...Anjenette Whitted English 1120 MV 11:00am Professor Soto-Schwantz 5 October 2015 Help for Homeless Veterans It should be obvious by now that our homeless veterans are not being served well at all. If the homeless veterans were properly cared for by our country, the total homeless population would fall by more than 40 percent over night. Homeless services would then have sufficient funding to move many of the rest of the homeless off the streets into transitional housing with services that bring them back into the working population. It would be a dream come true. If only our country would step up to the plate, homelessness in our country would be virtually eliminated. If only…. Lets Summarize the Homeless Veteran Situation. 750,000 total homeless count in U.S 400,000 veterans are homeless at some time in a year 200,000 veterans homeless in any one night 27% of our male U.S. population are veterans but 43% of all homeless males are veterans – why? 7688 beds funded by the VA for homeless veterans 192,312 sleeping elsewhere – shelters, grates, creek beds, back alleys. We have Heroes sleeping on sidewalks in every big city. The VA says homelessness is not related to military service, but Veterans are twice as likely to be homeless than civilians. We may think that homeless veterans served poorly in military, but: 95% of homeless vets have honorable discharges. The VA claims it has the largest network of homeless assistance programs in the country, but: Total VA funding...
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...Home Front Wars Veterans are facing Home-front Wars Veterans are facing “Land of the free, because of the brave.” July 4th, 1776 America was founded and presented with the red, white, and blue colors of the flag. Red symbolizing hardiness and valour, white meaning purity and innocence, while blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Since the beginning of time there have been wars fought to protect the United States of America. Although the wars advance in time when veterans return home to get treated for physical and mental wounds these heroes often do not seek medical attention. The veteran affairs hospitals and administrations have not been updated for several years in Louisville, Kentucky. The plans to build a new Veterans’ hospital by 2023 is in the stages of congress as of today and will cost approximately $883.2 million dollars according to Rep. John Yarmouth (Vanderhoff, M Nov 2014). Instead of building a new hospital which cost that much money wouldn’t the veteran affairs and staff get modern technology, a better record keeping system, pay veterans’ waiting on disability, and improve the structure of the Veteran hospital in Louisville. Are veterans getting the help and support they are needing after returning from combat as the wars draw down? There has been several speculations and concerns with our veterans returning home facing home-front wars in regards to the Veteran Affairs and their hospitals. Veterans have been put on a so called “waitlist...
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...What is the American way of life? This question can be answered in a pleather of ways from many different backgrounds of people. In my opinion, the American way of life is best symbolized by two key dates in American history. July 4, 1776 is one of the greatest days in the history of our great nation. America on this day set herself apart from the tyranny and colonial control of Europe and started a nation of core human values that would forever change the world. The founding fathers would then go on to create the constitution on September 17, 1787 which gave all Americans the freedoms and values which we still live by today. These values like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality, liberty, are all things that we enjoy as Americans...
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...war/conflict. Vietnam War The Vietnam War was the longest most unpopular war in American History, The toll they paid wasn’t just monetary, it cost the people involved dearly, physically and mentally; causing suffering, sorrow and national turmoil because of bad press meant that Americans divided (History.com/Vietnam war). During the Vietnam War the U.S. forces were made up of draftees, whose average age was 19 years old. They were inexperienced and unwilling to fight; they would spend about a year in Vietnam and then return home. During the war over 200,000 were killed. Vietnam went from a major exporter of rice; to a country that couldn’t feed itself. Large areas of countryside were ruined. Many traps were left, and still are there in many cases (History.com/Vietnam War). Staggering influence on one country’s culture is no more evident than in America’s involvement upon entering the war the United States government were convinced and assured the public of its confidence in very quick and consequences free resolution to their problem on the other side of the world (Brickley, John 2009). What it failed to predict which later was to prove crucial was the blow back that the war would have on the nation itself. The extent to which a super power can be influenced by a smaller struggling and weapon lacking society has never been more evident and recorded in the America-Vietnamese case. The American culture has been shaken to...
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...Many heroes have sacrificed their lives for us, however, many of these people are now homeless. In America, we have many veterans without a house or shelter, and that number is increasing everyday. Why are there so many Veterans on the street, when they have sacrificed so much for our country and livelihoods? We need to support homeless Veterans in our community, so that they can live in a home, not on the street. People have argued that veterans are homeless only because of the choices that they have made, and that is just not true. Not all veterans are homeless because of the choices that they made, and many of these veterans suffer from PTSD. Some people may argue that we should spend money on paying off America’s national debt, but in reality the national debt is too large for any of us to put a...
