Less than 4 percent of military, vets in county responded to survey

By Brandi Makuski

The results are in for a county- wide survey asking military veterans and families what kind of services are most important when readjusting to civilian life. But according to Veterans Service Officer Mike Clements, only 118 out of about 4,200 veterans in Portage County actually returned the survey.

Last year area law enforcement worked with Clements’ office to put the survey together as a means to preempt violent tendencies which can accompany PTSD. Though the survey was geared toward veterans and military families, it was open to all Portage County residents.

“Sometimes the service member or veteran may not come forward to ask for help,” said Stevens Point Police Chief Kevin Ruder. “It’s a matter of pride for a lot of them, or maybe they themselves don’t see they have issues that can actually be addressed and managed. Often times, it’s a spouse or other close family member or friend who sees from the outside what kind of help the service member or veteran needs.”

Ruder said his department created its first veterans liaison officer position last spring after he determined an “alarming” increase in calls involving veterans suffering Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD) or brain injuries. The survey was geared to help his office, the Stevens Point Police & Fire Commission, as well as Clements’ office, understand what specific kind of help veterans would be open to receiving.

Area law enforcement, as well as county leaders tried to get the word out about the survey as best they could.

“I tried to push this really hard in print, electronic, TV. We had surveys available at businesses throughout the county and libraries, so it wasn’t for lack of trying,” said Clements, himself a military veteran. “I think we made a good effort in marketing this thing; it was just the response rate was less than we’d hoped. And I can’t tell you why. It was disappointing.”

Clements said the survey was intended to help leaders from Portage County and area Veteran Service Organizations (VSO’s) what kind of help veterans would most be in need of- and in what form it should take- when they return to civilian life. With over a dozen VSO’s in the county, Celements said sometimes a soldier may not be aware of which services are unique to one VSO, or may not even know a certain service is available.

According to Portage County Executive Patty Dreier, the survey could help area leaders create a USO- type brick and mortar facility for local veterans. Something as simple as playing ping pong with other veterans of similar age, she said, might be all it takes to uncover what kind of help a returned soldier might need- particularly help with a case of post traumatic street disorder or potentially violent or suicidal tendencies, which veterans don’t always recognize of themselves.

“The different generations might respond to different avenues of information, different forms of service, and this could be as simple as a clearing house of information for vets at any point after their leave the military,” Dreier said, adding depending on the survey’s response, services could be provided in something as simple as a smartphone app.

“I would be more than happy to receive a proposal for some start-up funds; especially to prevent suicide, as they’re transitioning back home,” Dreier said. “Wouldn’t it be easier if we have a one central point for them to get mentored, connected, to meet vet- to- vet?”

Clements said the future of any centralized service center for veterans is now in the hands of the Portage County Allied Military Veterans Council.

“At this point they all need to come together and form a team to get this off the ground, manage it and direct it,” Celements said. “It’s critically important that we have buy-in from all the VSO’s. In my opinion, without buy- in, it’s not going to work. It’s in their court to come together and form this organization.”

Clements said the Allied Council meets in April to discuss the future of a service center, which could be operated by the council, by the county, or by both.

“But they’re going to have to identify a central organization,” Dreier said. “It’s complicated when you have 11 or more different organizations in different parts of the county. The Council brings them all together.

The results of the survey can be found here.