I had the pleasure of experiencing the Veterans Medical Group training session with Veteran Diallo, Dr. Sefa-Boakye, and company in February 2024. This was truly an eye opening experience to partake in firsthand everyday situations that our veterans have to go through. As an outsider, one would only see the finished product of the expert level performance of the military.
However, there is substantially more than what meets the eye. This VMG training session introduced me to a plethora of veteran hardships that plague our veterans throughout their military career and beyond. I experienced wearing a 65 pound back pack that’s bound to cause back issues if worn consistently over time. I manipulated heavy artillery that will definitely lead to multiple hand and shoulder scraps and scars with probable future hand and wrist arthritis. I stepped into and out of tanks with tight confinements while using 300 pound bulletproof doors that will shatter bones if the hands get caught in the doorway. I had the opportunity to squat in the guts of our military carriers that don’t have the spatial capacity to allow someone to stand upright.
Also, I heard the ear piercing sounds of being close proximity to air planes, hovercrafts, and ships that leads to constant ringing in the ears and difficulty hearing. These hardships appear scary and harsh to many civilians but the veterans welcome and thrive in these conditions without hesitation to protect our country. This training session was expert level as it was extremely hands on and literally on a military base. There were no replicas or pictures to educate us on what veterans go through.
We were actually able to experience a considerable amount of everyday activities firsthand without reservation. The in class training sessions broke down the many intricacies of performing veterans disability exams in a fashion that provokes extreme confidence. I now have a better understanding of the ailments that are inevitable to those that put their life on the line to serve for the betterment of our country. Thank you to the Veterans of the USA and thank you to VMG!