All Gave Some: the struggles of transitioning into civilian life after leaving the military

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - South Dakota is one of the best states in the country when it comes to veteran services, but almost 1 in 4 veterans still suffer from mental health concerns.

Tyler Ugland is a U.S. Army veteran. He shares his story of the struggles of transitioning to civilian life.

This transition can be hard for almost every veteran. When you include all the traumas that can be seen during their service, and then stepping away from the family you created while serving can create lasting mental health problems.

Ugland feels he was lucky when it came to becoming a civilian, but it’s not always that easy.

“I kind of chanced and lucked into a position working with Meade County FireWise, which was a veteran’s outreach program to help veterans who were transitioning from military into civilian life. That opened my eyes to a lot of the struggles that veterans were having, not always as they came home but sometimes years or decades later,” Ugland says.

During his transition, Ugland discovered that the Rapid City area had much to offer for veterans, but he knew not everyone had access to the information.

“It seemed like the largest disconnect for veterans typically is finding the program that they’re eligible for.”

His own story showcases just how difficult the process can be.

“Honestly my exiting the army was very ungraceful. There wasn’t a lot of transition, there wasn’t a lot of coaching or mentoring as far as directions on how to go about getting back into civilian life. A lot of people come out of the military after years of service and they’ve not really had a lot of jobs, so it wasn’t as eye-opening as some people but definitely a struggle to get back into the job realm and find where I fit,” he continues.

Ugland has made it a goal to reach as many veterans as possible.

‘Let’s say it was kind of a fumbling mess, for several years after I got home until I met-up with Meade County FireWise. I took that position working with them and within three months or so I took over as the Crew Chief or a coordinator type position, leading that crew and that actually is really what opened my eyes. Actually, working with other veterans, I thought I had lost that comradery, I thought that was just gone once I left the military service and so when I joined that outfit, I realized you can gain that all back. I realized it was all there in front of me and that it was all available and I helped try to build a lot of friendships in that program, which I did. I think that program is really what sparked that for me, I didn’t realize you could actually have that comradery again and that really helped make me, I guess, more dedicated to moving forward and towards that to help bring that back for a lot of other veterans,” Ugland concluded.

You can reach out for help using the national suicide hotline at 988.

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