Posted on Aug 30, 2014
Veteran Statistics (Homelessness, Suicide, Drug Abuse)
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I compiled the following numbers today searching out of curiosity. I have to say, I was really shocked.
1) 1 in 4 homeless are veterans.
2) Between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless at some time during the year
3) On any given night, more than 300,000 veterans are living on the streets or in shelters in the U.S.
4)The number of homeless Vietnam-era veterans, male and female, is greater than the number of soldiers who died during the war.
5) About 70% of homeless veterans suffer from substance abuse problems
6) There are 65 drug courts in 20 states, which exclusively work with the veteran population.
7) Over 22 veterans commit suicide daily (1 suicide every 65 minutes).
These statistics really hit close to me. Especially being in the Army (I will explain why I mention this later), I know some of my dear friends from my various units will end up in these numbers. It brings tears to my eyes even imagining some of my friends (from the 101st) sleeping outside in the cold, struggling with drug abuse, fighting with suicide (Already happened to one of my other friends).
I think there are certain things the military can do to curb these numbers. I am leaning towards believing that the majority of these numbers are Army and Marine veterans. My reasoning is as follows. Its no secret that the Marines and Army see actual combat, and lots of it. Patrolling, Rockets, Mortars, Casualties etc...... are all traumatic events that can lead to mental health issues in some. Seeing as the Navy and Air force don't really have nearly as many personnel in harms way, and in most cases go through little/no hardship compared to the Army and Marines in Afghanistan.
The second issue I am seeing here a lot of our MOS training is completely useless outside of the Army. Though the Army does teach us all neat skills, we are not allowed to use them outside of the Army.
ex. I am a medic (68w). I have done my fair share of trauma in an FST, sick call in an aid station, and treated a couple casualties on patrol and under fire. I can do pretty much every aspect of the jobs. Every leader I work under gives me accolades for my skills. My trauma skills, SOAP notes etc...
The problem is, I cant do anything with any of this training because I am not "certified" to do it. I could not even volunteer to screen patients at my local V.A. because I didn't have the proper "credentials". The only job being a medic in the Army can get you, is an EMT-B job (You drive around the ambulance, you aren't really allowed to do anything else), and worst of all, most EMT B's volunteer to do that work for free....
Now lets look at our beloved motor pool mechanics. They literally have nothing. We should at least get these guys simple ASE certifications, (brakes are an easy one, etc...)
I can only think of a few MOS's that you can leave the Army with and get a job decent enough to sustain yourself. EOD, Journalist, etc...
I think the problem, I believe, is the Army needs to focus on the soldiers who make up the most important formation within our Army. The brigade combat team. I would say the majority of active duty soldiers belong to a BCT. We need to start getting certs for our 68's, 25's, etc... We have well trained individuals who are not getting job's. Unemployment leads to homelessness.
I think the V.A. should be veteran ran. (Just an Idea) We need to get rid of all those middle aged women (that's mainly who it is) who work in the V.A. hospitals. We should have former 68w's screening patients, former 68k's drawing blood, 68P's taking X ray's, 68E's doing dental, former 42A's pushing papers, 36B's to run the monetary section. Our 68A's will fix our stuff when it breaks, 68G's will run the computer systems. We could use former MP's and/or 11b's, 19d's etc.... The possibilities are endless. We could bring the veterans community good employment. (We all know the military does not have that many medical professionals [Doctors, PT, OT etc...] so those would have to still be contracted out.
I think real veterans would care more about giving real veterans the proper care they need.
1) 1 in 4 homeless are veterans.
2) Between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless at some time during the year
3) On any given night, more than 300,000 veterans are living on the streets or in shelters in the U.S.
4)The number of homeless Vietnam-era veterans, male and female, is greater than the number of soldiers who died during the war.
5) About 70% of homeless veterans suffer from substance abuse problems
6) There are 65 drug courts in 20 states, which exclusively work with the veteran population.
7) Over 22 veterans commit suicide daily (1 suicide every 65 minutes).
These statistics really hit close to me. Especially being in the Army (I will explain why I mention this later), I know some of my dear friends from my various units will end up in these numbers. It brings tears to my eyes even imagining some of my friends (from the 101st) sleeping outside in the cold, struggling with drug abuse, fighting with suicide (Already happened to one of my other friends).
