Most Americans have learned that we simply are not are taking care of our wounded veterans. And while some progress has been made, the newest reality is that returning veterans are experiencing near epidemic rates of PTSD, traumatic brain injury and major depression. For instance, the Rand Corporation reports that more than 300,000 veterans suffer from mental health wounds and that many of these injuries are not diagnosed or treated properly. The Rand report also tells us that:
- 1.64 million troops have deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, a level unprecedented in the history of all-volunteer forces.
- Up to 26% return with mental health conditions
- 30% of those engaged in combat – hundreds of thousands – have suffered mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from improvised explosive device (IED) blast waves.
As a result, the transition to civilian life has been difficult for many wounded veterans. For example, the unemployment rate among veterans is 15% – three times the national average for civilians in the same age group. Rates of suicide, substance abuse, homelessness and marital or family conflict are also alarmingly high.
Our motivation is simple and straightforward: we want to guarantee that every veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who comes home psychologically wounded is provided with the treatment and support necessary to make a successful transition to a civilian life.
And many Americans recognize our collective failure to properly care for those veterans who experienced psychological trauma in Vietnam. So we are committed to help them -and those who served in Desert Storm, Korea and WWII who also live in the shadows.
There is a critical and immediate need to deal with these problems now. We must do better for this new generation of young veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. While struggling to get back on their feet, they lose their homes, their cars, their jobs, their loving families and their self-esteem.
Please help us support our vets by joining the campaign and contributing today.
