Lifeline for veterans

AFTER the US withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, thousands of combat troops were expelled from the force with less than honorable discharges as the military came under pressure to downsize quickly.

This left a large number of veterans – including many kicked out for minor infractions – without access to health care and other benefits that are granted to service members who leave the armed forces with honorable discharges.

Many turned to drugs and painkillers, often to relieve physical pain and mental distress that resulted from combat. Some wound up homeless. Others killed themselves.

Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs took an important, belated step to protect tens of thousands of former service members who risked their lives in war zones. Starting this summer, the agency decided, it will provide emergency mental health care to some veterans who received less than honorable discharges.

“Our goal is simple: to save lives,” said David Shulkin, the secretary of veterans affairs. “Veterans in crisis should receive help immediately.”

There are roughly 500 000 veterans with less than honorable discharges, including more than 100 000 who left the service during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government does not know what percentage of these veterans have acute mental health problems, but it became apparent after the Iraq drawdown that many were struggling.

Last year, 20 veterans per day on average committed suicide, according to the VA. Tens of thousands of veterans sleep on the streets on any given night.

But there’s still a long way to go to help wounded men and women who went to war.