The standard way of thinking about veterans has it that they are receive equal and fair treatment when they are done serving active duty for our country. However, I believe that this is not the case and that the little attention and support we give these veterans needs to be addressed. From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to Traumatic Brain Injury, our soldiers endure serious physical and mental challenges when they come back home. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can be followed by symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance of certain situations, and hyperarousal (“PTSD”). These general symptoms do not even cover many of the smaller and more individualized effects many veterans face. I am of the mind that we as a country need to consider the organizations that are designed to help these soldiers, to ensure that the organizations are doing what they were designed to do. One major organization that I would like to focus on is the Veterans Affairs (VA). Some issues that need attention are the efficiency of its equipment, its treatment of substance abuse and suicide among veterans, and the extended wait times to receive treatments. 

You would think that the supplies and equipment being used at Veterans Affairs facilities were top quality, but that is not the case. The patient’s safety should be the first and foremost consideration during surgery and procedures. It seems that this status has disappeared, and over the years the emphasis on proper procedures has diminished. Recently, the Veterans Affairs hospital in Washington D.C. has been under increased scrutiny due to an investigation uncovering that their supplies and equipment was being used improperly. According to Donovan Slack with USA Today, “The VA inspector general found that in recent weeks the operating room at the hospital ran out of vascular patches to seal blood vessels and ultrasound probes used to map blood flow” (Slack). In other words, Slack is addressing that the Veterans Affairs hospital at this location has been lacking clean equipment and the patients have been unknowledgeable about the actual treatment they are receiving. This idea that supplies in inventory are not being properly cared for, as well as medical supplies lacking, it shows an insufficient amount of care. These investigations cause Veterans to not want to use the VA services, with fear of these incidents occurring to them also. This issue is being addressed and people will be investigated, but regardless, this incident still occurred, and did a disservice to our veterans who needs our medical assistance. 

If you’re looking at the VA, you might focus on its limited resources for the effects of PTSD, one of which is substance abuse. To begin with, the number of individuals who do suffer from PTSD is alarming. According to Christian Capece, “Several years ago, roughly 300,000 of the 1.64 million troops who had served in the Gulf up to that point suffered from PTSD or major depressive disorder, and another 320,000 may have experienced traumatic brain injury” (Harris). These numbers are alarming no matter the circumstance. With these numbers comes a great number of coping mechanisms used to handle these impairments. A very popular one is alcohol abuse. The VA says that’s not unusual, and that 60 to 80 percent of Vietnam veterans seeking PTSD treatment have alcohol abuse problems. Veterans with PTSD and alcohol problems tend to be binge drinkers, which the VA says may be in response to memories of trauma (Harris 4-5).  Harris is suggesting that by drinking heavily, these individuals suppress their memories of the incident and potentially drown it out. Harris is giving evidence that supports the notion that alcohol abuse is a prominent issue that needs attention. 

Linda Harris’s point is that an extreme number of veterans are experiencing this addiction and the VA has acknowledged this. My question to the VA is why are there not proper measures being taken to reduce this number? Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to how we are going to ensure these veterans get the guidance they need, before the addiction takes their lives. Addiction and substance abuse is no joke, and if these individuals do not seek treatment, they could become one more in the extremely high number of suicides we have in our country. Not only does alcohol abuse hurt the individual, but it also affects those around the veteran and can take a toll on all relationships. I believe if we had better quality VA care, then our veterans would be more apt to go and seek help at these institutions, and in turn the rate of alcohol abuse would decrease. Currently, many veterans do not trust the VA due to past experiences and news regarding the organization recently.  

For the Veterans Affairs to be able to assist individuals, the organization must be able to schedule timely appointments. An issue with the VA that is evident is that their wait times to see a doctor are outrageous. These veterans suffering from addiction, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts do not have the time to waste and not receive attention. They need the guidance and assistance; and they need it fast. As much as we would hope the waiting times were relatively short, the average waiting period to see a doctor and get the attention these individuals need takes about 127 days (Katel 699-717). Obviously, this number is ridiculously large and should not be occurring. Basically, Katel is saying these lengths of time between asking for help and receiving it are beyond lengthy. We as citizens who have health care at a local doctor’s office would never receive these types of wait times. Our veterans should not need to wait this long either.  

