![\"Major](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5692-1-300x200.jpg\")
While reservists train part-time, deployment brings them all over the world for months at a time, with some serving several tours. That time away makes it difficult for service members to readjust to civilian life, and challenges mount, as well as injuries that can have long-term effects, such as muscle and ligament damage, concussions and neurological or spinal cord injuries, or burns.<\/p>\n
The panel delved into keeping service members safe and cared for in all aspects of their lives, from their time deployed to their return to what Welch called the \u201creal world\u201d of civilian life or retirement.<\/p>\n
Cameron compared the experience of active duty to that of being part of a team, where a service member works toward clearly defined outcomes with dedicated teammates by their side. However, when they return home and that sense of purpose is removed, the impact is profound.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can train them for jobs, we can do things for them, but losing that connection, that team, we need to do a better job of providing opportunities for our veterans to get involved with other service members post-service to work toward a common goal,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cThat\u2019s what they\u2019re used to doing and that\u2019s what they want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mental health problems are a major concern. Evon said he is looking for collaborators such as UConn to help identify signs of personal struggles that could lead to dangerous consequences. While a great deal of work has been done to help overcome stigma over suicide prevention, more help could save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been gone for a year,\u201d Evon said. \u201cThey\u2019ve missed anniversaries and birthdays and key events, and mental health is huge. Maybe substance abuse or alcohol abuse is a challenge, and we are always looking for partners here to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meeting the Needs of Veterans<\/strong><\/p>\n The panel discussed the difficulties that veterans face following their service as well, including the changing nature of warfare and the resulting mental and physical health treatments.<\/p>\n Connecticut is home to more than 140,000 veterans, spanning service in World War II through 21st century conflicts. Advanced technology has led to new strategy and tactics, and the way veterans of 20th century arenas fought battles was much different than the experiences of today\u2019s military members.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unimaginable, I think, for some of us that are more used to a little bit of indirect fire from artillery and direct fire to being attacked by a drone in a place that you thought was very secure,\u201d said Welch.<\/p>\n Meeting the physical and mental health needs of veterans is difficult. Welch said that only about 40% of those eligible are utilizing VA services and hospitals, meaning that the majority are seeking care in facilities outside the system.<\/p>\n Continuation of care and accessibility of records is critical, especially with so many veterans seeking help outside the VA.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very important that we do something to bridge the gap for the veterans care,\u201d said Krishnamurthy, a recent hire to UConn Health\u2019s Department of Neurosurgery. \u201cThere is absolutely a distinct drop-off of knowledge and background of what specific exposures mean to the physicians or health care providers.\u201d<\/p>\n The panel also discussed advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence, and how they are impacting servicemen and women health. Welch said that AI could improve the ability for veterans to have cases reviewed and seen by doctors more quickly. Meanwhile, better on-site diagnostic capabilities could be a boon for personnel to receive treatment while on deployment.<\/p>\n Sayre warned that while tech may have advantages, it will require training for service members to use effectively. Also, every additional gadget adds more weight that needs to be carried.<\/p>\n \u201cSimple, effective technologies to increase performance and readiness is what we have to do,\u201d Sayre said.<\/p>\n The panel was followed with UConn and UConn Health research success stories and table discussions. Participants in all sessions emphasized that advancing service member and veteran health will require partnerships among universities, healthcare providers, government agencies, and service member organizations.<\/p>\n Beyond convening the discussion, UConn brings significant expertise to addressing the health and readiness challenges facing service members and veterans. Researchers and clinicians across the university are advancing work in neuroscience, traumatic brain injury and concussion research, rehabilitation, mental health, human performance, and emerging health technologies. Faculty in engineering, medicine, public health, and kinesiology are also developing innovations such as wearable sensors, advanced diagnostics, and artificial intelligence tools that have the potential to improve prevention, treatment, recovery, and long-term quality of life for service members and veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope today is just the beginning of more beautiful opportunity that come about and drive innovation and discovery for everyone,\u201d said Lindsay DiStefano, UConn\u2019s vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UConn hosted CT’s National Guard and Veterans Affairs leadership for an honest discussion on the evolving physical and mental health needs of servicemen and women<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":254206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":2076,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715,2231,2076,2709,2235,179],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2381],"class_list":["post-254205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact","category-health-well-being","category-research","category-security","category-today-homepage","category-uconn-health"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-27 09:45:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254205"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254341,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254205\/revisions\/254341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/254206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254205"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=254205"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=254205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}