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Are Better Days Ahead for Our Veterans?
RP Members what do you think? I think there is still a lot of work to do This article points out some very disturbing figures in my mind that are still very unacceptable for service members that have put their lives on the line for this country. I question the accuracy sometimes as well. It's worth reading to see what veterans still face in what I think is an uphill climb!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorian-de-wind/are-better-days-ahead-for_b_8718502.html
Homelessness, suicide and unemployment, along with physical and mental health problems and drug and alcohol abuse issues, have continued to plague our veterans from recent wars.
But there are some encouraging trends.
Accusations that Veterans Administration (V.A.) health care facilities veterans were "underserving" or delaying care to its patients resulting in "the death of veterans, some of whom were put on 'secret lists' meant to falsify the documented patient wait times at V.A. facilities," led to intense Congressional, administration and public scrutiny. Today, health care for our veterans is slowly improving.
Veterans homelessness has been a particularly embarrassing problem for our society.
While the administration's pledge to end veterans' homelessness by the end of 2015 will not be met, our country has seen significant reductions in veterans homelessness in the last five years. According to the administration the overall veteran homelessness "has decreased by 36 percent since 2010, and unsheltered homelessness has decreased by nearly 50 percent, resulting in tens of thousands fewer Veterans on the streets and without a place to stay."
Read more in the article...........
RP Members what do you think? I think there is still a lot of work to do This article points out some very disturbing figures in my mind that are still very unacceptable for service members that have put their lives on the line for this country. I question the accuracy sometimes as well. It's worth reading to see what veterans still face in what I think is an uphill climb!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorian-de-wind/are-better-days-ahead-for_b_8718502.html
Homelessness, suicide and unemployment, along with physical and mental health problems and drug and alcohol abuse issues, have continued to plague our veterans from recent wars.
But there are some encouraging trends.
Accusations that Veterans Administration (V.A.) health care facilities veterans were "underserving" or delaying care to its patients resulting in "the death of veterans, some of whom were put on 'secret lists' meant to falsify the documented patient wait times at V.A. facilities," led to intense Congressional, administration and public scrutiny. Today, health care for our veterans is slowly improving.
Veterans homelessness has been a particularly embarrassing problem for our society.
While the administration's pledge to end veterans' homelessness by the end of 2015 will not be met, our country has seen significant reductions in veterans homelessness in the last five years. According to the administration the overall veteran homelessness "has decreased by 36 percent since 2010, and unsheltered homelessness has decreased by nearly 50 percent, resulting in tens of thousands fewer Veterans on the streets and without a place to stay."
Read more in the article...........
Employment
Homeless
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Suicide
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 9
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Absolutely, COL Mikel J. Burroughs! I've seen this article and it's good to know things are improving for our veteran community. Still A LOT of work to be done, but it's nice to see positive effects!
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If you look at the stats, veterans over 40 have a higher unemployment. That is almost 60% of unemployed vets. I think we need to post demographics and make hose numbers known to active duty. We need to advocate what job skills are in shortage and where to get training. Tech schools can give a high paying career.
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SGT William Howell
Maj Dorian de Wind As a vet and you actually make it to 40, you should statistically live longer that Joe Citizen that did not serve. Below 40, statically, vets don't live as long but not by much.
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SGT William Howell
1SG Nick Baker Top, I just can't understand how a company cannot want to scoop up a 1SG any chance they get. With Mid level management, some of the finest education in the management of people, and a proven track record how could they pass that up? I know they do, but they shouldn't. Thank goodness Deere recognized they were getting a winner.
I am working with our recruiting team now to become more vet friendly and start trying to hire Guard and Reserve members. It was not hard to convince them that just because a guy is or was a motarman or infantry that he does poses the quality skills to be successful in the civilian workforce. They just did not understand that there is more to combat MOSs than being a trained for combat. Leadership, fast comprehension, loyalty, morals and ethics, and a work ethic all play into what people are looking for when they do a new hire. The chances are much greater that a vet will succeed over other hires. Civilians just have to have somebody they trust in the company educate them.
I am working with our recruiting team now to become more vet friendly and start trying to hire Guard and Reserve members. It was not hard to convince them that just because a guy is or was a motarman or infantry that he does poses the quality skills to be successful in the civilian workforce. They just did not understand that there is more to combat MOSs than being a trained for combat. Leadership, fast comprehension, loyalty, morals and ethics, and a work ethic all play into what people are looking for when they do a new hire. The chances are much greater that a vet will succeed over other hires. Civilians just have to have somebody they trust in the company educate them.
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1SG Nick Baker
SGT William Howell - It all goes with connections. But, I am doing ok. I hire for attitude, I can train them to be the best.
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I have been homeless (for three summers). It is the very worst job one can possibly imagine.
But mainly, what concerns me, is the fact that 22 veterans per day-are committing suicide.
That is one too many veterans.
