By Dorothy Meindok
The Post Newspaper Veterans Consultant
As a veteran, I resonate with the struggles of transitioning. When I made the Flying Squad on my ship in The World’s Greatest Navy, my immediate goal was to become Nozzleman on the hose. Flying Squads in the United States Navy are first responders to all casualties aboard ship, and I LOVED a good call to General Quarters for training purposes because eventually the trust relationship that formed allowed many to operate as one for all the right reasons at the exact right time: Damage Control.
I was part of something good, something big and something that mattered. Being a part of something bigger than myself was my purpose and I loved every minute of it, no matter how tired we were in the Persian Gulf. I didn’t get to start out training as Nozzleman much to my chagrin despite all the scuttlebutt of preference due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, et al that constantly haunted me as a young female enlisted warrior, and I was grateful. I was grateful for it because it cleared the chaos some and the men on that hose team became my brothers and in many ways, my protectors.
Later in life, they are my healers in that they showed me, during war, that real people who care still existed because I was beginning to wonder. That knowledgeable memory of qualifying for that team reminds me today that when at war while transitioning any step of my journey, I can find some brothers & sisters to engage in Damage Control by signing up for a flying squad. On Thursday night, I spent an evening with just such a squad.
Transition-Plus off 518 in League City holds weekly “Peer-to-Peer” meetings that can help veterans in transition better reengage in life here at home. Transition-Plus is a ministry at Bay Harbour United Methodist Church dedicated to serving veterans and service members. Challenges may be related to emotional, personal, work-related, spiritual, PTSD, or any other issue. Anyone who served at any time, at any location, during any era is welcome. The group has been meeting weekly since December 2012. Attendance is free, they’re welcoming, open, and supportive. They address real issues and (at least on Thursday) they had Blue Bell Ice Cream!
You can find out more about their veteran mission and community involvement by visiting their website at https://www.transitionplus.org . They meet every Thursday at 1830 hours, so come show up, turn two and start training to heal.
Haven’t not quite gotten to Nozzleman yet, I’ve decided to reengage exactly where I left off for now; I was Accessman.
Have a blessed week! Dorothy
Transition Plus meetings are held in the Family Life Center at Bay Harbour United Methodist Church, 3459 Deke Slayton Hwy. (corner of FM 518 and South Shore Blvd), League City, TX 77573. If you need additional information, have suggestions about this site or want to serve, please call Jerry Clark at 281-923-8468 or send an email to either jdclark2@verizon.net or dan.sedej@TransitionPlus.org .
Dorothy Meindok is the Veterans Consultant for The Post Newspaper. She served in the United States Navy and is currently a lawyer advocating for the rights of our nation’s veterans. Her column appears on Sundays.
