Remember the Homeless Veterans

We just celebrated Veteran's day and it is a good time to reflect that some Veteran's are not well off. I'm refering to Homeless Veterans. Homeless veterans are a group often overlooked in this country. I really did not know the scope if the issue with homeless veterans and always assumed that veterans were a cross section in society and were homeless at the same rate as everyone else.

I have read into the issue and found the statistics a little discomforting as a soldier and thought I’d share some with you in the hopes that we all work to never leave a former soldier behind. From the Veteran’s Administration site (http://www1.va.gov/homeless/)

The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (4 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America.

23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans
47% Vietnam Era
17% post Vietnam
15% pre Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% stationed in war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
85% completed high school/GED compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received Honorable Discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans
Service needs:
45% help finding job
37% finding housing

In these statistics one out of every three homeless men has worn a uniform and served this country. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999 provides that roughly 1 in 4 of all homeless people in America are veterans.

As a former soldier these statistics tell me that we have former brothers and sisters that served that need our help. The statistics bear out that we may not be doing enough for some veterans. The VA has some programs to assist veterans, but are they adequate for the surge that will follow the latest war…. I don’t know – at the moment I do a little bit – if all of us veterans did the same I know we would be following the soldier creed – I will never leave a fallen comrade - and perhaps we can make a difference.

Crazed Combat Veterans

Much has been made in the press recently of the returning veteran’s and their mental health. Some light has been shed in the reporting about the state of the Veteran’s administration capacity and Military Health Care. As a supportive Nation sending our young Men and Women into a crucible of war, we must be concerned that no returning veteran’s fall through the net in getting quality mental health screening, diagnosis and care.

We have failed to fully appreciate the need for mental health care in the past. We have seen the stereotyped Vietnam Vets that were vilified in Hollywood movies and TV as a social deviants or misfits… You can’t believe everything you see in movies but I suggest we have Antidotal evidence or perhaps an unintended documentation of our national failed efforts to treat Vietnam Veterans mental illnesses. Some could draw the additional conclusion that mental Illness or at least the notion of mental illness was derived partially from an unpopular war against guerilla forces.

We continue to fail to adequately address mental illness today - military commanders, rather than medical professional, hold the decisions whether soldiers suspected of suffering from a mental disorder in the war zone should be discharged. There is a Warrior ethos culture that suppresses any indication that individuals can be dulled by repeat tours or bombardment by an ever increasing level of dissent and aversion to our commitment to the effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers cannot expect care and understanding if the profess a mental health problem… Evidence suggests that officials are kicking soldiers with PTSD out of the Army in a manner that masks the problem. Some military leaders are giving some soldiers with mental issues a hard time, because “they don't belong in the Army” resulting in misconduct charges and discharges rather than more appropriate intervention and treatment of illness.

Quoted from Col. Virgil J. Patterson, chief of the Soldier and Family Support Branch at the Army Medical Department Center and School, Fort Sam Houston

"The heart and soul of our combat and operational stress-control program is to intervene in problems before they reach the point that someone would screen positive for them," Patterson said. "So if we have success in our proactive outreach, we're able to see soldiers early on when they're starting to have personal problems or family problems and work with that soldier in how they handle it so that it doesn't end up making them a problem that needs mental health services."

So the goal is avoiding the need for mental health services? What about the failures – soldiers that are mentally scarred? What does DoD do about them? In the Army alone – permanent disability retirements have dropped by two-thirds since 2001. Rates for disability for mental health declines – We are keeping soldiers more often as fit for duty -do you believe it is a result of significant treatment programs within the military or is it a “return to duty” quota? How are we about to see OIF/OEF veteran’s depicted in the future? I for one hope that the scripts will not be repeats of many used to portray former soldiers of the past.