Never Leave a Fallen Comrade Behind

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

These are the words that our soldiers look toward to sustain and guide them, not only during active duty, but for the rest of their lives. One only has to visit a national veteran's cemetery and see the masses of white crosses marching over the hills to understand the depth of our soldiers' commitment.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki quoted this creed during his recent address to the National Alliance to End Homelessness conference. His voice ringing with conviction, he said that no one who has ever served the United States in uniform should end up living on the street. During his speech, he mentioned the extensive efforts that the Veteran's Affairs department has undertaken to end veteran homelessness in the next five years. These include more domiciliary residences, more funding for HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) subsidies and new funding called SSVF (Social Services for Veteran Families), which addresses the many practical needs that homeless or impoverished families of veterans face. It also includes money for more substance abuse treatment, mental health services, traumatic brain injury services and job training.

These changes are music to the ears of those of us in the non-profit world, and even more impressive is that the VA has used a program called CHALENG (Community Homeless Assessment Local Education and Networking Groups). It is a fundamental shift in VA thinking to seek meaningful collaboration with communities in order to design its services. The number of these groups around the country has grown from 4,000 to 18,000 participants over the last four years (pdf).

But even though Shinseki's words lifted my heart as I saw his passion for the homeless, I fear that he is overlooking a crucial component necessary to end homelessness among veterans.

What's missing is the recognition that accepting help from the Veteran's Administration is a significant barrier for veterans who feel betrayed by the military and the government. Fundamental to the experience of many Vietnam veterans is the sense that their government lied to them about the war, and the hostility that they faced upon their return to our country only deepened that lack of trust. On a much simpler level, many veterans have had great difficulty accessing benefits or medical care through the VA, as it is a huge bureaucratic system.

The feeling of betrayal is a complex emotional and psychological reaction to trauma — when a person's innocence is lost, when a person experiences the horror of war in all its brutal reality, it is difficult and perhaps impossible for him to regain his core belief that the world is safe, predictable and trustworthy. Many homeless veterans have simply refused to speak to me after I mentioned the VA, even if I mentioned housing subsidies in the same breath.

Shinseki's vision is inspiring and he seems ready to listen to the community and to homeless veterans about what they need. I hope that he can hear how important it is that we meet homeless veterans where they are — under bridges, in the woods, in shelters and jails. I hope that he can hear that non-profits and community groups are eager for real collaboration, not simply input. However, in what is arguably this country's most hierarchical organization, it may be necessary to give up some power and control. It may be necessary for the VA's leaders to allow us to help them by building real partnerships with non-profits. I know I am not alone in waiting for that invitation. I know that I am not alone in wanting to help carry our fallen comrades home.

Photo credit: Beverly & Pack