This means today's veterans have often been more exposed to civilian suffering and less sure of their adversaries, which has produced distinctive psychological effects. Third, the social environment that has awaited veterans after their service is different today than it was for some previous generations of veterans. By and large, the civilian population is now accepting of veterans and thankful for their service.
This "Sea of Goodwill," as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen labeled it, encompasses employers, community leaders, government officials at all levels, academics, health-care professionals, and other grateful citizens.
In contrast with the experience of Vietnam veterans, today's returning soldiers and recently discharged veterans have received a warm welcome home. Fourth, although the number of veterans to be re-integrated is high, it is still dramatically lower than in previous wars.
As of last year, fewer than 2. This figure is significantly smaller especially as a percentage of the population than the 3. Finally, returning troops also tend to be better off financially than their civilian peers. Both the earnings and overall incomes of veterans are higher than those of non-veterans.
Among women, the advantage for veterans was even greater. Thus, contrary to some conventional wisdom, most veterans are not "victims" or members of a problem class. Given their educational and health advantages, those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to be a particularly valuable asset to America's economy and society in the years ahead.
It is therefore important, from a purely economic point of view, to ensure that as many of them as possible are working to their full capacity. This means targeting assistance to those veterans who are genuinely struggling with the transition back to civilian life, while avoiding giving more capable veterans reason to work below their potential or to not work at all.
And from a moral point of view, the argument for veterans' full re-integration through employment is even stronger. Yet evidence suggests that our aid to veterans is overly broad, creating exactly the perverse incentives that encourage returning soldiers who are capable of work to instead have themselves classified as "disabled. One reason for this dramatic increase is a happy one: Thanks to improved trauma care, some servicemembers are collecting disability benefits for injuries that in past wars would have killed them.
It should be noted, however, that this is a minor factor: Of the more than 2. A bigger reason for the increase is surely VA classification procedures. The definition of "disability" in the VA system is such that most of these veterans are not in fact "disabled" in the way that most Americans understand the term.
It would be far more accurate to describe these veterans as simply "having a service-connected condition. What kinds of service-connected conditions are qualifying veterans as "disabled"? The most common condition for which veterans receive disability ratings is tinnitus, or ringing in the ears; the second most prevalent is partial hearing loss; other common conditions include afflictions like arthritis and lower-back strain.
It is worth noting that, while all of these conditions can be associated with the rigors of military service, most are also caused by the normal progression of time and age. In any event, they are hardly the catastrophic injuries that capture the public's attention. One service-related condition that captures an enormous amount of public attention is post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD encompasses a very wide range of complaints, including intrusive memories of the traumatic event flashbacks and dreams , avoidance and emotional numbing, and anxiety and depression.
Assessing the true prevalence of PTSD can be difficult, and the task has been made even more complicated by two changes implemented in to VA policies regarding diagnosis and treatment. First, the VA no longer requires proof that the veteran actually experienced a specific traumatic incident because PTSD can arise from an accumulation of stress, particularly the persistent fear of enemy or terrorist activity that characterizes service in a combat zone.
One result of this change is that more veterans with legitimate diagnoses of PTSD are receiving the treatment they need; another is that the claims for PTSD-related benefits, and the figures for veteran disability, have skyrocketed. The Department of Veterans Affairs is also making it easier to qualify for benefits on the basis of traumatic brain injury, or TBI. In December , the agency unveiled new regulations that will allow thousands of veterans to receive benefits for five diseases not previously covered by the VA, basing the expansion on a Institute of Medicine study that found "limited or suggestive" evidence that these diseases may sometimes be linked to TBI.
Incidentally, only a small fraction of the , cases of TBI diagnosed among servicemembers since are combat related: The vast majority stem from vehicle crashes, training accidents, or sports injuries.
Thankfully, relatively few of the conditions for which veterans seek compensation are caused by catastrophic injuries. Serious burns, spinal-cord injuries, and cases of complete blindness number in the hundreds. Given the variety of service-connected conditions, there is a wide range in the extent to which veterans claiming benefits are considered "disabled.
The claim is adjudicated by the claims staff at a VA processing center, and benefits are awarded, typically within nine months or so. It is thus crucial to recognize that many veterans classified as "disabled" are in fact largely capable of enjoying active lives and performing some remunerative work.
While those veterans whose injuries permanently preclude a return to the labor force deserve whatever support they require, it is just as important to ensure that veterans who can provide for themselves are not robbed of their independence by policies that incentivize unemployment.
Broadly speaking, a returning soldier or recent veteran benefits from assistance in three major areas: medical care, education and job training, and employment. Ideally, this network would treat acute and chronic medical needs, then provide rehabilitation services, and finally help veterans gain and maintain useful employment. But many veterans never make it to the last step, in part because of the dangers lurking in the good intentions of their support networks.
This is particularly true of federal programs to aid veterans, as these government benefits and support services play a dominant role in returning troops' rehabilitation. It is therefore worth examining the understanding of "disability" that drives federal policies governing benefits for wounded soldiers in order to see how those policies end up undermining the recovery process for many veterans.
