Helping them reintegrate
War veterans face many hardships when they return to civilian life
Almost 200,000 soldiers leave the military each yeara vast pool of talent that must be reintegrated into civilian life and the nation’s workforce. They deserve everyone’s help to accomplish those goals.
This is a great challenge for the nation given the economic situation, as well as the fact that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face different conditions compared with veterans of previous wars.
In these two wars, the troops faced long combat periods and repeated tours of duty. While technological medical advances have decreased the number of deaths, the number of wounded soldiers and disabled survivors has drastically increased. As a result, there will be more war veterans who will need support throughout their lives.
There are also veterans with combat-related mental health issues. A 2008 RAND Corp. study estimated that one in five soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression. An analysis by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs showed that 18 veterans commit suicide each day, the highest rate in 30 years. Since the VA can’t keep up with the increasing demand for psychiatric care, a group of veterans asked the courts to speed up the lengthy process of waiting for care and benefits.
Finally, there is the process of transitioning from military to civilian life, which isn’t easy. Both worlds are very different, but the knowledge, experience and skills veterans gain in the Armed Forces can be extremely useful in the private and public sectors. But they must be trained to make the most of the opportunities.
The lack of jobs isn’t helping. That’s why we think the Veterans Jobs Corps Act must be passed. The bill would create 700,000 jobs for unemployed veterans in areas ranging from law enforcement to conservation work, national parks employment and first responders. Senate Republicans blocked this bill mid-year because of its price tag and funding.
Our country has an obligation to the soldiers it sends to war. That’s one more expense that can’t and shouldn’t be avoided. The image of veterans who are helpless, poor and lack health care is an embarrassment that must be wiped out.
If we send soldiers to risk their lives, the least we can do as a nation is to give them all the help they need to positively reintegrate into civilian life.
