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RP Members and Connections - What are your thoughts? Good news or are there other things that need more attention? Posted the entire article below for ease of reading!
After the United States withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, thousands of combat troops were expelled from the force with less than honorable discharges as the military came under pressure to downsize quickly. This left a large number of veterans — including many kicked out for minor infractions — without access to health care and other benefits that are granted to service members who leave the armed forces with honorable discharges.
After being cut off from care and benefits, many turned to drugs and painkillers, often to relieve physical pain and mental distress that resulted from combat. Some wound up homeless. Others killed themselves.
Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs took an important, belated step to protect tens of thousands of former service members who risked their lives in war zones. Starting this summer, the agency decided, it will provide emergency mental health care to some veterans who received less than honorable discharges.
“Our goal is simple: to save lives,” David Shulkin, the secretary of veterans affairs, said on Tuesday as he announced the change in policy during testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Veterans who are in crisis should receive help immediately.”
There are roughly 500,000 veterans with less than honorable discharges, including more than 100,000 who left the service during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government does not know what percentage of these veterans have acute mental health problems, but it became apparent after the Iraq drawdown that many were struggling.
“What they did was something very unprecedented,” Representative Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican who served in the Army and the Marine Corps, said in an interview on Friday. “Here are people who have come back from war and are having difficulty. And you strip all support from them and throw them out of the military.”
Since 2009, the military has discharged at least 22,000 combat veterans who had mental health problems or traumatic brain injuries for alleged misconduct, according to Mr. Coffman’s office. The misconduct ranges from serious felonies to minor administrative violations.
Mr. Coffman has spent years trying to convince other lawmakers and the Department of Veterans Affairs that the government needs to do a lot more to prevent veteran suicides and homelessness. Some efforts have been successful, but the crisis remains acute. Last year, 20 veterans per day on average committed suicide, according to the V.A. Tens of thousands of veterans sleep on the streets on any given night.
The new policy will allow veterans with less than honorable discharges who can attribute their struggles to service-related health problems, including traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, to seek care at a V.A. emergency room or by calling the Veterans Crisis Line. Those who were expelled with dishonorable discharges will remain ineligible for these services.
Dr. Shulkin, who served as under secretary of veterans affairs under President Barack Obama, has been considering this change in policy for roughly a year, and he credited Mr. Coffman for pushing him to take action.
Mr. Coffman introduced a bill last month that would make the policy permanent. The legislation would also require the government to commission an independent study to determine whether veterans who receive care are less likely to commit suicide. Having a clearer understanding of this population is a needed step. But there’s still a long way to go to help wounded men and women who went to war.
After the United States withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, thousands of combat troops were expelled from the force with less than honorable discharges as the military came under pressure to downsize quickly. This left a large number of veterans — including many kicked out for minor infractions — without access to health care and other benefits that are granted to service members who leave the armed forces with honorable discharges.
After being cut off from care and benefits, many turned to drugs and painkillers, often to relieve physical pain and mental distress that resulted from combat. Some wound up homeless. Others killed themselves.
Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs took an important, belated step to protect tens of thousands of former service members who risked their lives in war zones. Starting this summer, the agency decided, it will provide emergency mental health care to some veterans who received less than honorable discharges.
“Our goal is simple: to save lives,” David Shulkin, the secretary of veterans affairs, said on Tuesday as he announced the change in policy during testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Veterans who are in crisis should receive help immediately.”
There are roughly 500,000 veterans with less than honorable discharges, including more than 100,000 who left the service during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government does not know what percentage of these veterans have acute mental health problems, but it became apparent after the Iraq drawdown that many were struggling.
“What they did was something very unprecedented,” Representative Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican who served in the Army and the Marine Corps, said in an interview on Friday. “Here are people who have come back from war and are having difficulty. And you strip all support from them and throw them out of the military.”
Since 2009, the military has discharged at least 22,000 combat veterans who had mental health problems or traumatic brain injuries for alleged misconduct, according to Mr. Coffman’s office. The misconduct ranges from serious felonies to minor administrative violations.
