Should someone who risked his or her life for our country face homelessness? Is it suitable for them to struggle with combat trauma alone?
For most people, the answer to these two questions would be a strong no. However, the fact of the matter is that many Americans don’t know that veterans face a variety of challenges while serving in the military, and after they complete their service.
“I don’t think many people realize that freedom isn’t free. It’s very expensive when you talk about the blood of young men and women being spilled for this country,” said Steve Barnett, commander of American Legion Tillman Harpole Post #249 in Indianapolis.
He continued, “In addition, veterans face a host of things such as homelessness and depression that are microcosms of problems that we have as men and women serving this country and coming back to our homes.”
Currently, there are more than 240,000 veterans in Indiana, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Many of them are dealing with a set of new challenges due to a variety of factors, especially reduced manpower in the military.
One of the major obstacles is joblessness, with unemployment among veterans rising to more than 9 percent last month, compared to 7.6 percent during the same time last year. Also, more troops who returned from Afghanistan and Iraq have come home with severe battlefield wounds, service-related disabilities and catastrophic health conditions unlike any seen in previous conflicts.
In addition, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide are rising among veterans at alarming rates. According to the VA, more than 18 percent of veterans develop PTSD following traumatic events such as combat or physical and sexual assault, but only about 25 percent of those actually get treatment for their condition.
According to a study published by the RAND Corp., PTSD has affected approximately one in five Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
“The problem is that unlike those of us who served in Vietnam for one six month or year tour, many of those coming from Afghanistan and Iraq have been deployed multiple times due to limited manpower,” Barnett said. “That places a lot of strain and stress on them and their families.”
Barnett noted that African-American veterans face the same challenges as others, but on a more severe scale.
“Most of the situations, especially unemployment and homelessness, are complicated times two and magnified in the Black community,” Barnett said.
Laura Malone, who serves as both minority veterans and military sexual trauma (MTS) coordinator for the Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, noted that officials must raise awareness among veterans, minority and otherwise, about helpful services.
“Making sure they know about their benefits is essential. Lack of knowledge is something that we have had serious issues with,” said Malone, who also assists veterans with procedures needed for access to special programs.
She noted that many veterans, especially those who don’t watch television, read newspapers or have access to the Internet, simply do not know about services available through such outlets as the VA Hospital, the Indianapolis Vet Center, National Cemetery and community based outpatient clinics (CBOCs).
“I’ve had people say things to me like, ‘I’m a veteran and I’m 89 years old and never knew this program was available,’” Malone said.
Currently, Malone’s office has been conducting outreach efforts at churches, community centers and other public venues to raise awareness of veterans programs, as well as the need for veterans to have good communication with their physicians.
Patrick Fisher, public affairs officer for the VA Medical Center, said the facility is equipped and ready to meet the needs of all veterans.
“We are never too busy or full for them,” Fisher said. “We will look out for them, take them where they need to go and help them find out what benefits they are eligible for.”
Women in the military
More emphasis is being placed by veteran service providers on the needs of women, given that their numbers are increasing rapidly. Currently, more than 1.9 million women are serving in the armed forces, and 50,000 more are expected over the next five years, according to the McCormick Foundation.
Female veterans often face different challenges from those of men when they return home, including being the fastest growing population among the homeless, and higher rates of PTSD, MST and suicide, with female vets 18 to 34 years old being three times more likely than their civilian peers to die by suicide.
Malone noted that one in five women who have served in the armed forces has dealt with MST resulting from repeated sexual harassment or rape. MST is also becoming more common among men in the service, at the rate of one in 100.
Malone added that the military has been undergoing a process to better respond to the medical needs of women, especially those who are still of childbearing age and those with physical problems.
“Not a lot of focus has been placed on the medical problems women have, especially those dealing with chronic pain,” Malone said.
Community support
Fortunately, there are a variety of ways civilians in the community can show their support for veterans, including donating to, or volunteering and serving with, support organizations such as AMVETS and Save Our Veterans. They can also encourage federal and state legislators to increase funding for veteran service programs.
Barnett, however, noted that people who served in the armed forces greatly appreciate a gesture that is simple yet powerful.
“Walking up to a veteran and saying thank you for the service means a lot to us,” Barnett said. “It tells us that somebody appreciates our sacrifice. That’s a big thing for us.”
Places to contact for veterans
Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation
Hvafofindiana.org
(317) 951-0688
Vet Center (Indianapolis)
(317) 988-1600 or
877-927-8387
Paralyzed Veterans of America
(Indianapolis chapter)
(317) 916-3627 Pva.org
Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center
Indianapoli.va.gov
(317) 554-0000
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Va.gov
Veterans Suicide Hotline
Veteranscrisisline.net
1-800-273-8255
Vietnam Veterans of America
(Indianapolis chapter)
(317) 547-4748 Va.org
Government cracks down on military assaults
President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and members of Congress are calling on senior military leaders to take stronger measures to stop sexual abuse and assaults in the armed forces.
Serious concerns were raised when the Pentagon reported a more than 30 percent rise in military sexual assault cases over the last few years.
The Department of Defense reported that there were more than 19,000 victims of sexual violence in the military in 2011, but that only about 2,700 service members filed reports of the assaults, indicating that most victims do not come forward out of fear of retaliation or having a negative impact on their career.
In a statement, President Obama said that sexual assault is not only a “shameful and disgraceful” crime but is also making the military “less effective.”
“As such, it is dangerous to our national security,” he said. “So this is not a sideshow. This goes to the heart and core of who we are and how effective we’re going to be.”
Last week Obama summoned Hagel and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and told them it was imperative they find a solution to the abuse. Hagel has ordered a top-to-bottom retraining of thousands of sexual assault prevention workers and military recruiters from around the country.
Those efforts have come after, in a two-week period, three military officers who manage sexual assault prevention programs have been arrested for violating the same regulations they are supposed to enforce.
At the same time, a growing bipartisan group of congressional members have introduced legislation to better protect victims of military sexual crimes from punishment when they report assaults including.
“We have to have a zero tolerance for this,” said Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind.
