The topic about veteran suicide is already been talked about in another thread. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=8783888 Does suck
In fairness, the VA's budget has been going up. It's not like the issues of homelessness, mental illness, traumatic brain injuries, etc. are being ignored. Though if you want to argue that more is still needed, I would agree with you. That said, when one joins the military they're accepting the possibility of seeing combat, and combat can break people. And we still don't know enough about the brain to be able to fix everyone, veterans and otherwise. Hopefully at some point in our lifetime we will.
This topic was being discussed on Reddit a few days ago and some users offered some interesting feedback... Former military were claiming that it was highly encouraged to tell officials that they are "fine" mentally in order to minimize the amount of flags raised and questions asked. Many users chimed in and confirmed this. It's also become a culture there to "man up" and not let every one know that you're having a mental breakdown, etc. Another dimension to this is taking into consideration the lives of the members before they joined the military. Some joined because they had no other choice. Upon returning they now have experience and some background, but what if they fall right back into the trap of feeling like they have no-where to go? Maybe this includes drug use, alcohol use, family issues (affairs, divorce, changes while you were gone).... I'm not generalizing, I'm just thinking of the what-ifs. These issues are apparent in all peoples of society.
This is a valid point. I have stated before that many people joined the military because they had no where else to turn. I think many are promised great opportunities in the military and realized they were not going to get any significant training. The military is much like the real world; You only get what you put into it.
I'm not trying to offend you here, but do you know any veterans personally? The VA is ****, it always has been. Their budget can go up all day, it doesn't mean people are actually getting proper care. Combat isn't the only reason people are getting "sick" either.
Grandfather served in Korea, uncle in Vietnam, a cousin and brother-in-law who were in the sandbox. The VA's a government organization, and by nature will have the same limitations and inefficiencies as other government entities. That doesn't mean they don't have initiatives and a lot of good people who are doing their best to help. And that doesn't change the reality that serving will leave some people irreparably damaged, and there's only so much that can be done to help.
Based entirely off my experiences at the VA I'd say for every one that truly cares there's about 4 that don't.