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...Are Veterans really our heroes? Why should white Americans, given a gun and a permit to murder, be worshiped as a hero? People say that they are doing a right cause by murdering people that deserve it like terrorists. Why do they get to murder them? They should get a fair trial like all people. It is not fair for Americans to have a right to kill without being punished just because they enlisted and are killing people on other soil. I cannot just say all soldiers kill, murder, and rape people in the field but they do protect our borders and keep us safe. As of this year, 570,000 new immigrants have come to America in search of a new life because of its safety. Without Veterans, I would not be here period....
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...To: Mayor Eric Garcetti Date: November 19, 2015 Subject: Veteran Suicide Prevention in California (Nationwide) ______________________________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: “All I ever considered when I thought about suicide was the guilt I was feeling and just wanting a way out, wanting to not have those memories anymore,” said Clinton Hall, 35, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman and now lives in Portland, Ore. His friend and fellow soldier killed himself shortly after returning home. An epidemic is raging among us and some of us have no idea the problem sits next to the very flag of freedom we encounter throughout our day. Suicide is one of the many causes of death for American military forces. A research project in 2012 reported in Times Magazine regarding active duty members of the military, shows a surprising 349 veterans took their own lives; more than the death from combat operations that year. The Veteran Affairs Department estimates that 22 vets die by their own hand every day. For a veteran, the sound of a firework can spark a flashback of war; while shopping at the aisles of the super market, a veteran may suddenly feel the need to seek cover as it reminds him of being ambushed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The reality is that our patriots are leaving one battle and returning home to another. Some veterans feel ostracized, others are homelessness, have become drug addict,, and are unemployed. These problems relate to...
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...Veterans are the backbone of this country. Without them, there would be no United States of America. No Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness. And no way to ensure that our country will continue to be the “Land of Opportunity” it has been known to be. Veterans have protected our rights as Americans and made the dreams of our Forefathers possible. War, although horrid, is inevitable within humanity and our future veterans will be there to protect our blessed American land and values. Throughout history our veterans have put their lives on hold and at risk to protect our country. When a war starts, many are afraid. Our veterans were afraid as well, but they answered the call of duty and rose up to fight for our nation. Many had to endure hunger, loss, pain, and desperation but still they fought with a purpose, willing to give the ultimate sacrifice. Though some are now old and frail, suffering from PTSD, or just trying to fit back into society we acknowledge their service and display our gratitude as much as possible. Why should we? Because they are our history, our real life heroes and our models for...
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...Operation Continuity: A Resolution for the Veteran Affairs Backlog A Resolution For The VA Backlog Alicia Seabrooks Kaplan University July 16th 2013 How can the problems with the Veteran Affairs compensation claim backlog be resolved and our Veterans be better taken care of? Continuity! Providing some type of transitional continuity of records, especially healthcare records could be the stepping-stone to an overall improvement and solution. This could possibly make it easier for the Department of Defense to have cross platform communication and share data with the VA about those Veterans transitioning out of service. The current backlog is somewhere upward of 600,000 unfulfilled claims, most of which have been waiting in excess of 365 days and counting. By implementing a standard continuity of care for service members transitioning from active or reserve duty status to Veteran status, we can possible save and better protect one of the Nation’s most valuable assets, our former heroes, the American Veteran. The stories of veterans seeking assistance that has been rightfully promised to them are sometimes uplifting and others just heart wrenching and sorrow filled. After doing the legwork and conducting a few interviews, doing some independent research and reading up on proposed solutions I have come across a magnitude of stories filled with so much emotion. These emotions range from despair and hopelessness to joy, appreciation and gratitude to not be forgotten about...
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...The Department of Veterans Affairs Information Management System: Serving those that Served Punefuolemotu E.L. Aiumu Everest University MBA Degree Program Information Management System Abstract I selected this title because I served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2010. I was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and several other operations. However, when I left the Service it became clear to me years later that Veterans Affairs weren’t ready to treat our Men and Women coming back from War. So I did some extensive research on how the system may have failed the people it was supposed to serve. And a good example of the system’s failure was the second Fort Hood incident in 2014. Keywords: Veterans Affairs, Fort Hood, Service The Department of Veterans Affairs Information Management System: Serving those that Served The reason why I chose this subject is because it is close to home and it also affects me. After two weeks of this class I wanted to dive deep into information management. I want to know why our system at the Department of Veterans Affairs do not stand ready to serve the Veteran population of our Nation properly. So many Veterans complain about loss or insufficient pensions because the VA hasn’t track them sufficiently. Sitting at Veterans Hospital in Orlando, FL I hear two Vietnam era Veterans talk about not having VA ID Cards. And they have been waiting for it since 2009. I asked them why it took this long, and they said, “The...
