Put in the effort, put in the time and research, and "purpose" can be found back here.

A couple weeks back I grabbed lunch with an ex-soldier and friend I served with in Iraq. Lunch turned into beers, beers turned into more beers — you know the deal. We talked old war stories, now dusted over with eight years of nostalgia. We talked who is still in, who has gotten out, who has gotten out because they wanted to, and who has gotten out for, um, other reasons. Two vets, shooting the breeze like they were still young guns, a story and image old as time.

We talked about the guys doing well. We talked about the guys doing not so well. We talked about the guys no longer here.

We talked about this, we talked about that. After we talked about what we didn’t miss about the Army, we of course talked about what we did miss about it.

“The purpose of being, man,” my friend said. “Nothing like that back here.”

That’s a common refrain for vets of this generation, and one I used to adhere to myself. But it’s not true. Put in the effort, put in the time and research, that “purpose” can be found “back here.” Sure, it’s different than military service. Less direct and overt, but still just as powerful. We gotta meet people and ideas halfway, though. That’s what I told my friend, at least.

Here are some worthy organizations and causes that provide purpose of being, for vets and civilians alike. Just four of many, many others out there, on the national, state, and local levels. Check them out online. Reach out and connect with them. If they intrigue you, and if you think they could help make a difference, be ready to be flexible, be ready to meet these people and ideas halfway.

Team Rubicon: I’ve mentioned Team Rubicon in Embrace the Suck pages before, and I’m doing it again here. An NGO that specializes in emergency response and relief, Team Rubicon thrives on the idea that no one can handle chaos and confusion like military veterans. They got their start in 2010 after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the organization has continued to grow and spread ever since. Team Rubicon conducts both stateside and global operations, and is broken down into regional sections to cut down on bureaucratic drag. Even Prince Harry, that dashing ginger of a British royal (and an Afghanistan vet) got in on the action this year, helping rebuild a school in Nepal. If you have medical skills, a carpentry or construction background, or just don’t mind getting your hands dirty with like-minded souls, definitely check them out.

The Mission Continues: Founded by former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, this nonprofit seeks to better connect vets with their communities. Back in 2007, when Greitens and others visited the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, they were struck by the resoluteness of the wounded service members whom they met with and talked to. When pressed on what they wanted to do after the military, many of the recovering said they wanted to work in the public sector, to continue to give back. The idea for a community-service fellowship was born, and some nine years later, more than 1,000 Mission Continues fellowships have been awarded to post-9/11 veterans, in areas from education for low-income youth to Habitat for Humanity projects. These vets are “redeployed” into their communities, and the many success stories speak for themselves. There’s only one way to find out if you have what it takes to be a Mission Continues fellow: Apply.

The Headstrong Project: “We’re Veterans Serving Veterans” goes the Headstrong Project’s mantra. They are, and they do. Seeing the bureaucratic pitfalls and the overwhelmed services of the VA, the good folks at the Headstrong Project decided to cut through the red tape and bring help and services straight to vets. Now partnered with Weill Cornell Medicine at Cornell University, the Headstrong Project specializes in mental health care, i.e., helping vets dealing with post-traumatic stress, anger management, and addiction. A lean and mobile organization, the Headstrong Project also connects vets looking to help their brothers and sisters in need. A July 2016 VA study found that roughly 20 American military veterans commit suicide every day. Check out the Headstrong Project if you need help or want to provide it. Getting that damn statistic down should be — must be — a national prerogative.

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): This organization serves the family members and close friends of fallen military service members, a key demographic that too often can be lost or forgotten in the aftermath of tragedy. Providing a litany of hands-on grief seminars, workshops, and survivor camps, TAPS aims to provide ongoing care and support. As anyone who’s ever lost a loved one knows, overcoming grief isn’t a linear, smooth progression. It’s jagged and rough, and can be very complex. That’s especially the case for military families in our era of the Forever War and less than one percent of Americans serving in uniform. But they’re not alone, as the communities developed and cultivated through TAPS will attest. Are you in the grips of loss? Or perhaps you are a professional caregiver, or looking to help a friend who’s recently lost a service member. TAPS is bona fide.

That purpose of being we all miss from overseas? It’s out there, back here. But you have to be willing to find it. And to meet them halfway.

PHOTOS: Shutterstock / NESTUDIO; Katie Falkenberg/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images