Educational Meetings in Rakhiv and Velykyi Bychkiv: How Society Can Support Veterans

This week, the Separate Division of the First Ukrainian Battalion of Military Chaplains held two important educational meetings in Rakhiv and Velykyi Bychkiv on the topic:
“The Role of Society in the Lives and Reintegration of Veterans.”

🎙️ The sessions were led by Nelia Kutsak, a military psychologist with many years of experience working with veterans, active service members, and their families. Her professional background includes support for those dealing with PTSD and helping soldiers adapt to civilian life after returning from the front line.

🔍 During the meetings, participants discussed:
— how a soldier’s mindset changes after returning home;
— what “rules of combat” often remain in a veteran’s mind even in peaceful life;
— how to avoid conflicts and build understanding with those who have experienced war.

🙌 The key message of the discussions was that a soldier’s return home is not the finish line — it’s the beginning of a new front, where support, patience, and understanding are essential.

🧩 Such meetings help communities become more aware and empathetic, learning not only to wait for their defenders but also to welcome them properly, recognizing that every veteran carries both visible and invisible wounds that need care and healing.