Americans must fulfill obligations to our veterans
Today is Veterans Day, the designated day to honor those members of the armed forces who served our country.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 19 million U.S. veterans, including about 240,000 who served in World War II, 5.9 million who served during the Vietnam War, 7.8 million who served in the Gulf Wars and 800,000 who served in the 20year Afghanistan War. Another 3 million veterans served their country during peacetime.
Nearly 2 million U.S. veterans live in California. Honoring them at parades and events is the least we can do for them, many of whom bear the physical and mental scars of their service. We should use the day to push local, state and federal officials to fulfill what should be regarded as our sacred obligation to provide health care to veterans for diseases or disabilities acquired during their military service.
In his Veterans Day message, President Joe Biden touted the improved benefits and services being offered to today’s vets, saying that “fulfilling our nation’s promise to our veterans and military families, caregivers and survivors is not only a moral imperative — it is crucial to our national security and to maintaining the finest military the world has ever known.”
But we have too often failed to meet that moral imperative.
The problem starts at the top.
Until February, the Veterans Health Administration had gone nearly five years without a leader who had been confirmed by the Senate. Nor did the VA develop a comprehensive plan to improve performance during that time period, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The GAO put the VA health care program on its “high-risk list” in 2015. Sharon Silas, director of the GAO’s health care team, said on Oct. 27 that the
VA has largely failed to improve its standing ever since.
She specifically pointed out that the VA does not have have the personnel and resources to reduce the risk of poor outcomes for patients.
That’s a damning evaluation that must be addressed.
The most troubling issue facing the VA is veterans’ alarming suicide rate.
The VA’s 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report notes that for the first time in 20 years, there was a decrease in the veteran suicide count, with 399 fewer veteran suicides in 2019 than in 2018, a decrease of 3.69% That’s good news. But the overall suicide rate for veterans remains at about 1.5 times the rate of non-veteran adults.
A recently released Yale study indicates that veterans who have personal relationships and strong social support significantly lessens the chances that they will take their own lives. The study’s authors suggest that expansion of the VA’s Compassionate Contact Corps could help connect veterans to support programs that could bolster their well being.
The GAO report concluded that the VA is taking steps to address its oversight and accountability concerns but that more needs to be done to “ensure quality of care and patient safety.”
One of the best ways we can honor veterans on Veterans Day is by thanking them for their service. But we should not rest until we ensure that we are doing everything possible to fulfill our obligation to care for veterans who suffered injuries while serving our country.
NEED HELP?
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.