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From combat to cubicle: troops' re-entry proving challenging

By Cate Prato, Globe Correspondent, 1/25/04

			Globe Photo/Sean Dougherty
			Globe Photo/Sean Dougherty Jason Moyer (left), Donald Mason's manager at Staples Inc., says one way coworkers can assist returning service members is to fill them in on new policies or personnel changes.

Last New Year's Eve Donald Mason opened an e-mail at work and discovered he had a new assignment: team leader for the 747th Military Police Company, which was being mobilized to Afghanistan.

Mason, a senior technical analyst in the information systems department at Staples Inc. and a sergeant in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, was at Fort Drum, N.Y., a week later. He served in Afghanistan for seven months, returned home to Winchendon in August, and was back at his desk in Framingham at the end of last September.

The 31-year-old's tour of duty in Afghanistan was a radical departure from his job helping Staples store managers, sales associates, and outside technicians resolve issues with the company's computer systems. After more than half a year in a combat zone, Mason said when he returned to work the issues he faced there seemed trivial by comparison.

''At first I did have to remind myself that the tasks at hand were still important even if I was not fighting terrorism,'' he said. But he also found that having lived in a war zone made it easier to shrug off the little annoyances of working life.

Mason is one of 7,000 Massachusetts guardsmen and nearly 2,700 reservists from New England who have been mobilized into active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Hundreds have already returned from duty overseas and more are on the way: The military has begun replacing troops completing a year of service in Iraq. While there is joy at returning to their civilian lives and jobs, for some there is also anxiety, say mental health specialists.

''It's important that the reservists, guard, and other military personnel returning from war not return to work too soon. They need time to decompress and let some of the stress of participating in the war dissipate before going back into the workforce,'' said Michael Faenza, president and chief executive of the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, Va.

Faenza said that while some service people may want to return before their leave is up, others may need more time.

''Some people will have a particular resilience, others will have more difficulty. It's important for those not to feel guilty, but to seek the support of family, their commanding officer, and take the action of getting counseling and emotional support from the military,'' he added.

Manuel Andrade, 46, who lives south of Boston, returned in December after 11 months of active duty, nine as a truck driver hauling fuel in Iraq as part of the 187th Support Battalion. Andrade, who serves as a staff sergeant and assistant squad leader in the 2d Platoon, 325th Transportation Company of the Army Reserve, accumulated enough leave that he does not have to return until spring to his job as a corrections officer at Bridgewater State Prison. His supervisors, many of whom also served in the military, support his decision to adjust to everyday life before returning to work.

''I called work when I returned and they said, 'Don't worry about it, you deserve it, take all the time you need,' '' said Andrade. Nevertheless, without his regular paycheck from his corrections job, financial pressures may cause Andrade to return to work sooner.

Until then, he is spending time with his wife and two sons.

''I have a whole new outlook on life,'' said Andrade, who has been in the reserves for 25 years. Even the recent frigid weather hasn't bothered him, as summer temperatures in Iraq soared above 100 degrees, he said.

Going back to work at the prison will also seem less stressful when compared to driving back and forth to Baghdad every day, watching for snipers, he said. ''At work I know who I'm dealing with,'' he said.

The shift from office worker to soldier and back again in less than a year also stressed Mason and his family. His wife worried about his safety, and Mason was concerned about how she was faring alone with their baby daughter.

But Mason's return to work went smoothly. Staples has had some experience with returning service members: 254 of its employees nationwide have gone out on military leave since Sept. 11.

Mason said Staples' ''team culture'' supported him, with coworkers handling his responsibilities while he was gone and welcoming him back when he returned. The company also supplements the pay of guard and reservists on duty, which eased financial pressures and allowed him to take some time to relax when his duty tour ended. It also offers all employees counseling and financial advice.

But not everyone works for an organization with the same resources and commitment. In the coming months, many employers will face the challenge of helping returning reservists fit back into the workplace. So how can they make the transition easier for all?

Assistance to employees in the military depends a lot on corporate culture and an organization's resources, said Sandra Turner, director of the employee assistance program at Ernst & Young. The New York accounting firm, which has had 40 reservists called for military duty, has provided these employees and their families with support programs, a website with a chat room, and supplemental pay for up to a year while on active duty.

She said there are ways for easing service members' transition back to work that even the smallest employers can apply. For example, it's important to prepare coworkers for their colleague's return.

''When someone has had a potentially traumatic experience, whether it's being in combat or losing a loved one, people often feel shy about reaching out to that person. They may think that talking about it will bring bad memories to the surface,'' said Turner. But not acknowledging the person's experience can leave them feeling isolated and believing their coworkers don't care, she said.

She said the best way to welcome the worker back is to be supportive without prying, saying something along the lines of, ''You've come through a life-changing experience. If and when you want to talk about it, I'm interested in hearing about it.''

Another way coworkers can assist returning service members is to fill them in on new policies or personnel changes, said Jason Moyer, Mason's manager at Staples. Moyer talked with Mason before he returned to work to check on how he was doing mentally and physically, to make sure his family was adjusting well, and to offer help with the transition process.

Mason had up to 90 days to return to work; he took half of that. When he returned to the office he thought he would ease in slowly, checking e-mail and straightening out his desk. Instead, Moyer put him to work right away.

Moyer said putting Mason back in the swing of things immediately would bring him up to date with changes the department had made during his absence and give him an opportunity to contribute to his team right away. The strategy worked.

''I thought I needed a little more time, but it turned out to be good because I didn't have time to dwell'' on his tour of duty, Mason said. ''I felt like I was contributing again.''

Turner said another way coworkers can make a service member's return easier is by keeping their political views to themselves. Moyer agrees.

''Regardless of your political views, support the team member,'' he said. ''This person is doing a duty to the country. Accept them back with open arms and appreciate the job they've done.''

Cate Coulacos Prato is a freelance writer. She can be reached at prato@globe.com.

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