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...Wakefield 1 deAnne Wakefield Dr. Tina Redd Writing 122 October 25, 2013 Gun Control for Veterans Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In the wake of all the recent school and military base shootings, our government and other entities are trying to pinpoint the “why” for these tragedies. Circumstances vary in each incident, but there is a common factor - the use of guns, and in a few of these incidents, the shooter has been a member or veteran of our United States military, who may or may not have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although PTSD is not a new condition and affects all walks of life and occupations, including child abuse victims to emergency responders, focus for gun control is on those that have recently been diagnosed with PTSD after serving our country in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. PTSD is a condition naturally resulting from trauma exposure and not exclusive to American military service members. An estimated 8% of Americans will experience PTSD. Women are twice as likely as men to develop symptoms and seven million U.S adults (3.6%) have PTSD during the course of a given year. Intense feelings of fear, helplessness and stress patients endure can be caused by physical, emotional, sexual abuse, or drug addiction. Exposure to occupational horror, violence, grief or trauma, including law enforcement, medical professionals, emergency workers and soldiers, can all cause PTSD. It is a natural, human response to tragedy...
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...“22 veterans take their lives every day, leaving thousands of loved ones whose lives will never be the same” (Pelosi, 2015). Veterans deserve the best medical treatment that this country has to offer. Too many veterans are kicked to the curb after they have honorably served their country. Why should they be forced to suffer? The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has recently come under fire for covering up treatment delays and inadequate staffing. This behavior is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Veterans are the foundation of this great nation. Assisting these former soldiers with their medical needs is a vital cog in keeping America healthy. Suicide prevention is imperative in supporting veterans who are plagued by mental...
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...The American Experience Since 1945 The Korean War Brandy Shaw HIS/135 2/7/2016 Mary Barcroft On June 30, 1950, American troops went to South Korea to help fight the communist of North Korea. General Douglas MacArthur, selected for commander of the American UN operations, wanted to create a unified and independent Korea. North Korea had already invaded much of South Korea and the capital of Seoul. At first, the American troops were able to push North Korea back beyond the 38th parallel and victory seemed evident. Victory was far from evident because in December of 1950, China forces intervened, and regained most of South Korea. The immediate and long-term effects that this war has had, and continues to have are plenty. The fact that a resolution was never agreed upon and that negotiations went on for two years can be nerve racking. This was definitely what they call “The Forgotten War”. There are both good and bad immediate effects that the war held. One of the good effects that it had immediately was the significant rise in the economy in America. One of the reasons why the economy was so good is that consumption was large for fear of what would happen in the future. WWII had just ended and the Korean War was not near as devastating as WWII had been on the economy. Price and wage controls were put in place at that time, which was helpful to the American consumers during the war. A negative effect that this war caused was the death of over 34000 American lives...
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...Re-entry back into civilian life Prepared by John Smith Submitted to Jenny Smith, Ph.D. March 11, 2014 Memo Date: | March 12, 2014 | To: | Jenny Smith | From: | John Smith | Re: | A study of veterans re-entry back into civilian life | | | I’m transmitting this report for your review, which was prepared to determine the importance of re-entry back into civilian life, and how this information can have a big impact on our veterans’ livelihood. This study focuses on VA support, VA counseling, and VA rehabilitation. I have looked in all three scenarios to better understand its importance in our veterans, our society, and our well-being as a whole. This report provides necessary actions to take so our veterans can have a positive future, and progress as they return from line of duty. These actions will significantly improve our society likelihood to make better decisions about our veteran’s future. Taking accountability and acknowledging our own role in an encounter with a veteran will immediately get a handgrip and correct our situations for the future. If you have a question or comment, please feel free to contact me at (248) 248-1248. CONTENTS EXECTUTIVE SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………………………. 1 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 RE-ENTRY BACK INTO CIVILIAN LIFE ………………………………………………………………….. 2 Description of the findings ……………………………………………………………………. 2 Summary of findings …………………………………………………………………………….. 3 BODY...
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...Military Veterans From research studies, military veterans aren’t well compensated for their service in the military. Not only are they not well compensated, there were many combat soldiers coming home with anger issues, PTSD, depression, and other psychological problems. According to research, half of the homeless individuals are military veterans not just an opinion but it’s a proven fact. Veterans are often not honored, as they should be. Why aren’t they? Another question is why aren’t our veterans not well taken care of? No health insurance for veterans First, scientific studies show that working age veterans don’t have health insurance. According to Genevieve Kenney, a senior fellow with the Urban Institute and co-author of the report...
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