It is important to note this because, “For most of U.S. history, less than 1 percent of the population served in the military, except for brief periods when the country was at war.” Approximately 1.3 percent of Americans will ever wear the uniform. During WWII that number was 3 percent---the highest it’s ever been.
Since 2007, more than 70,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury — more than 20,000 of them in 2009, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Most of the injuries are mild but leave symptoms such as headaches and difficulty concentrating.
“The debilitating effects of psychological trauma can lead troops and veterans into a downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, anger issues, failed marriages and eventually suicide, he explained, noting that more veterans have committed suicide since 2001 than the number of servicemembers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan over that period.” To put that in perspective more than 5,000 men and women have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. More than 5,000 veterans have committed suicide in the same time period.
Over summer 2009 the claims backlog at the V.A. topped one million.
Between 150,000 and 225,000 veterans are homeless. At least 10 percent of those are women.
Only one in five service members, whether, active duty, guard or reserve ever make it to retirement. Guard and reserve member have to wait to age 60 for retirement regardless of the age they become retirement eligible.
Last year Texans voted on a constitutional amendment to build a veterans hospital in the southern part of the state known as the “valley.”
Listen up. The VA is one million cases backlogged. Getting a new VA hospital built takes forever and is expensive to maintain. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of veterans go without medical treatment.
Why not just provide Tricare?
The real reason a civil servant was fired for taking a picture of the flag draped coffins at Dover AFB is that our “leaders” don’t want us to see those coffins. Only one percent of the population serves. Few families are affected. The moral majority isn’t clamoring to provide our service members more. In fact, people are busier attending Tea Parties and promoting “smaller government and an end to big government “over-reach.” That’s hilarious. Does that sound like people who are going to be activists to push big government to help veterans?
If we really want to support the troops simply provide them with Tricare. It is more cost effective and makes more sense.
While we are at it why not provide the troops a real living wage.
That is supporting the troops. To those in uniform, I salute you.
Given the outcome of the recent mid-term general election I wish you much luck. Most of the people I met in the service during my career were conservative in the extreme and thus prone to vote GOPer and Tea Party.
The recent crop of new members of congress who ran on the philosophy of “smaller government” and “less intrusive government” or “over-reaching.” I can only say to you---you could well be the victim of the law of unintended consequences.
It is unlikely that Tea Partiers and GOPers are going to expand any spending to assist you.
Maybe we do need to bring back the draft. No exemptions. I’ll bet we would have really short wars if we had them at all.
From Texas Red: a cratered landscape of prisons, deplorable apartheid public education, lack of healthcare and politicians and majority population intent on keeping it that way…
Hasta Siempre,
More:
Joseph Stiglitz on Our 'Three Trillion Dollar War'
Factors Driving Up Spending
The major factors driving up war costs go beyond the number of troops deployed or the operating pace or "opstempo" of the war. Since 2004, the average number of military personnel deployed to the region in a given period has grown by 15 percent—but the costs have rocketed by 130 percent. Similarly, the intensity of operations is estimated to have risen by 65 percent during the period—half the rate of cost increases.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87801279
Public Policy: Veteran’s Day 2010 Support the troops, magnetic yellow ribbons---VA delay, deny benefits
http://www.examiner.com/bexar-county-elections-2010-in-san-antonio/elections-2010-will-tea-partiers-stated-cost-cutting-smaller-government-mean-more-va-denial-of-be
Divisions Arise in Wounded Iraq Veteran's Family
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89213921
Military fails brain injured soldiers
Is it really the military or is it really the nation?
http://www.westerncitizen.com/2802/military-fails-brain-injured-soldiers/
The Cost of War
http://www.pbs.org/now/society/casualties.html
Public Policy: For many veterans no Happy 4th: TBI, PTSD, and physical disability claims denied
https://feed.examiner.com/examiner/admin/EntryController.cfm?data=dlRnb0ZTWTRUQkJHOFRNV1VhcmtHZVhhekpBM2tLKzIzNFIwaGJHcXFoaz0%3D&CFID=100119400&CFTOKEN=57933771#
Public Policy: Veteran’s Day (2009): Support the troops. Right.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-18764-San-Antonio-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009m11d11-Veterans-Day--Support-the-troops--Right
Woman fired for photo of flag-draped coffins
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4808371/
Number of wounded troops in Afghanistan increasing
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091111/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_veterans_day_the_injured
Shinseki cites collaboration in mental health care
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123174629
New Directions for Homeless Veterans
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5436613
Crisis at the VA as Benefits Claims Backlog Nearly Tops One Million
During the past four months, the Department of Veterans Affairs backlog of unfinished disability claims grew by more than 100,000, adding to an already mountainous backlog that is now close to topping one million.
http://pubrecord.org/nation/499/crisis-at-the-va-as-benefits-claims-backlog-nearly-tops-one-million/
America's Military Population
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3761/is_200412/ai_n9468428/
Vets Under Siege: How America Deceives and Dishonors Those Who Fight Our Battles
http://www.amazon.com/Vets-Under-Siege-Deceives-Dishonors/dp/B0043RT9WG%3FSubscriptionId%3D0EP44N4Z8Y93MBZ1ZC82%26tag%3Ddianerehm-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0043RT9WG
BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Honoring Veterans | PBS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoTn92RJlbk&playnext=1&list=PL3FA0422F87F9FAB3&index=18
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