The Experience of Reintegration for the African American Female Vetera

The purpose of this generic qualitative inquiry was to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions and experiences of African American female veterans who have transitioned from the military and reintegrated into civilian society. By providing an opportunity for African American female veterans to voice their perspectives, light was shed on an understudied phenomenon. There has been a scant amount of research exploring issues related to African American female veterans. The research question for this study was: What is the experience of transition from the military and reintegration into civilian society of African American female veterans? Social exclusion/inclusion (SE/I) theory provided the theoretical framework for this study and was used to aid in the analysis and understanding of the six themes (two subthemes) and ideas present in the participants' responses regarding their perceptions and experiences of transitioning and reintegrating into civilian society. Twelve African American female veterans between the ages of 22-65 that served in any component of the military were recruited using purposeful sampling. Data was collected using open-ended questions in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Through thematic analysis, six themes and two subthemes developed to describe the transition and reintegration experience: (a) Employment Challenges; (b) Economic Challenges; (c) Educational Challenges; (d) Health Care Access Challenges; (e) Disenfranchisement From the Social Environment (Subthemes: Societal and Gratitude of Being Interviewed); and (f) Display of Resiliency. This study's findings filled a gap in the literature regarding the transition and reintegration experience of African American female veterans from the military into civilian society. The themes led to conclusions that transition and reintegration was a difficult and complex process that socially excluded the women from mainstream society and presented them with challenges that shaped each in their ability to reintegrate successfully. The analysis may provide an understanding of how African American female veterans make sense of their transition and reintegration experiences and provided inclusive opportunities for integration into their communities. Insights from these women may generate greater public awareness of the complexity of challenges faced by African American female veterans.