Something MUST be DONE about this....be it by the VA, the Federal government, the State government, or the local governments....or by a concerted effort of all four said governments.
My Group for Suicidal Active Duty and for Suicidal Veterans: can be found on Facebook.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
But mainly, what concerns me, is the fact that 22 veterans per day-are committing suicide.
That is one too many veterans.
Something MUST be DONE about this....be it by the VA, the Federal government, the State government, or the local governments....or by a concerted effort of all four said governments.
My Group for Suicidal Active Duty and for Suicidal Veterans: can be found on Facebook.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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SPC Margaret Higgins
No, Captain. I live in a very comfortable apartment now. Thanks for asking!
To make matters worse, I was raped when I was homeless.
My father was a lawyer at the time (when I was homeless); however, one thing I was left with, after leaving the family home, was: "You are the cause of all the family's problems." Of course being a teenager, I bought into That statement: hook, line and sinker.
To make matters worse, I was raped when I was homeless.
My father was a lawyer at the time (when I was homeless); however, one thing I was left with, after leaving the family home, was: "You are the cause of all the family's problems." Of course being a teenager, I bought into That statement: hook, line and sinker.
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I hope so. We do need some Hope at this point. Concerned with what we might find out about the Tools and Chemicals that my and later generations of Veterans were exposed too. I will wait and see.
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I am the author of this article and I appreciate RallyPoint posting it and asking its readers for opinions on whether things are truly improving for veterans. There is nothing better than the opinions of those directly affected by the problems and issues discussed in the article.
If it is alright with the editors of this web site, I would like to come back from time to time to collect the views expressed and perhaps write a follow-up piece.
Maj. Dorian de Wind (USAF, Ret.)
If it is alright with the editors of this web site, I would like to come back from time to time to collect the views expressed and perhaps write a follow-up piece.
Maj. Dorian de Wind (USAF, Ret.)
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Maj Dorian de Wind Thanks for the article and I hope you didn't mind me getting it out to the RP Members - Keep this link and you can return back to this post later to collect data and response. https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/are-better-days-ahead-for-our-veterans
Are Better Days Ahead for Our Veterans? | RallyPoint
Are Better Days Ahead for Our Veterans? RP Members what do you think? I think there is still a lot of work to do This article points out some very disturbing figures in my mind that are still very unacceptable for service members that have put their lives on the line for this country. I question the accuracy sometimes as well. It's worth reading to see what veterans still face in what I think is an uphill climb!...
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Maj Dorian de Wind
Thanks Col. Burroughs. I have already found some of the comments very interesting and deserving of more researched answers and/or clarifications, which I hope to do in a follow-up, as this piece generates more questions/comments.
Tomorrow is the 74th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. If there are any survivors of that dastardly attackn at this site, my respect and best wishes. Here's a piece I wrote at The Moderate Voice in their honor.: http://themoderatevoice.com/211246/remembering-pearl-harbor-and-the-survivors/
Tomorrow is the 74th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. If there are any survivors of that dastardly attackn at this site, my respect and best wishes. Here's a piece I wrote at The Moderate Voice in their honor.: http://themoderatevoice.com/211246/remembering-pearl-harbor-and-the-survivors/
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs I hope and pray there a better days for our nations military veterans ahead. To be honest I would not expect much more improvement until after the next POTUS is sworn in and he/she has developed their prioritization and shared it with Congress.
Until that time we can expect marginal improvement in the VA medical facilities and some improvement in the VA Choice Program. I expect limited improvement in the VBA process and no significant acceleration in the resolution of the appeals since the Veterans appellate court has such a significant backlog.
FYI, I was homeless while employed from May 1995 after my first heart catheterization through November 1999 just before I married my wife who is the love of my life.
I have been homeless since July 2014 when I moved with my wife and minimal belongings to take care of her mother in a small house.
Until that time we can expect marginal improvement in the VA medical facilities and some improvement in the VA Choice Program. I expect limited improvement in the VBA process and no significant acceleration in the resolution of the appeals since the Veterans appellate court has such a significant backlog.
FYI, I was homeless while employed from May 1995 after my first heart catheterization through November 1999 just before I married my wife who is the love of my life.
I have been homeless since July 2014 when I moved with my wife and minimal belongings to take care of her mother in a small house.
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There are 94,000,000 people not even in the market for a job or underemployed, out of a nearly 319 million population. That includes all citizens, anyone else that qualifies for a count by the BLS. Many of these people are taking jobs, sometimes a couple of jobs to make it day by day. The 5% unemployment number is a joke. I hope that the drop in unemployment rates for Veterans is due to decent jobs and not merely something to pay the bills.
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I've seen other articles that indicate a positive trend, however, what I see around me seems to be stagnant... Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, as that is an issue with me sometimes. But if the trend in documents and numbers are positive, then yes, It would indicate better days ahead for our Vets, I'm just waiting for my eyes to catch up! LOL!
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