Making the transition from active duty service member to civilian was more challenging than Dani Figueroa anticipated.
The situation was further complicated by the effects of Post Traumatic Stress that Figueroa experienced upon her return from multiple overseas deployments, but with an assist from the Semper Fi & America’s Fund, she is now paying it forward by supporting her fellow veterans.
Figueroa, who served in both the U.S. Army Reserves and U.S. Marine Corps, said the 9/11 terror attacks served as the catalyst for her to join the military. Prior to the attacks, she was pursuing a professional soccer career, playing and coaching at a high level in California.
“I’ve always felt comfortable in the uniform and proud to represent the United States,” she said.
Her sense of service led Figueroa to initially join the Army Reserves. After her stint in the Army, she opted to join the Marine Corps in 2004, serving until she was medically retired in 2014 due to post-traumatic stress.
For Figueroa, making the transition back to civilian life following her military service was a “searching period.”
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“The way that I can describe it is if you take the best silk and the best ink and you drop that ink on the sink and quickly remove it, it still spreads,” she said. “For me, that was happening as the result of going through a deployment, but I didn’t realize that.”
Figueroa said she never fully accepted the injuries she received while serving nor that she was getting out of the military.
“My identity was my uniform, my PFT score,” she said.
It wasn’t until she was introduced to Semper Fi & America’s Fund that Figueroa began to heal. With her service dog, Valor, at her side, she began creating art, playing music and taking classes to help her handle her PTSD symptoms.
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Figueroa also participated in financial wellness and other programs offered by the Semper Fi Fund & America's Fund to help in her transition back to civilian life. While initially hesitant to reach out for help because she saw that as being weak, Figueroa now sees that as a sign of strength.
“I consider The Fund the catalyst to my living a healthier life,” she said.
To learn more about the Semper Fi & America’s fund, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.