I think there are certain things the military can do to curb these numbers. I am leaning towards believing that the majority of these numbers are Army and Marine veterans. My reasoning is as follows. Its no secret that the Marines and Army see actual combat, and lots of it. Patrolling, Rockets, Mortars, Casualties etc...... are all traumatic events that can lead to mental health issues in some. Seeing as the Navy and Air force don't really have nearly as many personnel in harms way, and in most cases go through little/no hardship compared to the Army and Marines in Afghanistan.
The second issue I am seeing here a lot of our MOS training is completely useless outside of the Army. Though the Army does teach us all neat skills, we are not allowed to use them outside of the Army.
ex. I am a medic (68w). I have done my fair share of trauma in an FST, sick call in an aid station, and treated a couple casualties on patrol and under fire. I can do pretty much every aspect of the jobs. Every leader I work under gives me accolades for my skills. My trauma skills, SOAP notes etc...
The problem is, I cant do anything with any of this training because I am not "certified" to do it. I could not even volunteer to screen patients at my local V.A. because I didn't have the proper "credentials". The only job being a medic in the Army can get you, is an EMT-B job (You drive around the ambulance, you aren't really allowed to do anything else), and worst of all, most EMT B's volunteer to do that work for free....
Now lets look at our beloved motor pool mechanics. They literally have nothing. We should at least get these guys simple ASE certifications, (brakes are an easy one, etc...)
I can only think of a few MOS's that you can leave the Army with and get a job decent enough to sustain yourself. EOD, Journalist, etc...
I think the problem, I believe, is the Army needs to focus on the soldiers who make up the most important formation within our Army. The brigade combat team. I would say the majority of active duty soldiers belong to a BCT. We need to start getting certs for our 68's, 25's, etc... We have well trained individuals who are not getting job's. Unemployment leads to homelessness.
I think the V.A. should be veteran ran. (Just an Idea) We need to get rid of all those middle aged women (that's mainly who it is) who work in the V.A. hospitals. We should have former 68w's screening patients, former 68k's drawing blood, 68P's taking X ray's, 68E's doing dental, former 42A's pushing papers, 36B's to run the monetary section. Our 68A's will fix our stuff when it breaks, 68G's will run the computer systems. We could use former MP's and/or 11b's, 19d's etc.... The possibilities are endless. We could bring the veterans community good employment. (We all know the military does not have that many medical professionals [Doctors, PT, OT etc...] so those would have to still be contracted out.
I think real veterans would care more about giving real veterans the proper care they need.
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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SGT Suraj Dave ,
Going to bust you out on some of the problems with your statistics.
1) The ratio is 1 in 4 homeless are veterans. The VA is currently tracking 23 million veterans. Even if you take the annual total as a max, 4 out of 100 veterans suffers homelessness at some point during the year.
2) VA will under report for political reasons as well as the fact that many of the homeless have given up on the VA as an option. Veteran assistance based non-profits will over report for funding reasons. There is also the problem of what qualifies as "homeless" by those conducting the surveys.
3)That "moment in time" study is done on Jan 30th each year. This causes a disproportional representation of the locations of a "migrant" homeless population as they shift around because of weather conditions. Additionally, families are more willing to put up with homeless relatives through the month following Christmas because of the "giving spirit" of the season and the weather. Summer rates are probably significantly higher.
4) Not just Vietnam, that statistic applies to post service Iraq and Afghanistan vets too.
7) There is a five year threshold regarding the suicide rates. As a general rule, and this is proven by studies of Vietnam era vets, the first five years represent the "danger zone" for veterans. While I am not sure if that is from their first tour or their last, but five years is the mark that generally separates the survivors from the victims. The current spike in suicides correlates to the five year point from the redeployment dates of the 2007 Iraqi Troop surge.
Don't get me wrong, I am as appalled by even the conservative estimates, even though the truth is probably uglier, as you are.
The VA is a bureaucratic behemoth that is nearly impossible to change direction. The answer is the non-profits, private organizations and veteran networking, smaller and more responsive units dealing with Veteran's issues. The things that made us strong as SMs on active duty and deployed, our network and support of each other, is what we need as Veterans if we, and our friends, are to survive.