Mr. Coffman has spent years trying to convince other lawmakers and the Department of Veterans Affairs that the government needs to do a lot more to prevent veteran suicides and homelessness. Some efforts have been successful, but the crisis remains acute. Last year, 20 veterans per day on average committed suicide, according to the V.A. Tens of thousands of veterans sleep on the streets on any given night.
The new policy will allow veterans with less than honorable discharges who can attribute their struggles to service-related health problems, including traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, to seek care at a V.A. emergency room or by calling the Veterans Crisis Line. Those who were expelled with dishonorable discharges will remain ineligible for these services.
Dr. Shulkin, who served as under secretary of veterans affairs under President Barack Obama, has been considering this change in policy for roughly a year, and he credited Mr. Coffman for pushing him to take action.
Mr. Coffman introduced a bill last month that would make the policy permanent. The legislation would also require the government to commission an independent study to determine whether veterans who receive care are less likely to commit suicide. Having a clearer understanding of this population is a needed step. But there’s still a long way to go to help wounded men and women who went to war.
A Lifeline for Troubled Veterans
Posted from nytimes.com
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Health
Benefits
Suicide
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 29
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs First of all, THIS IS DISGRACEFUL!! I don't usually sound negative here on RP, but this hit hard. We need to do what LCpl Cody Collins is suggesting, and don't stop there. We need to reach out to ALL the soldiers who were discharged, and get them help. This is truly wrong and God bless, Representative Mike Coffman for trying to correct it.
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PO1 Ron Clark
Roger that Sir! To revisit a famous quote which is appropriate here! Some gave all, but all gave some! Sometimes the stress of military live can be overwhelming and lonesome, this is where the problems with depression, alcohol, drugs and such come in to play. They say "Idle hands are the devils workshop", this is true to a certain degree. Idle hands and depression can make you pick up that alcohol or drug problem and take it to another level. Which is why it is so vital for all Veterans to be able to receive treatment for this condition.
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SSG Edward Tilton
If they could ""pardon"" those who dodged Vietnam, upgrading the discharges of those who actually served in Iraq or Afghanistan should be a no brainer
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Mikel I think a part of the healing process would be to restore and upgrade those discharges. The Spirit of those veterans that gave their all just to get the boot over some minor infraction can really hurt ones pride.
Once those discharges are upgraded to honorable then we can begin to talk about the physical damage and begin to treat that. I know there are a lot of homeless veterans resigning in Phoenix Arizona , one of my co-workers went on vacation to Phoenix and he is a veteran and he was in shock at how many homeless veterans in just wondering in the streets and living in the streets. I hope Donald Trump comes up with a plan to help these veterans. I know this isn't a political problem per se but this is what happens when you have a Democratic president in office the military is not a high priority, but we cannot allow those that went to the front lines to suffer any longer like this. My attitude toward the whole thing is whatever it takes, let's do it !
Once those discharges are upgraded to honorable then we can begin to talk about the physical damage and begin to treat that. I know there are a lot of homeless veterans resigning in Phoenix Arizona , one of my co-workers went on vacation to Phoenix and he is a veteran and he was in shock at how many homeless veterans in just wondering in the streets and living in the streets. I hope Donald Trump comes up with a plan to help these veterans. I know this isn't a political problem per se but this is what happens when you have a Democratic president in office the military is not a high priority, but we cannot allow those that went to the front lines to suffer any longer like this. My attitude toward the whole thing is whatever it takes, let's do it !
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LCpl Cody Collins
Everyone knows, the dems are keen on social issues more than military
and the Republicans are more keen on money, business and military readiness, than social programs. No BS. Even the average high school drop out knows this.
and the Republicans are more keen on money, business and military readiness, than social programs. No BS. Even the average high school drop out knows this.
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This is a crying shame! I have vets from the sandbox that were given less than honorable discharges due to the PTS/TBI problems they incurred, often because of them reacting, but way to often because they were a burden to the command and were felt as in-deployable. Because of their discharges it was an uphill fight to get in the VA system- being tiered in the lower group of qualified Veterans. Lord knows what their inclusion will do to the VA, as there is already staffing problems with mental health in the VA, but these folks NEED the Help, 20-23 suicides per day are UNACCEPTABLE!
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