Moral Injury and War: A ‘Wound’ that impacts every generation of Veterans
Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Noon-1pm
Location: Country Meadows of Bethlehem, 4035 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020
Cost $10 (non-refundable)

Thomas L. Applebach, MPA is the Director of the Lehigh County Office of Veterans Affairs which assists veterans and their families with veterans’ benefits. He chairs the Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran Task Force, serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Services, is a
member of the Southeastern Veterans’ Center Advisory Council, a committee member of the Lehigh County Veteran Mentoring Program and a board member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce – Military and Veterans Council. 

Tom served in the military for a total of 21 years — 12 years on active duty as a weather forecaster in the United States Air Force and nine years in the United States Army as a Civil Affairs Specialist and senior instructor. He was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 as a Civil Affairs Specialist in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He retired from military service in 2006.

In 1991 he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies – Political Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 2017, he was awarded a Masters of Public Administration from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Session Description
Sometimes called the flip side of PTSD, moral injury is increasingly acknowledged as the signature ‘wound’ for Veterans. Moral injury has been defined as “perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations.” Due to its slow, debilitating nature, moral injury can significantly impact our older veterans’ years after they’ve completed their military service. This session is an introduction to the concept of moral injury and its impact on Veterans, their families, and the community at-large. An understanding of moral injury can be a useful tool for everyone who lives with, provides counseling and treatment, or cares for and about our Veterans.