Influence of Preparedness from Active Service on Psychological Well-Being of Veteran in Kenya Defence Forces

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) veterans face various challenges during their transition to civilian life. The inevitable transition is mitigated by preparedness from active service and the influence of preparedness or non-preparedness varies with each veteran. Veterans require relearning new way of life outside the highly military prescribed demanding orders and organizational command structures. The study examined the influence of preparedness of KDF veterans upon exit from active military service to civilian life on their psychological well-being. A selected convenience sample size of 30 KDF veteran participants from the three services; 10 Army, 10 Airforce, and 10 Navy participated in the study with data collected through face-to-face interviews. During data collection meaning units were identified. The lived experiences transformed thematically as described verbally by the veterans, and psychological meanings were ascribed. The transformed thematic meaning units were used to describe the participants‟ experiences. The study results showed that the participants joined the military as recruits or cadets at the age between 18 and 26 years old. The findings show that the veteran’s psychological well-being was influenced by emotional, cultural, and economic preparedness. The KDF Soldiers experience social-cultural change from civilian carefree social culture and the indoctrination to military culture. Veterans experience emotional feelings when separating from the military to civilian life ensuing in physical, and mental injuries experienced in the absence of emotional preparedness. The absence of elaborate veteran’s cultural preparedness program from active military service to civilian life influences the veteran’s psychological well-being, and many also experience difficulties integrating back into civilian society, as well experience economic constraints in the absence of economic management preparedness, influencing the psychological wellbeing. The KDF, Ministry of Defence (MoD), and Defence Forces Old Comrades Association (DEFOCA) could benefit from the findings by understanding the influences of preparedness on the psychological well-being of the soldiers and the veterans. The State needs to establish steady psychological services for the mental welfare of active soldiers and veterans. Follow-up programs by the State need to be developed to help the veterans adjust to civilian life. The pensions for the veterans need to be reviewed regularly to conform to the corresponding current economic climate and statuses of equivalent ranks to promote the veteran's economic stability and welfare.