Real Heroes Wear Dog Tags: The New Age of Veteran Tech

“We need to remind people that the real heroes wear dog tags.” — Chaplain Scalf, Crossroads Hospice, Akron-Canton, OH.

Transitioning from military service back to civilian life can be incredibly difficult for Veterans, especially for those who have experienced combat. There needs to be resources to help ease that transition and avoid the possibility of seeing our heroes end up in danger.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, commonly known as VFW, has always been a trusted resource for these men and women, creating locations across the country where they can meet up and find support for the life difficulties in which their service has resulted.

But like anything, of course, the age of technology has created a shift in this sector. The shift came specifically in March 2011, when Sergeant Clay Hunt killed himself. His story (below) is truly tragic:

Clay Hunt served in the Marine Corps alongside his good friend Jake Wood and they were deployed in the same section to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon returning to civilian life, Hunt was deeply scarred with the mental and emotional wounds of war, resulting in isolation, depression and eventually suicide.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 22 Veterans commit suicide each day. Clay Hunt’s story is not unique. As heartbreaking and tear-jerking as it truly is, the fact that he is only one of millions is far more tragic than the story itself.

After Hunt’s death, Wood was troubled by the fact that Hunt felt alone even though there were three Marines with whom they had both served living in a 15 mile radius. So he developed POS REP,social network specifically for Veterans, in efforts to prevent the loss of another life to a similar issue.

Think of it as the VFW of the future.  POS REP (short for Position Report) is a proximity-based social network and app made just for the Veteran community. It connects those who served together and allows them to discover local peers and resources all from the convenience of their smartphone.

The age of technology creates a new opportunity for Veterans to reach out, connect and ease themselves back into society better than ever before. POS REP aims to be part the solution for Veterans who are returning from serving.

The VFW has been an incredible resource, but are we witnessing a new era? Like any industry, it evolves. We find new technologies and better ways to move forward. POS REP has positioned itself as one of those new technologies.

It puts all of the following capabilities in the palm of your hand: 

• “Discover Veterans and resources in your AO.”
• “Sound off, crowdsource, discover Veterans within your perimeter and monitor Squad Chatter.”
• “Maintain comms with your fireteam, flight or department after leaving the service.”
• “Stand tall with Service Record and Badges. Show your support for Veteran service organizations.”

With the new generation, social media has essentially taken over and helped us in all facets of our lives, so why shouldn’t it do the same for our heroes? A new generation coming home from a new war should have access to a technology that caters to them. It could potentially save their lives.

“We’re Veterans,” Hunt said in his 60 Minutes segment before losing his final battle. “We’ve done great things for our country and I think we deserve a lot better coming home.”

Thanks to his story and his best friend, they’re on the verge of getting that. If you or a Veteran friend are interested in learning more about this community, download the POS REP app here, see their website here and read a great story about how they’re saving lives here.

The Real Heroes Wear Dog Tags series began in 2013. Read previously featured Veterans’ stories and learn more about how Crossroads recognizes and cares for our Veterans.

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