Taking Care of our Returning Soldiers
While never forgetting those we've lost.
"Homelessness, family strains and psychological problems among returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will persist in the U.S. for generations to come, the top U.S. military officer said Thursday.
"This is not a 10-year problem. It is a 50- or 60- or 70-year problem," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a lunchtime audience at the Hudson Union Society, a group that promotes nonpartisan debate.
Mullen said he was particularly disturbed by the emergence of homelessness as a problem among war veterans.
Disturbed is right. Suicide rates are up, homelessness is "returning" (for those who remember the domestic aftermath of Vietnam), and we're trying to put back together a broken VA system as our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan continues for the foreseeable future. The stimulus included one-time payments of $250 to disabled vets, though we've yet to fully accept the widespread existence of PTSD among soldiers.
And here you thought I was just going to let you slide out of a lovely Memorial Day weekend with only happy thoughts!
Well, I am, mostly. I just wanted to acknowledge Memorial Day's passing by recognizing all that we owe our veterans as men and women who serve our country and as fellow Americans. I encourage you to get to know the work of organizations that serve veterans, such as the 52 agencies who are members of the Coalition for Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans, which works together to strengthen support systems for veterans and their loved ones.
My fellow Change bloggers have some thoughts and recognition of Memorial Day as well. I hope you'll check 'em out.
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