulnerable veterans leaving the armed forces and promising avenues to support them

Abstract: Most service members who leave the armed forces do well after the military-to-civilian transition. However, some veterans are less fortunate. They experience difficulties during their transition out of the military that result in impaired quality of life due to physical or psychological health problems, financial problems, relationship problems, homelessness, legal issues, difficulties in finding or keeping a new job, or adjusting to civilian culture. Despite support often being available, some veterans may be vulnerable for such unfavorable outcomes of the military-to-civilian transition because of their background, personal characteristics, experiences, specific circumstances, or the interplay of these factors. This chapter provides a literature review of factors that may contribute to a veteran's vulnerability and outlines a promising avenue to support vulnerable veterans.