There are at least two major models of disability, the first of which is the so-called "medical model. Support under this model focuses almost exclusively on the patient's infirmity, and in some ways defines the patient by his impairment; the disabled person is viewed as a victim, and the purpose of the disability system is seen as providing benefits, rather than encouraging a return to functionality. A more modern approach is the broader "social model" of disability, which assumes that a physical ailment is only one component of determining whether a person is truly "disabled.
Moreover, personal factors at the individual and family levels strongly affect the degree of disablement that a person will experience at the completion of his medical treatment. Many families are able to find a "new normal" after a family member becomes disabled; some are not.
Some individuals are resilient in the face of daunting challenges; some crumble. The social model acknowledges these differences. As a society, the United States has begun to move beyond the medical model of disability, preferring the social model instead. The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in eliminated many physical barriers to wheelchair mobility and required reasonable accommodation of disabilities in the workplace.
And attitudes are changing: Because of the revolutionary effects of new prosthetic, computer, and drug technologies, we've become accustomed to seeing amputees pass us on the ski slopes. However, actions speak louder than words and saying you support veterans is different from actually going out there and doing it — and making a difference.
If you would like to show gratitude for the sacrifices made and support veterans, there are many ways to make it happen. Sometimes even a small gesture can have a big impact. Our veterans have many needs and challenges because of their military service, and they can use support and assistance in a variety of ways that may not always be obvious.
One way to support veterans in your local area is to provide necessary transportation so that veterans can get to medical and mental health treatment appointments. Donated vehicles may also be used or accepted by the program. Another great way to show that you support veterans is to pay a visit to wounded vets at a VA facility near you. These wounded veterans may not have many visitors to brighten their day.
Once you find the nearest VA facility, contact the staff and find out if you can arrange a visit. The staff may be able to identify veterans who would benefit the most from a visit. One of the easiest ways to support veterans is a simple thank you, as long as it is heartfelt and sincere. A simple act of gratitude for everything that the veteran faced and gave up seems like such a small thing, but it is something that American veterans do not hear as often as they should.
These two words can brighten even a bad day for a veteran because you acknowledge their service. Restaurants are saluting Veterans Day with free meals and discounts for veterans, service members and their families. Get weekly military discounts on food, travel, lodging, moving, entertainment and more. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. Businesses salute our military heroes on Veterans Day with a host of discounts and freebies for veterans, service members and We scour the universe for the best military travel and recreation discounts to celebrate veterans and Veterans Day.
Businesses are saluting Veterans Day with a host of discounts and freebies for veterans, service members and their families Veterans Day is the perfect opportunity to use fun events such as parades to learn about the importance of the Veterans Day Veterans Day is also a day where Americans can work with organizations who support the military, veterans and their families.
In January , I sat down with my granddad, Ken Marschner, and asked him questions I had never thought to ask. The history of troops in combat having a few drink is a long one. Why not add some history to your Veterans Day fun? Holidays Veterans Day. Ways to Give Back to Veterans. Women make up an increasingly large share of military personnel, and in addition to dealing with the physical and mental wounds of war, many have also been subjected to sexual assault and harassment while in the service.
The VA needs new policies for dealing with members of the reserve component as well. Reserve and National Guard units have become an operational rather than a strategic reserve, with units deployed almost as often as active-duty forces. But when the reserve units are demobilized and these women and men enter the civilian workforce, they can lose their military health benefits.
Next, the new administration needs to put pressure on the private sector to give veterans more preferences in hiring. In the federal government, veterans receive preference in hiring, but this is not the case in the private sector. As organizations try to diversify their workforces, they should be encouraged to consider prioritizing veterans. The next administration should also pay close attention to the views of veterans who have served in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria when deciding how to pursue these conflicts.
Furthermore, both to prevent the physical and mental health problems caused by multiple deployments and the lowering of standards for new recruits, the administration should appoint a high-level administrator to run the Selective Service System.
This individual must make plans for activating the system if the country becomes involved in another large-scale, prolonged conflict that the administration believes cannot be waged without putting too much stress on the AVF. For example, these plans could include having women register for the draft. Finally, the next administration should ensure that the naturalization process for immigrant veterans is completed before they are discharged.
This will prevent the people who have sacrificed so much for the country from being deported after they complete their service. Only by taking these steps, which are based on the understanding of how and why the current VA system came into existence, will the administration and the Congress begin to ensure that U. Lawrence J. Trevor Sutton , Carolyn Kenney. Amy Navvab. Center for American Progress Caring for U.
Conclusion Only by taking these steps, which are based on the understanding of how and why the current VA system came into existence, will the administration and the Congress begin to ensure that U. Two have been ruled homicides. Joseph R. Paul, MN: St. Catherine University and University of St. Matthew S. MacArthur ordered U. Andrew J.
0コメント