Source:
APWASHINGTON — National Guard and Reserve troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan make up more than half of veterans who committed suicide after returning home from those wars, according to new government data obtained by The Associated Press.
...
The research, conducted by the agency's Office of Environmental Epidemiology, provides the first demographic look at suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who left the military — a situation that veterans and mental health advocates worry might worsen as the wars drag on.
...
Many Guard members and Reservists have done multiple tours that kept them away from home for 18 months. When they returned home, some who live far away from a military installation or VA facility have encountered difficulty getting access to mental health counseling or treatment, activists have said.
...
Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the study's findings reinforce the argument that Guard and Reserve troops need more help as they transition back into the civilian world. The military's effort to re-screen Guard and Reservists for mental and physical problems three months after they return home is a positive step, Rieckhoff said, but a more long-term comprehensive approach is needed to help these troops — particularly in their first six months home.
...
"National Guardsman and Reservists are literally in Baghdad in one week and in Brooklyn the next, and that transition is incredibly tough," Rieckhoff said.
APRead more:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5533700.html
The immeasurable damage to the Guard, Reserve, States, and communities across the country has yet to be revealed. First, this admin usurped Governors authority to activate Guard and Reserve, and second, the admin played fast and lose with federal guidelines after activating the reserves.
One reason Guard and Reserves are returned to their communities without help, this admin never allowed the guardsperson or reservist service time abroad to reach the federal service threshold. Meaning, although the individual was physically on the ground abroad for more than a year, their service time never reached the 179-day trigger for federal time. This denies returning personnel the ability to effectively make a VA claim or receive medical care.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
