Strengthening the Foundation of Veteran Wellness
For veterans and transitioning service members, the journey to wellness extends far beyond individual health practices. While activity, recovery, mental health, and nutrition form essential pillars of wellbeing, there’s another crucial element that binds these components together: community. Today, we’re proud to introduce community as our fifth pillar of veteran wellness, recognizing the profound impact that social connections and support networks have on the military-to-civilian transition and long-term wellbeing.
MilitaryConnected.org is a nonprofit organization improving the military-connected community’s transition experience through employer education, data driven research, and access to a network of job opportunities with military-ready employers.
The Vegetus Foundation is dedicated to helping Americans improve their quality of life through education on healthy living and has published the Nutrition Health Review since 1979. Learn more at nutritionhealthreview.com
Why Community Matters
The transition from military to civilian life represents one of the most significant changes in a service member’s journey. During active duty, service members operate within a clear structure, surrounded by peers who understand their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. In civilian life, maintaining these connections while building new ones becomes essential for:
- Support During Transition: Fellow veterans who have successfully navigated the civilian transition can provide invaluable guidance, mentorship, and encouragement. Their experiences serve as both a roadmap and reminder that challenges can be overcome with the right support system.
- Continued Mission and Purpose: Community involvement offers veterans opportunities to continue serving others—a core value ingrained during military service. Whether through veteran service organizations, volunteer work, or mentoring fellow veterans, these connections provide a sense of continued purpose. Serving others was a common bond we all had when we were in the military, getting back to that common motivating element is critical to finding ourselves post military.
- Enhanced Physical and Mental Wellness: Strong community ties directly support our other wellness pillars. Group fitness activities, shared meals, and peer support for mental health challenges all become more effective when practiced within a supportive community.
Building Your Community
Creating and maintaining strong community connections doesn’t happen automatically. It requires intentional effort and engagement. Here are key ways to strengthen your community pillar:
- Join Veteran Service Organizations: These groups offer structured opportunities for connection, service, and support.
- Engage in Group Wellness Activities: Participate in veteran-focused fitness classes, nutrition workshops, or mental health support groups.
- Mentor or Be Mentored: Share your experience with newly transitioning service members or seek guidance from those who have successfully navigated similar challenges.
- Stay Connected Digitally: Use social media and online platforms to maintain connections with former unit members and join veteran-focused online communities.
The Ripple Effect
A strong community doesn’t just benefit individual veterans—it creates a ripple effect that strengthens the entire veteran population. When one veteran succeeds in their transition, they become a resource for others, creating a self-sustaining cycle of support and success.
Moving Forward Together
By recognizing community as our fifth pillar of wellness, we acknowledge that no veteran should navigate their wellness journey alone. The strength we found in unity during service remains just as vital in civilian life. Together, these five pillars—activity, recovery, mental health, nutrition, and now community—provide a comprehensive foundation for veteran wellness.
Whether you’re just beginning your transition or have been a civilian for years, remember that your community stands ready to support you. Reach out, connect, and take pride in being part of something larger than yourself—just as you did in uniform.
Bill Duffy Might Be Leading the Most Impactful Veteran Hockey Program in the Country. What His Secret to Creating Community?
Can you talk a little about your path to the military?
My grandfather was in the 4ID and earned a Bronze Star in WWII, and that was something we valued as a family, but I wasn’t from a traditional military family. For me, it was wanting to find some independence and do something for myself. I originally wanted to join the Marines, but they were late showing up for a meeting I had with them, and while I was waiting, I walked into the Air Force office that was just across the hall.
My first duty station was to REF Mildenhall in England. Serving overseas was an amazing way to kick off my career and really put me on the path to do over 20 years. I wouldn’t have expected most of my other time overseas being in the Middle East when I was a junior airman, but after 9/11, things changed for all of us. I ended up doing four tours to Iraq in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2011. My most interesting deployment was to Haiti in 2010, and that was a completely different experience because we were part of an Earthquake humanitarian response element – it was a nice change of pace and mission from all of the Iraq deployments.
What was your process for transition and what were some of your concerns when leaving service?
My main concern was employment. TAP (Transition Assistance Program) did exist, but it wasn’t as comprehensive as it is today. The focus was primarily on cleaning up your resume and understanding what opportunities may be available. I didn’t realize until I was really in the transition process that it really should start a year before ETS – building a network, learning what skills you may need to acquire, how to market yourself. Those were foreign concepts to me. The SkillBridge Program is a great example of how the military has evolved and is meeting its servicemembers’ needs as they transition.
What are the Flyers Warriors and how did you find the program?
The Flyers Warriors are a hockey program for Veterans in the Philadelphia area, but we have players traveling from up to two hours away, so we end up serving Veterans in three different states – Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. I found the program through one of my Chiefs in the Air Force – he called me and simply said, “Hey, we need goalies – you should come out,” and I became more and more involved gradually. Now, with all of the programs associated with the organization from partnerships to player support, it’s almost like a full-time job.
How much has the program grown and what have you done to grow the community?
The program started with 22 guys in 2019 and a random call to the Flyers asking for support. We now have almost 160 players and are adding more every week. It is a truly unique program – it can be difficult for Veterans to show up to participate in anything, but we have over 60 players showing up to weekly practice, not just to attend, but to work hard, sweat, and sometimes get an “earful” from some of the coaches.
I think it has grown for three reasons: hockey is a unique sport where community and camaraderie are critical to the experience and success of a team. Your teammates and the locker room experience is everything – it mimics being back in a unit. Secondly, we’ve tried to think about the family in everything we do. Spouses are a huge part of the program, and participate in almost all of our off-ice events. We also offer things like childcare at practice to give parents a break and allow players to attend.
Lastly, competition is important to motivating Veterans to participate in a program. We have two large tournaments annually through USA Hockey, and we take on other Warrior Programs from around the country. It gives players something to work towards, something to keep them accountable.
In terms of marketing, we have social media, but word of mouth seems to be our most impactful recruitment tool. Opportunities like this, to share our story, what the program is all about, is what seems to attract more and more people.
What advice would you have for transitioning servicemembers looking to find a new community and sense of purpose?
I would research and find something that is successful, but don’t close yourself off to activities that you aren’t familiar with. We have 80 players that are beginner hockey players, and they’ve found something with our program. So be unafraid to try something new. It’s just like the military; most of us aren’t Army or Air Force brats, so everything is new, from the culture, to the uniform, to the training, and most were able to find success in the military despite that.
With your role at USA Hockey, you see a lot of different programs – is there something you can point to that differentiates the effectiveness of programs?
Programs that are run by one person with a big personality and are not focused on the experience itself don’t last or can become toxic. It’s not just about numbers and gaining memberships. While I have the title of President of the team, we have a lot of other Veterans, spouses, and partners involved in our decision making and program development. Everything we do is about making the experience better for our members – from behavioral health, childcare, claim support, and benefit education, to spouse support. All of this makes the experience more welcoming to a diverse set of players. Our players evolve, our membership and spouses evolve, and we have to meet their changing needs to ensure a positive experience. This isn’t just a hockey team – it’s about the experience on and off the ice.
