Combat Veteran regains stability, confidence with help from VA
“The whole time I was in the military, we were at war,” said Chad Stanion, who enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly before 9/11.
Service experience
Stanion served 14 years, starting as a fireman, and then working on engines and machinery before becoming a drill instructor.
He enjoyed military life and appreciated all that he learned during his tour. Of course, there were challenges. Deployed to Afghanistan, Stanion saw combat.
“Vehicles were getting blown up, people were dying,” he said. “My detail was supply, but we were called to put people in caskets and send them back home. That affected me.”
Facing the unexpected
During Stanion’s last deployment, he received a blow from a place he never expected – home.
“I got a Dear John letter from my wife,” he said, acknowledging she had written to end their relationship. “I couldn’t focus on my job and ended up going home. I was in a pretty dark spot when I got out.”
Experiencing trauma from the war, compounded by a divorce, Stanion began drinking heavily.
“I was trying to cope,” he said. “I lost my apartment, my family, pretty much everything. I was homeless at a couple points.”
Residing in California at the time, this Coloradan returned home in 2017. Stanion still struggled to turn his life around, and called the Veterans Crisis Line a few times when he needed someone to talk to.
A turning point
In 2019, Stanion contacted Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services. This program helps Veterans who have a service-connected disability explore employment options and address education or training needs. The VRS team can help Veterans start their own business or secure independent living services if they are severely disabled and unable to work in traditional employment. For Stanion, they offered help.
“They got to know me; built a relationship,” he said. “They helped me write a resume. I’ve never had to do that.”
Stanion learned he could attend school using the GI Bill and VA staff assisted with the paperwork. He enrolled at Colorado Technical University in Colorado Springs and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2022.
Establishing solid footing
He reconnected with VRS after graduating and attended a VA job fair. VA hired Stanion, who serviced inpatient units for a year before transferring to Facilities Management to work with the hospital’s boiler plant.
“Everything has been a process to build on,” he said. “At first, I couldn’t seem to tie anything I did in the Navy to civilian life, but you just have to learn the language. My current job ties in exactly with what I did in the Navy. The principles are the same. I feel really good about that.”
Stanion also sought help from VA’s Substance Use Disorder Program, and credits VA’s supportive programming for his regained confidence.
“I’m choosing not to drink,” he said. “I need to focus on my health if I’m going to give myself a chance to allow better things to happen.”
He said drinking did not help and very quickly got in the way.
“Looking back at where I was and where I am now is worlds apart,” said Stanion. “Life is good.”
To connect with staff about any vocational rehabilitation services, including job training, education and employment, contact VRS at Rocky Mountain Regional VA at 720-857-5280.
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April Love is a writer-editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force. She began working for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in 2016 and lives in Aurora, Colorado.