Veteran works through trauma, addiction to find housing, education
The Missoula Current and the City of Missoula’s Built for Zero program and its partners are collaborating on a monthly series of stories, “Housing Veterans: Serving Those Who Served.”
Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) While they say life is short, it's often long enough to to make personal changes, something veteran Kristi Jackson knows well.
The Air Force veteran considered the last two decades of her life from her new residence in Superior. While addiction and homelessness once controlled her life, she's now working on a college degree, dealing with the scars of trauma, and setting out on what she expects to be a new course.
“Addiction is a huge thing for me, and a lot of suicide attempts,” said Jackson. “Homelessness is what got me sober in 2018. I finally started getting my life together.”
Originally from Washington, Jackson enlisted in the Air Force in Butte in 2000. She excelled in basic training, tested high and was full of youthful motivation. During her short tenure in the service, she worked as a security officer at NORAD in Colorado Springs.
But her time in the service turned out to be shorter than she expected.
“I loved being in the Air Force until bad things happened to me,” she said. “I have military sexual trauma – more than one incident. Everything just went down hill from there. I hated the military for a while. I don't feel that way now but it ruined my life. It was the first time I was ever suicidal.”
Jackson said the assaults were committed by people she knew and statistically, she's not alone. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, during the healthcare screening process, roughly one in three service women answer yes when asked if they've experienced military sexual trauma.
The results can have far-reaching impacts including problems with drugs and alcohol, relationship issues, focus, strong emotions and poor health. Jackson, who served as a dancer after leaving the service, struggled with many of the known issues.
“I was suicidal on my way up (to Montanan),” she said. “I can hardly sit down and do my school work. Focus is a challenge.
But with the help of family and friends, Jackson said she's made a turnaround. She's been sober for nearly a decade and is close to finishing her degree, which she expects to accomplish early next year.
She's also in stable housing – something she attributes to veteran assistance, an employee at the Poverello Center and the City of Missoula.
“I spent hours every day for three-plus weeks researching resources across the county. I emailed 30 people and nobody was getting back to me, and it was urgent,” Jackson said.
But Jackson said her search was soon supported by one particular employee at the Poverello Center, who went "above and beyond" to help her connect with services.
One of those calls went to Dylan Barbash at the city's Built for Zero Program. He too stepped in to help.
“He called me right away,” Jackson said. “He stepped up. I'm pretty sure that's not even his job.”
In the end, Jackson found the housing help she needed through a VA voucher program, which includes partners at the City of Missoula and the Missoula Housing Authority.
“I like this house a lot. It's nice here and calm,” she said. “I want to get a bachelor's in safety. I'd like to be doing that in a year.”
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