Returning to civilian life: Veterans and the loss of the military status hierarchy

This study was intended to examine the role of the military status hierarchy in the lives of current and former military members against the backdrop of increasing rates of military suicides, with particular attention paid to the transition from the structured military environment to the relatively unstructured civilian society. Participants included five current and live former male military members aged 21 to 32. Each participant was interviewed individually using a semi-structured interview format. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed for consistent themes and/or discrepancies across demographic variables. Results indicated that, among other factors, the status hierarchy (i.e.. rank system) plays an important role in military members' experiences and that the corresponding lack of structure in civilian society is experienced as a loss upon departure from the military. In addition, the perceived fixedness of the status hierarchy may he loosening. Implications for addressing issues of status and hierarchy in civilian populations are also addressed.