Camouflaged Sisters
  • Our Story
  • Community
    • Book of the Month
    • Events
    • Veteran Highlight
    • Donate & Support
  • Publishing
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Become a Member

    Shopping Cart

    No products in the cart.

    Sign in
    Camouflaged Sisters
    Camouflaged Sisters
    • Login
    • Become a Member
    • Our Story
    • Community
      • Book of the Month
      • Events
      • Veteran Highlight
    • Publishing
    • Shop
    • Blog
    • Contact Us

    Category: Military Discharge

    You Are Still a Veteran

    I Am Still a Veteran

    Author: Marsha Martin Rather male or female You Are Still a VeteranRather combat experience or not You Are Still a VeteranRather retired or not You…

    Camo_Sisters November 18, 2021

    Recent Posts

    • Power of Positivity
    • Finding Your New Platoon
    • The Power of Sisterhood
    • The Sense of Perception
    • The Struggle is Real

    Recent Comments

    No comments to show.
    Camouflaged Sisters
    Amazon Best Selling Author

    Navigation

    • Home
    • Our Story
    • Book of the Month
    • Events
    • Veteran Highlight
    • Blog
    • Shop
    • Donate & Support

    Membership

    • News Feed

    Contact Us

    • Support Ticket for Members
    • Send a Message
    • csinfo@camouflagedsisters.org

    Need Support?

    • 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line, Call 1-800-273-8255 & Press 1
    © 2023 Camouflaged Sisters

    Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Cookie Policy | Refund Policy | Website by Digiality Co.

    Forum Description

    Author: Marsha Martin

    Rather male or female You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather combat experience or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather retired or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather missing limbs or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather you lost your family or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather you have mental issues or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather apart of the LGBTQ community or not You Are Still a Veteran
    Rather an honorable or dishonorable discharge You Are Still a Veteran
    Yes, I said it – even if you have a dishonorable discharge, You Are Still a Veteran.                                             

    Now that I’ve gotten that out the way let’s move forward…

    I vividly remember my first night in the brig at Norfolk, Virginia. It was a cold and rainy night and where I slept the window was broken so it was extra cold. The only cover provided to me was a wool blanket and a set of fuzzy sheets. For those who know me, know I despise fuzz balls and wool blankets. So, I slept fully covered up with both my full PT uniform and ACU uniform on that night. I even tucked my pants into my socks so that my pants would not creep up and my legs touch the wool blanket or fuzz ball infected sheets.

    The next morning, as I was performing my assigned duties, a Sailor came and got me so that I could start the process of becoming a prisoner before my departure to Miramar Brig in San Diego. After I completed everything, I was escorted back to the cell and told that I needed to relinquish my dress uniform. I asked, ‘why’ and was rudely told, ‘you are no longer a Soldier and no longer deserving to wear the uniform’. I was then stripped of my US Army tab and US Flag from my ACU uniform. I stood there in shock. There was nothing I could do or say, so I handed over my dress uniform. In that moment I felt my life change for the worse.

    I was transferred to Miramar Brig where I spent 17 months of a 34-month sentence. The days were long and the nights even longer. By the grace of God, I came home early and in one piece (I guess). The transition home after being incarcerated was plagued with fear, uncertainty, and more fear. While I was excited to be home, I feared what was in store for me. I quickly found out that America does not take kindly to the formerly incarcerated and that whole ‘second chance’ thing was just cute words written or spoken. I felt better prepared for war than I was for being a newly released convicted felon. I trained for war, but I never trained to be a convicted felon in America. Job interview after job interview and no doors opened, there was no second chance. Person after person telling me that I was not a Veteran and there were no benefits for me because I needed an honorable discharge.

    I was so sick of the rejection that I stopped telling people that I was a Veteran. I had brought into the lie. December 2011 that changed. I received my VA disability rating and the rater determined that my service was not honorable – I had served 11 years in the US Army! I felt so defeated and wondered who was going to advocate for me. I understood what I read, but inside I was thinking, NOPE THAT IS NOT TRUE.

    So, I sought the assistance of multiple Veterans’ service agencies and once they saw the character of discharge on my DD-214, I got the same response – ‘Ms. Martin, you are no longer a Veteran’.  The last Veterans service representative told me that I was not a Veteran on March 2012. As I gathered my belongings, he went back to doing his job. So, I got his attention by hitting his desk with all the force I had in me and said, “I, Marsha Shawntauris Martin, am a Veteran! You and everyone else will respect and acknowledge that fact and I am going to get everything entitled to me. You just watch and see!” I walked out of that office and vowed that I would not stop until I found the answer. After research, I appealed the rater’s decision and am now considered a service-connected disabled Veteran with a more than 30% rating.

    I share my story to encourage someone else who may share a similar experience. People will say what they believe based on their limited information but with research I was able to change my story. I didn’t accept failure as my final answer and through faith and determination I knew that all things are possible – even a favorable outcome in my situation. So, I proudly state, I Am Still a Veteran and if your story is similar, remember, You Are Still a Veteran, too.


    Marsha S. Martin is a US Army Veteran, and a bestselling author featured in Camouflaged Sisters Behind the Rank Vol 2. With her business, The Game Changer, Marsha provides lifestyle strategies for people transitioning out of the corrections system. Her You Are Still a Veteran service company helps Veterans file claims to obtain benefits and services from the VA.  

    Topic: Transition

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT

    Report

    There was a problem reporting this post.

    Harassment or bullying behavior
    Contains mature or sensitive content
    Contains misleading or false information
    Contains abusive or derogatory content
    Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

    Block Member?

    Please confirm you want to block this member.

    You will no longer be able to:

    • See blocked member's posts
    • Mention this member in posts
    • Invite this member to groups
    • Message this member

    Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

    Report

    You have already reported this .
    Clear Clear All