Oswaldo Pereira

My name is Oswaldo Pereira. I was a Healthcare Specialist, most commonly referred to as a Combat Medic (MOS 68W) for the US Army. I was stationed in El Paso, Texas and served two tours of duty in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom: 2007 & 2009-10). I had the honor of wearing the greatest uniform ever, and fought alongside America's greatest men and women for four of the greatest years of my life.

In the photo below you’ll see blood on my uniform. That was from an enemy insurgent, whom I treated.

As a Combat Medic I was responsible for providing emergency medical treatment, limited primary care, and evacuation from a point of injury, without compromise to combat discipline.

I served with the 7th Cavalry Regiment in Mosul, Iraq (2007) during the surge of the Iraq war as a junior medic in an infantry platoon. I was tested through violence, displayed an unpresented ability to perform under the most extreme pressures, developed a "no excuse" attitude, and commitment to detail that I hold true to this day. In the photo you’ll see blood on my uniform. That was from an enemy insurgent, whom I treated.

I later served with the 6th Infantry Regiment in the southern Maysan province of Iraq (2009) and promoted to the role of Senior Medic, taking on further administrative and supervisory responsibilities. As a Senior Medic I facilitated the ongoing tactical & medical education, and physical training, of three junior combat medics under my supervision.

I created and facilitated the curriculum for the first graduating class of Iraqi Army Combat Medics in the post- Saddam Hussein era. At the same time I was responsible for hygienic, medical, dental, and psychological care for more than 200 infantrymen.

My duties included responsibility for the logistical operations of all medical equipment at the company level. I managed the transport and storage of two four-ton 8' x 20' Conex shipping containers full of a year-long supply of emergency medical equipment from the United States to Kuwait to Baghdad to Southern Iraq with limited supervision, and no prior experience or training. Never lost a Band-Aid.

Pereira and comrade with mechanized vehicle; Iraq, 2010.

Currently I’m a Housing Case Manager for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program at Harbor Care. I assist at-risk and homeless veterans in gaining affordable housing, with an emphasis on coordinating services and resources to create long-term sustainable living conditions. I take particular pleasure in helping veteran clients assess their personal goals, and assisting them in creating plans to realize those objectives.

Given the recent economic downturn, coupled with the housing shortage that we already had in New Hampshire, a growing number of veterans and their families are at risk of homelessness. Experience has taught us that it’s better to stop homelessness before it starts, because homelessness brings with it a lot of other stressors that increase with time.

At Harbor Care SSVF, we help those at immediate risk of homelessness side-step it altogether. If you or your family is homeless or at-risk of homelessness anywhere in NH, please contact us.

How SSVF Works

Our SSVF case managers and outreach staff work with veterans and their families across New Hampshire to make sure they have secure housing and the supports necessary to maintain housing. We offer:

Housing counseling.
Assistance with benefits, such as those offered through the VA.
Referrals for health care, and legal services, and financial planning.
Financial assistance to support case management goals.
Connection to other Veterans FIRST and other Harbor Care services, including veteran transitional and supportive housing, if appropriate.

With funding from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, we serve hundreds of households throughout NH each year.

Qualifications & Application

SSVF can help any veteran with 24 or more hours of active duty, who:

Is in economic hardship.
Is homeless or in a housing crisis.
Lives in New Hampshire.

Please contact us to learn how you can apply for SSVF.

For those interested in finding out more of the complete range of veteran services at Harbor Care, we offer:

Veterans FIRST

Today, few organizations in New Hampshire do more for our veterans than Harbor Homes and Harbor Care. Our veteran services and programs, Veterans FIRST, give veterans a clear pathway to housing, jobs, and independence. We offer:

Outreach & Homelessness Prevention, through our Supportive Services for Veterans Program (SSVF).
Transitional Housing, through three facilities with intensive supports.
Employment Supports, through our Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP).
Apartments through Boulder Point in Plymouth, NH.

We also offer permanent housing to veterans living with chronic illnesses.

Harbor Care believes in helping veterans use their own strengths to get back on their feet. First and foremost, we use a “Housing First” model of care to provide veterans with stable housing so they can begin working on the lives they want to lead. Then, with our unique mix of “veterans helping veterans” housing, employment services, and supportive services, we help each veteran follow a pathway to success.

Veteran Homelessness in New Hampshire

Far too many veterans end up homeless in New Hampshire. More than 5,000 veterans in New Hampshire struggle to afford housing every year. Reasons include:

The skills earned through military training do not always translate to jobs in the civilian sector.
Veterans in New Hampshire earn less than their peers and are more likely to be unemployed.
Many veterans have service-connected physical handicaps, depression, or substance use disorder.

It is unacceptable that we abandon our service members just because they have completed their enlistments. We ensure our veterans live the dignified lives they have earned.

Impact on Veterans

In Greater Nashua, we achieved and maintain an effective end to veteran homelessness, meaning every veteran who falls into homelessness gets the immediate support they need to regain safe, stable housing. We are now working to replicate this feat statewide, by making sure every homeless veteran in New Hampshire gets the supports they need. To learn more, visit our impact page.

Harbor Care Veterans Helping Veterans