Going to bust you out on some of the problems with your statistics.
1) The ratio is 1 in 4 homeless are veterans. The VA is currently tracking 23 million veterans. Even if you take the annual total as a max, 4 out of 100 veterans suffers homelessness at some point during the year.
2) VA will under report for political reasons as well as the fact that many of the homeless have given up on the VA as an option. Veteran assistance based non-profits will over report for funding reasons. There is also the problem of what qualifies as "homeless" by those conducting the surveys.
3)That "moment in time" study is done on Jan 30th each year. This causes a disproportional representation of the locations of a "migrant" homeless population as they shift around because of weather conditions. Additionally, families are more willing to put up with homeless relatives through the month following Christmas because of the "giving spirit" of the season and the weather. Summer rates are probably significantly higher.
4) Not just Vietnam, that statistic applies to post service Iraq and Afghanistan vets too.
7) There is a five year threshold regarding the suicide rates. As a general rule, and this is proven by studies of Vietnam era vets, the first five years represent the "danger zone" for veterans. While I am not sure if that is from their first tour or their last, but five years is the mark that generally separates the survivors from the victims. The current spike in suicides correlates to the five year point from the redeployment dates of the 2007 Iraqi Troop surge.
Don't get me wrong, I am as appalled by even the conservative estimates, even though the truth is probably uglier, as you are.
The VA is a bureaucratic behemoth that is nearly impossible to change direction. The answer is the non-profits, private organizations and veteran networking, smaller and more responsive units dealing with Veteran's issues. The things that made us strong as SMs on active duty and deployed, our network and support of each other, is what we need as Veterans if we, and our friends, are to survive.
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SGT Suraj Dave
Lol Understood.
I just really think we need to get more employment opportunities for veterans. A lot of the veterans I know within my demographic (mid 20's males) sell drugs to make ends meet, or sell drugs to support their own drug habits. Some of them even fight for money. Its really disappointing.
I just really think we need to get more employment opportunities for veterans. A lot of the veterans I know within my demographic (mid 20's males) sell drugs to make ends meet, or sell drugs to support their own drug habits. Some of them even fight for money. Its really disappointing.
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CW2 Joseph Evans
Drugs, black market, gambling, criminal activity... Someone is going to do it, hell, I'm playing taxi for strippers and escorts while I wrap up my bachelors degree...
The real problem is our skills don't translate cleanly over to the civilian side. The adrenaline and camaraderie we've come to accept as the norm don't exist in cubicle land. The unfortunate truth is that we do not adapt to some changes as well as others. Still, we are survival driven, and a life on the street still offers greater hope for the future than a bullet in the head.
The real problem is our skills don't translate cleanly over to the civilian side. The adrenaline and camaraderie we've come to accept as the norm don't exist in cubicle land. The unfortunate truth is that we do not adapt to some changes as well as others. Still, we are survival driven, and a life on the street still offers greater hope for the future than a bullet in the head.
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LTC (Join to see)
Great post gents. We need to get more people to understand all of these issues. Most importantly, we need to get soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to understand some of these issues prior to joining and to take action while they are in. The institutions we come from must adapt but I am sure they will not, therefore we must all adapt.
I can tell you personally that Corporate America really does not want Vets unless they have a perfect match for a skill set. The corporations do not want Angry Veterans that may go postal some day, are most likely toxic and sick with something, have a very crude form of communication and aggressiveness, and probably do not have special skills only general skills that are not applicable in the business process anyway. I hope this is some food for thought.
I can tell you personally that Corporate America really does not want Vets unless they have a perfect match for a skill set. The corporations do not want Angry Veterans that may go postal some day, are most likely toxic and sick with something, have a very crude form of communication and aggressiveness, and probably do not have special skills only general skills that are not applicable in the business process anyway. I hope this is some food for thought.
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SPC Leisel Luman
The vets matter more than the stats. I'm bad with numbers anyway. Keep trying to help in any way that you can.
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Could you clarify this statement that you made SGT Suraj Dave "We need to get rid of all those middle aged women (that's mainly who it is) who work in the V.A. hospitals."
