Senior Researcher Karen Gallagher helps veterans transition to civilian life

“What we have found in our research is that the bond you form with others in the military is intense and can provide a buffer to trauma,” said Gallagher, who is a Gulf War veteran. “When veterans leave that protective environment, they’re removed from those bonds and unified sense of purpose. So now they’re in a civilian world that might not totally understand them and they might not be able to relate to, and they begin to experience trauma.”