Veterans Day: Time to really honor our troops

There are nearly 25 million veterans living among us, in every state and territory and from every walk of life. Veterans Day is a holiday to thank veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who have served, both dead and alive, have sacrificed and done their duty.

Why is Veteran’s Day especially important now?

The United States has been at war for more than seven years, and while the president-elect Barack Obama promises to withdraw all troops from Iraq in eighteen months, the fact remains that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have proven debilitating to many of our soldiers. More than one million troops have served so far and veterans say the repeated extensions of duty are emotionally battering, even for the most stoic of warriors.

Many studies have demonstrated the significant incidence of mental health problems affecting the military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan: depression, anxiety, substance use disorders. The enormity of the problem was demonstrated in a recent study by the RAND Corporation for example, in which roughly one third of military members returning home from a combat zone was found to suffer from mental health problems. Specifically, findings showed nearly 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and another 320,000 have experienced traumatic brain injuries. 

Even more frightening is the reality that only about half of those suffering from mental illness have sought treatment. The war ethos is that there are no imperfections. 

This year, the month of November has been named Warrior Care Month by the U.S. Department of Defense, in an effort to raise awareness for the need for continued mental health services for all military service members and their families.

But these crippling mental health problems aren’t exclusive to the military. Family members too experience stress and anxiety related to deployment. In addition, parental stress and emotional distress negatively impacts children's behavior and school performance. Divorce rates among military families have skyrocketed as have incidents of domestic violence and suicide.

Last year there were 115 active duty suicides, the highest for the Army since the Vietnam War, according to Army statistics.

In 2007 the military created an automated phone-in assessment program to reach out to soldiers and family members who might not otherwise seek help for post-traumatic stress or other psychological issues. And in 2006, a similar anonymous mental health screening effort was started online.

Despite these efforts, there’s no question that more must be done to help our veterans. They sacrificed themselves for our country, now it’s time for this country to do right by them. 

What can you do for your troops?

Lots of people plaster yellow ribbon magnets to "Support the Troops" on bumpers. How about taking it a little further? One of the most personal and meaningful Veterans Day activities you can do is to send notes or cards to hospitalized veterans or those living in veterans homes. You can design and send an individual note or card or work together as a group with your friends and/or family to send an oversized card or poster signed by all of you. The cards and posters can then be mailed in one large envelope to the nearest VA medical center or state veterans home.

Addresses for state veterans homes and VA medical centers in your area can be found in the blue government pages of the telephone book. There also is a link to the VA facility locator on the VA Web site: www.va.gov/health/.

Make sure that envelopes sent to VA medical centers are addressed to “Voluntary Service Director” and those sent to veterans’ homes should be addressed to “Administrator.”

Don't forget to visit our new "Our Troops" page for more on the mental issues confronting our soldiers.

And get an inside on the PTSD epidemic in our interview with Ethan Brown. The journalist and notable author of hyped hip hop tomes “Queens Reigns Supreme” and “Snitch,” gave us a glimpse of his upcoming book, an exposé on the seemingly invisible victims of the war – the soldiers who suffer from PTSD.