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SGT Suraj Dave
Sure. We need to get rid of all those civilians (Who at least at my VA, are all middle aged women) and replace them with veterans. Most of their job's are not professional job's. Any veteran, from an Army Infantry man to some Navy Nuclear submarine mechanic, is more then qualified to put papers in your file and call your name to be seen by the provider. The job requires maybe 2 days of training.
Americans don't take care of veterans, veterans take care of veterans. Aside from obviously licensed medical professionals (Nurses, Doctor's, etc..) I think we could actually drop all the ancillary job's and fill them with veterans.
I actually made it a point once to ask everyone i encountered working at the Altoona VA if they actually ever wore a uniform. I so far have only met two. One former Navy Dentist who is now a VA Dentist, and a former Army Commo guy who sets up video-appointments at the satellite clinic for you to have a tele-meeting with your provider at the main hospital further away.
Thats 2 people so far, and I have been in the VA healthcare system for almost 1 year now, and out of everyone in the VA I have met, only 2 have been veterans.
I know it sounds cold, but I am all for taking their jobs (Medical assistants, janitor's, admin clerk's, phone operator's, etc....) and giving it to veterans. I mean seriously, we owe veterans those job's before we hire random middle aged women from the local populace.
Maybe some of those middle aged women are veterans. Sure, let them keep their job's. The ones who aren't, give them the boot. This isn't Wal-Mart. This is the department of veteran affair's, not only is it a government agency, its 100% about veterans..... and the civilians had their chance, and they effectively showed us they cant deliver care to our veterans.
I think its time we take over, or we start staffing this system with Military Medical Soldier's/sailors/Airmen (I excluded marines because they have no medical personnel, they borrow from the Navy) and put a General and/or Admiral in charge of this operation.
Americans don't take care of veterans, veterans take care of veterans. Aside from obviously licensed medical professionals (Nurses, Doctor's, etc..) I think we could actually drop all the ancillary job's and fill them with veterans.
I actually made it a point once to ask everyone i encountered working at the Altoona VA if they actually ever wore a uniform. I so far have only met two. One former Navy Dentist who is now a VA Dentist, and a former Army Commo guy who sets up video-appointments at the satellite clinic for you to have a tele-meeting with your provider at the main hospital further away.
Thats 2 people so far, and I have been in the VA healthcare system for almost 1 year now, and out of everyone in the VA I have met, only 2 have been veterans.
I know it sounds cold, but I am all for taking their jobs (Medical assistants, janitor's, admin clerk's, phone operator's, etc....) and giving it to veterans. I mean seriously, we owe veterans those job's before we hire random middle aged women from the local populace.
Maybe some of those middle aged women are veterans. Sure, let them keep their job's. The ones who aren't, give them the boot. This isn't Wal-Mart. This is the department of veteran affair's, not only is it a government agency, its 100% about veterans..... and the civilians had their chance, and they effectively showed us they cant deliver care to our veterans.
I think its time we take over, or we start staffing this system with Military Medical Soldier's/sailors/Airmen (I excluded marines because they have no medical personnel, they borrow from the Navy) and put a General and/or Admiral in charge of this operation.
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Excellent contribution, SGT Suraj Dave. I'd love to see this one get half the traction that a "salute" thread receives.
Too often, when someone points out a problem, it comes out more like a rant, rather than presenting a well thought out solution with it, as you have done here.
I have to agree with Sgt (Join to see)'s assessment about the politics involved. It would be a tremendous undertaking to turn such a massive bureaucracy into something useful, but if we (as a Country) could find a way to make it happen, I really think those statistics could start to change.
I'm also curious about the source(s) of the numbers. I did a couple of quick searches and found some different ones, as well as some that match up.
Too often, when someone points out a problem, it comes out more like a rant, rather than presenting a well thought out solution with it, as you have done here.
I have to agree with Sgt (Join to see)'s assessment about the politics involved. It would be a tremendous undertaking to turn such a massive bureaucracy into something useful, but if we (as a Country) could find a way to make it happen, I really think those statistics could start to change.
I'm also curious about the source(s) of the numbers. I did a couple of quick searches and found some different ones, as well as some that match up.
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SGT Suraj Dave
Veteran Statistics | Homeless Veterans | Veterans Organizations
Statistics and key facts related to the severity of homelessness for veterans and Veterans Inc.’s success in reducing that severity.
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