Issues Affecting Vets

Issues affecting Vets

“You can't send soldiers

to hell and expect them

to come home and automatically snap back

to watching football

and drinking beer.” Soldier’s perspective I

12,000 veterans underVA care attempt

suicide each year,an average of

34 attempts a day …

Every 40 minutes a Veteran

ATTEMPTS suicide.

Every 80 minutes a Veteran

COMMITS suicide.

Suicide rates for Vets age 20-24 are how much greater than their

civilian counterparts?

400%

How many Vets knowsomeone who was

seriously injured or killed?

86%

How many Vets have shot ator directed fire at the enemy?

77%

How many Vets have seen dead orseriously injured Americans?

68%

What is the percentage of eligible Vets that are NOT getting any help?

66%

There will be an estimated 700,000+ patients and

claims resulting from theIraq and Afghanistan wars,

with a total cost to$700 billion over

the next 40 years.

PTSD claims have increased for Vietnam Vets by what percentage?

50%

How many Vets have been responsible for the

death of a enemy combatant?

48%

Iraq / Afghanistan war’s are seeing the highest percentageof amputees since

what War?

AMERI CAN CIVIL

WAR

Why do Veterans have adifficult time finding work?

Veterans expressdifficulty transferring

their military skills intothe civilian workforce.

Why do Veterans have adifficult time finding work?

Guard/Reserve troopsoften find that their

jobs no longer exist,or their employers have

folded, down-sized,merged or relocated.

What kind of financial difficulties do Veterans and their families face?

18% of Vets recently separatedfrom service are unemployed.

What kind of financial difficulties do Veterans and their families face?

25% earn less than $21,500 a year.

What kind of financial difficulties do Veterans and their families face?

25% of military families carryloans that are 400% higher.

How many Veterans are homeless?

Veterans compriseonly 11% of the

civilian populationbut Vets represent

26% of the homeless.

How many Veterans are homeless?

Nearly 500,000Vets experience

homelessness overthe course of a year.

Family impact?

In 2007 alone,700,000+ childrenhave had at least

one parent deployedto a combat zone.

What kind of help isavailable to families?

There are limited resources for spouses, children, and parents.

“When a loved one asks, ‘What was it like?’ and you

look into eyes that have not seen what yours have, you suddenly realize that home is farther away than

you ever imagined.” Soldier’s perspective II