A recent finding revealed that in states like North Carolina and Virginia, the schedules and times documented for veteran’s appointments were being handled improperly, leading to extreme wait times for individuals. The article written by Donovan Slack states that “the miscalculations, outlined in an inspector general report issued Thursday, masked actual demand for care and precluded veterans from getting private sector treatment, which they are supposed to be able to get if they have to wait longer than a month for a VA appointment” (Slack). Basically, Slack claims that these veterans were supposed to receive treatment and instead were overlooked. The article goes on to highlight that “VA staffers entered the wrong dates in the scheduling system in some cases and didn’t follow up on appointment requests in a timely way in others” (Slack). This demonstrates the severity of these wait time issues. As we look at these wait times, we should also note that the VA may be lacking good employees. Without engaged employees, nothing in the organization will be done as effectively as it could be. I agree that the wait times are entirely too long, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people are unaware that this is an issue. These wait times lead to these individuals going elsewhere for service, or just not receiving the care they need, and potentially becoming more ill. 

Another point that needs emphasis is the demand for the VA to become more proactive when it comes to suicides. It is unfortunate to hear that after sacrificing and fighting for our country, so many of our warriors come home to find themselves lost and hopeless. Suicide is a scary reality for our country and has seen a lot of publicity in the past decade. From students to heroes, suicide can capture anyone. According to a Pentagon task force, “using more recent statistics, reported that from 2005 through 2009 more than 1,100 service members committed suicide — an average of one every 36 hours” (Katel 782-779). In making this comment, Peter Katel urges us to realize just how prominent suicide is in our military population. These suicidal thoughts can be influenced by guilt or anger towards activities that occurred when they were in service. This staggering statistic becomes a reality for family members and friends of these veterans. They are the ones who also see and experience the pain their loved ones suffer. They must help their veteran through flashbacks as well as finding a stable job once they return home. The expenses that come with mental disabilities or disorders can become heavy sometimes in extreme cases. Counseling is also another aspect of reality that family members may have to engage in. The Veterans Affairs should be a resource for individuals who are retired from the force to come to and seek assistance in mental health. These individuals in need should not feel lost and certainly not feel that suicide is the only option. 

The Veterans Affairs claims they recognize the issues of suicide among veterans and are addressing it. According to Rebecca Hersher, the secretary of veterans affairs David Shulkin, stated “There is no doubt that suicide is my number one clinical priority. I work on this, I think about this every day. ... I can tell you that nobody is doing more for behavioral health care in this country than the VA” (Hersher). He then goes on to acknowledge that “the problem is that (they are) responsible for the 22 million veterans in this country. And of the 20 vets who take their life every day through suicide, just six are getting care in the VA health care system” (Hersher). In this claim, Shulkin believes that they are leading the country in mental health treatment, but suggests that not these veterans are getting attention. I do not agree with this viewpoint because, in my eyes it is conflicting. If they as an organization were doing everything possible to get all the veterans they could into the VA and to see a doctor, instead of having a ridiculous wait time, along with inadequate equipment, maybe there would be less suicides. I am sure that more veterans would seek care form the VA if they trusted that they would receive the guidance they needed in a timely manner. Many veterans most likely feel that the VA has failed them and do not want to go and get treatment with the VA. Veterans know the background and incidents that occurred within this organization and that they have not benefitted veterans who turn to them for help. I think Shulkin is mistaken because he overlooks the simple fact that people do not particularly trust the VA. 

On the contrary, there are leaders in our country who want to see Veterans become better represented. According to Stephen Crews, there is one individual particularly who believes they have found a way to aid our veterans in their fight against the VA. A woman named Martha Roby is proposing the Protection and Advocacy for Veterans Act, which would “monitor the quality of state-operated hospitals, clinics, psychiatric wards, prisons, and other facilities. Their agents have the authority to inspect medical records and take legal action on behalf of patients when necessary. Roby’s bill would authorize funding for a pilot program testing the feasibility of utilizing Protection and Advocacy agencies to provide this service at the VA.” (Crew). The essence of Crew’s argument is that there are legislations being put in place and attempting to help our veterans have a voice against the VA. Although I agree that legislation would help the veterans have more of a voice, I feel that these legislations do not provide the full necessities these individuals need, and the problem needs to be resolved with the VA first. The VA needs to be addressed directly and punished for their behaviors if we want to see a continuous gradual advancement in treatment. 

In sum then, we must act by investigating the Veterans Affairs organization, and take measures to ensure they change their current operations. I believe that this organization has the potential to do great things for our soldiers, but needs to put forth a more consistent effort by doing things like hiring individuals who will respect our forces. I believe a lack of concern has been present for a while in our country with regards to military benefits, and that we need to be the generation to make a difference. We currently have lawmaker and policies that do not benefit our veterans to the full potential. For the upcoming generations of veterans to come, we must address this issue. 

 