What type of Unicorn is this? Reflection on military service.

A Veteran – whether regular, reserve,  or retired – is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank cheque made payable to the nation for an amount of “up to and including my life.” (unattributed)

This famous but anonymous quote captures the spirit of military service. Military service calls upon people to set aside their needs and possibly their lives for a greater good. Military members face the prospect of moral injury, physical and mental trauma, to further a social ideal. Not for excitement, nor adventure, but as a professional responsibility that they train relentlessly for.

Wearing the uniform is an overt statement of commitment to this sacrifice of their individual will. The uniform represents their identity, that they belong, that they are “serving.” And when they leave the service, they do not simply become civilians. Instead, they walk as unicorns in society, continuing to uphold their ideals, yet no longer with the support of the military machine, of belonging, identity, and action.

It is important to recognise that they have always been unicorns. Their approach to recruitment, service ambition, experiences and recognition of their service has relied upon this. Why then do we try to understand them in the usual ways? What does mental health and well-being look like for military members? What are the protective and risk factors for suicide ideation? Surely, they are different for people who have set aside themselves for the sake of others. So why do we try to align general population metrics and constructions of wellness with the mental health problems arising in and from service?