During this holiday, Derrick Sykes, our new BBH Veterans Liaison, would like to share 15 Things Veterans want you to know.
In a market and research survey commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, results indicated that despite rigorous advertising campaigns there is still a sizeable knowledge gap when it comes to what non-veterans know about military life. An assessment conducted by Psych Armor Institute revealed numerous misconceptions concerning our military veterans. Misconceptions such as “Everyone in the military is infantry”, “All Veterans have PTSD”, “The Reserves/National Guard are not a part of the military”, just to name a few. The truth to the matter is not everyone in the military is infantry, not all veterans suffer from PTSD and the Reserves/National Guard units are very integral components of the United States Military. To assist with combating some of these misconceptions Psych Armor Institute created a document entitled “15 Things VETERANS Want You To Know”. This document contains bulleted information which provides some clarity regarding our military veterans.
Derrick is especially qualified for this role, a retired military veteran of the U. S. Air Force. Since his retirement in 2005 he, along with his daughter, has resided in Tallahassee. Prior to coming to Big Bend Hospice, Derrick worked in various capacities of workforce development. His most recent role was as a Local Veterans Employment Representative with the local workforce development board for the Big Bend region. He was responsible for coordinating employment opportunities for military veterans within the local area. In addition to his previous work in workforce development, Derrick has been serving as Pastor of a church located in Quincy, FL for the past six years.
As the BBH Veterans Liaison, Derrick is responsible for coordinating Veteran Services, including Valor Ceremonies for military Veteran patients and clients of Big Bend Hospice. Derrick says this position afforded him a unique opportunity to recognize the brave men and women who have served our country with great distinction and honor.
Welcome Derrick, and Happy 4th of July!
If you would be interested in obtaining a copy of this document, schedule a presentation on the topic, and/or learn about the veteran services offered by Big Bend Hospice, please feel free to contact our Veterans Liaison, Derrick Sykes at (850) 878-5310 or visit https://bigbendhospice.org/veterans-services/
