Veteran tells House Families and Veterans Committee he spent 12 years before finding support; lawmakers vow better outreach

LANSING — At a meeting of the House Families and Veterans Committee, Representative Schmaltz invited Army veteran Bobby Bright to describe his experience leaving the military, and Bright told lawmakers he wandered for about 12 years before finding the American Legion as a support network.

Bright, identified by the committee as a Livingston County veteran of the year, told members that transitioning from military service can be “a huge culture shock” and described long-term emotional effects from combat and peacetime service. “You leave and you're responsible for a million dollars worth of equipment, and you can't get a minimum wage job,” Bright said. “You do have 100% of my attention” when he speaks now about those experiences.

The testimony gave committee members a firsthand look at how peer networks and veterans service organizations (VSOs) help returning service members. Bright praised the American Legion’s local posts, saying a combat-veterans peer group often focuses on everyday conversation…