Struggling Veterans in the US

[molested_cow]

Here in S.Florida when you come to a stop light at an intersection, it's very common to see people asking for change if you know what I mean. Some of these guys are on their own. Increasingly, many of them wear some kind of vest to claim that they are apart of an organization that helps the homeless.... which made me wonder, does making it "official" makes it any more legitimate?

Anyways, that's not what I really want to ask. Struggling veterans seems to be a popular issue in the US. I say "popular" meaning that it receives a lot of media and attention, much more than other less privileged groups. The other day my co-workers and I were driving to lunch and there was a homeless guy with the sign "help the vets" or something like that. Then one of my co-workers made a comment that got me thinking.

See, my co-worker is a Vietnamese descendant. His dad fought in the Vietnam war like the US viet veterans, fled to the US and started a family with nothing, no money, no benefits(since he was not a citizen yet), no family or friends. They eventually started their own businesses and put three kids through college. So he wonder if being a veteran is ever a reason to justify for failing in the society. Another co-worker commented that everyone deals with things differently. Some do better than the others. Can't really apply the same standard on everyone.

Now, I am aware(can never say I "understand") of the issues faced by veterans. The traumatic experiences from combats that give them a very different view on life, making it challenging for them to get used to the way mass society thinks. However, as I am trying to think about other countries that have generations of folks who have been through wars fairly recently, like those in East and South East Asia, there is no particular social problem with war survivors. Not sure if this is true in Europe as well.

So it seems to be that struggling veterans is a unique issue to the US. Why do you think this is so?

 

[reedshots]

Well I am a retired (of 25yrs) Air force member I can relate to the veteran side of the equation, but only that. I had a great (civil service) job lined up before I got out. All you need to claim you are / were a vet is to have served in any of the services and got out. You could have served 1 year and got kicked out for whatever reason and still claim to be a vet. As for the struggling vets these days (not to many Vietnam veterans left, so they would be Desert storm and what not. As an air force member I did not see much combat up close and personal as Army and Marines would have that is true. The VA and society has made leaps and bounds on taking care of (damaged) Vets, but the ones who ether are defined as fine or not requiring medical / psychological help are left to fend for them self like the rest of the world. If they have not or did not line up a job or take advantage the government education or other programs provided then they could very well be struggling.
When you are retired as any retirement you get a check every month. That helps. If you were discharged or got out under honorable service there are many programs that provide education/job placement and many other ways to help the vet reenter society even after only 4 yrs of service.

Not to group them all together, but in my opinion (for at least some of them) if they are struggling it is most likely something they did or didn’t do for themselves.

 

[Formatted]

I know your intentions are good and that the points you've raised are actually very interesting, thought provoking and important! But... This issue is highly contentious, politically charged and probably will get derailed into mindless ramblings. So whilst I support this thread in principal in practice I can see it disappearing.

 

[molested_cow]

I guess we simply don't have the confidence that there will be a mature conversation huh?

 

[Formatted]

mature conversation

Nope I don't, I think it will be good for a page and then someone will start to debate about the legality of the wars these veterans have fought in.

 

[Warren Peace]

It is not just in the US

 

[Jeff Canes]

The warm winters have always drawn people to Florida. Some are more productive than others.

 

[skieur]

I can't say that I understand the whole military thinking of either the country or the individual soldier, but I do understand the medical issues that face veterans.

Although physical disabilities are major, the "invisible" mental disabilities are next to impossible to overcome.

The IEDs are causing large numbers of TBI cases as in traumatic brain injury. In simple terms, the explosion causes the brain to bounce around in the head causing bleeding, brain damage and loss of major functioning. Damage to the right frontal lobe for example can cause slow thinking and processing, lack of decision making, confusion, and the lack of ability to initiate action to solve a problem or rectify a potentially dangerous situation. Victims of TBI cannot master the basic thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to hold down even a simple job and require 24/7 supervision to keep them safe.

So, how is a veteran with TBI due to an IED explosion supposed to support himself if he cannot handle a job?

Then there are also all of the other conflicting experiences that cause mental breakdown such as, according to US investigative reporting on CBS, units that did not adhere to the rules of engagement and killed civilians, personal ethics versus being trained to kill, killing friendly soldiers by mistake and all the other tragic occurences that happen during conflicts. Not every soldier reacts in the same way, but some cannot handle the mental stress and can easily become depressed and non-functional.

skieur

 

[RockstarPhotography]

Its just another way this country is failing as a whole. Once your service is done the government no longer cares about you. I know many Iraq vets that refuse to go to the VA for medical treatment as it is sub-par. They (the government) does as little as it could for soldiers that fought for our country.

Its not just the government either. Go into many major stores across the country. Many of them offer "student discounts" and NO "military discount". So when you get out of high school, your better off going to college and spending your days partying and chasing women then to go overseas. You can possibly die overseas, and still not get a discount at your local store, but if you blow your money on jack daniels and pot, no worries, were there for you.