What Is Goin’ On?

It is the day before Veteran’s Day. Most of us do not have a clue what war is. Hundreds of thousands of American men and women have voluntarily exposed themselves to the risk of war. Regardless of your position on the war, I think it only fitting to salute each and everyone of them, together with their families, who have paid a personal price that we cannot even imagine.

According to the National Priorities Project, the cost today is about $467,760,000,000.00 in round numbers.

That would have:

1. insured 280,000,000 children for 1 year;
2. provided 22,676,000 four-year college scholarships;
3. hired 8,106,000 public school teachers.

And then there is the cost in men and women. According to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America the Official Department of Defense Count through November 7, 2007 is:

Troops Killed in Iraq: 3843
Troops Killed in Afghanistan: 454
Wounded in Action: 30205

And this doesn’t even consider those sustaining the non-obvious brain injury or PTSD. More from IAVA regarding mental health issues:

At least one-in-three Iraq veterans and one-in-nine Afghanistan veterans will face a mental health issue like depression, anxiety, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Multiple tours and inadequate rest between deployments have increased the stress of combat. PTSD rates for Iraq veterans are already higher than the rates recorded among veterans of Vietnam.

These mental health problems exact a severe toll on military families; rates of marital stress, substance abuse, and suicide have all increased. The Army has seen an almost three-fold increase in “alcohol- related incidents” between 2005 and 2006. And tens of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been treated at a VA hospital for drug or alcohol abuse.

The response to the crisis by the Defense Department has been inadequate. 90% of military psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers reported no formal training or supervision in the recommended PTSD therapies, and there is a general shortage of trained mental health professionals in the military. The Pentagon screens returning troops for mental health problems via an ineffective system of paperwork. Studies have shown that many troops are not filling out their mental health forms, that there are serious disincentives for troops to fill the form out accurately, and that those whose forms indicate they need care do not consistently get referrals.

The Veterans Affairs health care system has been flooded by new veterans seeking care. As of September 2006, almost 700,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are eligible for health care through the Veterans Affairs system, and about 1/3 of these veterans have already sought VA care. More than 36% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who visited a VA hospital for any reason were given a possible mental disorder diagnosis. At least 45,521 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans had been treated for possible PTSD at a VA hospital or Vet Center. Of course, these numbers do not include those who have only sought mental health care outside of the VA, or those veterans with mental health problems who have not sought treatment.

Massive miscalculations by the VA have dramatically worsened the mental health crisis. In February 2006, the VA claimed it was expecting only 2,900 new veteran PTSD cases in FY 2006. The actual number is likely to be about six times that: 17,827 new veterans got an initial PTSD diagnosis. The VA has also consistently failed to spend the money it has been allotted for mental health care. In 2005 and 2006, the VA failed to spend a total of $100 million dollars earmarked by Congress for mental health care.

And then there are traumatic brain injuries:

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is the signature wound of the Iraq War. Blasts from mortar attacks or roadside bombs cause the brain to hit the inside of the skull, and the resulting damage can lead to emotional problems; vision, hearing, or speech problems; dizziness; and memory loss. Brain injuries can accumulate if troops are exposed to multiple blasts during their deployment. In severe cases, TBI causes brain damage and requires a lifetime of care and rehabilitation. For more information, see the IAVA report: “Mental Health Problems among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.”

TBI is invisible, and often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Based on existing data, veterans’ advocates believe that between 10 and 20% of Iraq veterans, or 150,000 and 300,000 people, have some level of TBI. Among wounded troops, the rate of TBI rises to 33%.

Say a prayer for us all!