A narrative inquiry into the resettlement of armed forces personnel in the Arabian Gulf: a model for successful transition and positive mental well-being

Background: The study sought to explore the lived experiences of individuals having served in the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, as they made the transition to civilian life and sought new employment opportunities. Methods: Researchers carried out qualitative research in the form of narrative inquiry. Narratives were collected from eleven in-depth interviews conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2021, allowed for insight into participant experiences. Existing literature on military retirement was also investigated. Results: Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed concurrently using thematic analysis to identify patterns or themes. The researchers adopted thematic synthesis as an analytical framework though which descriptive themes from the literature on military retirement were generated. Overall, this approach allowed for the comparison of themes in literature with those of narrative interviews. Conclusion: The study identified challenges encountered by veterans during the resettlement and transitional phase from military to civilian life. There was a general consensus, however, that military life equips individuals with valuable skills that are transferrable to successful post-military employment, known as Positive Transferable Adaptability for Employability (PTAE), (Mottershead, 2019), which can greatly empower those making the transition. These findings led the researchers to develop a new model for veteran career paths that meet the contemporary employment needs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the REVERE Transition Model, which identifies six career paths.

A narrative inquiry into the resettlement of armed forces personnel in the Arabian Gulf: a model for successful transition and positive mental well-being

Background: The study sought to explore the lived experiences of individuals having served in the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, as they made the transition to civilian life and sought new employment opportunities. Methods: Researchers carried out qualitative research in the form of narrative inquiry. Narratives were collected from eleven in-depth interviews conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2021, allowed for insight into participant experiences. Existing literature on military retirement was also investigated. Results: Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed concurrently using thematic analysis to identify patterns or themes. The researchers adopted thematic synthesis as an analytical framework though which descriptive themes from the literature on military retirement were generated. Overall, this approach allowed for the comparison of themes in literature with those of narrative interviews. Conclusion: The study identified challenges encountered by veterans during the resettlement and transitional phase from military to civilian life. There was a general consensus, however, that military life equips individuals with valuable skills that are transferrable to successful post-military employment, known as Positive Transferable Adaptability for Employability (PTAE), (Mottershead, 2019), which can greatly empower those making the transition. These findings led the researchers to develop a new model for veteran career paths that meet the contemporary employment needs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the REVERE Transition Model, which identifies six career paths.

ОКРЕМІ АСПЕКТИ ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ПЕНСІЙНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ВІЙСЬКОВОСЛУЖБОВЦІВ В УКРАЇНІ

The article discusses historical aspects in building a system of pension provision for military servicemen representing a specific social institution which in modern realia is of critical importance in addressing the issues of national security of Ukraine. A retrospective analysis of the historical genesis of the military retirement system demonstrates that the government efforts to ensure social protection of ex-servicemen have laid a solid foundation for shaping a common institution for social security provision to population. The study reveals the nature of economic and social significance of the military retirement system. In the context of the modern stage of military retirement system reform, pension as an economic category is understood as a cash benefit, the right to receive which is established by the government according to the current legislation for citizens who meet certain requirements of the national pension system provision. The research findings also reveal that as a social category, after retirement, the pension acts as a guarantor of economic stability of ex-servicemen and members of their families. The efficiency of the three-tier pension system has been substantiated. The study provides evidence on the existence of a normative legal framework in Ukraine regulating the pension provision to servicemen and their families, the implementation of which however is hampered by the lack of a secure comprehensive system that ensures relevant programs for retired servicemen pension maintenance. Apart from the lack of viable mechanisms for the implementation of ex-servicemen pension plans, Ukraine is currently facing a whole range of internal and external barriers to ensuring decent financial security in military retirement. Among such challenges are the high social risks of the current imbalance between the number of retirees and the number of working-age population. In addition, the replenishment pattern of the Ukrainian national pension system is based on the government subsidies by almost 50%, which in the long run may translate into further increase in the tax burden on business, and as a consequence, will lead to its further shadowing. The study suggests creating a robust regulatory system and an action plan aimed at step-by-step waiver of the solidarity-based military retirement system and shifting to a compulsory two-tier accumulation system of mandatory social contributions through the scheme of deductions from salaries and incomes, thus ensuring a relevant financial support mechanism to facilitate appropriate labor remuneration to ex-servicemen.

Transitioning from active duty to military retirement: Challenges impacting diabetes self-management

Objectives: Military retirement happens early in the lifespan presenting a unique transition that challenges chronic illness. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that military retirees experience as they transition from active duty to military retirement that they perceive as inhibiting their ability to manage type 2 diabetes (T2DM) or pre-diabetes (preDM) and/or which increase their disease risk. Methods: Twenty veterans diagnosed with T2DM or preDM participated in semi-structured, face-to-face interviews in a private setting at their primary care clinic. Transcripts were analysed using constant comparative method. Participants were aged 44 to 63 ( M = 56), with 15 diagnosed with T2DM and 5 as preDM. They had been retired from the military 6 to 22 years ( M = 14 years). Results: Participants linked five inter-related challenging factors to their T2DM/preDM diagnosis (when diagnosed post-retirement) and/or to their inability to manage their disease: (1) diet/eating habits, (2) physical activity, (3) weight fluctuation, (4) health care interactions and (5) systematic barriers. Military retirees’ experiences were embedded within a ‘cultural shift’. They struggled to maintain self-management behaviours once they were no longer on active duty and had more independence as civilians. Discussion: Results provide support for diabetes education during military retirement. Military retirees need help maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviours beyond the structured, health-focused military culture. They could also benefit from patient–provider communication skills training in navigating systematic barriers and attaining the support needed to manage their disease.