Veterans Day: Making a Smooth Transition for Veterans
by Don Cooke, Senior VP of Philanthropy “A man who is good enough to shed blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterward.” – President Theodore Roosevelt As we commemorate Veterans Day, it’s important that we not forget our nation's younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are experiencing new and complex challenges as they transition to civilian life. While advanced technology on the battlefield has saved many lives, it also has created a depth and breadth of physical and mental injuries never before experienced by our armed services or our nation. More than 300,000 Americans have returned from conflict with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a recent RAND report. The suicide rate among returning veterans is rising considerably. A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes, according to a Center for a New American Security Suicide report. Veterans who left military service in the past decade have an unemployment rat