military personnel during periods of peace or war
US veterans are individuals who served as military personnel during periods of peace or war. They are valuable because people consider them to be the backbone of the United States. The USA wouldn’t have been in existence without the veterans. Without them, no pursuit of happiness, no life, and no liberty. Also, without the US veterans, there would be no guarantee that people would refer the US as the ‘Land of Opportunity.’ The US veterans have safeguarded the rights of the people of America and helped them in achieving the dreams of their forefathers. Although war is horrid, it is inevitable within the human race. Future veterans will protect the values and land of America. Since ancient times, US veterans have paused their lives and taken risks to defend their country (Mobbs, Meaghan, and George 140). Most people get afraid when a war erupts. Even the veterans get worried. However, they rose and fought for the nation. Most of them overcame hunger, desperation, loss, and pain, but they still held onto their purpose in a commitment to deliver their ultimate sacrifice. Even though some of the US veterans are now are frail and old, battling with PTSD, or putting in efforts to fit into the society, their services are acknowledgeable, and Americans show their gratitude to them.
Most of the significant problems that US veterans face are health-related. A notable number of US veterans who operated in Afghanistan and Iran suffered from traumatic brain injuries, with a portion of them getting a concussion, a mild type of TBI (Nolan, Jon, Sarah, and Femina 208). Other health issues are anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, posttraumatic stress disorder, and problematic alcohol consumption. Moreover, some men and women in their military operations encounter sexual trauma, comprising of assaults ad harassment. This causes both physical and mental health issues. The most significant causes of these problems are experiences to traumatic events at war and separation from loved ones, friends, and families. Ordinary people feel the impacts of these problems in their daily lives. As people see the veterans facing severe mental and physical issues, they feel unprotected from their enemies. These problems also discourage young people from wanting to become soldiers in the future.
There is a lot that the government can do to help US veterans. The Veterans Health Administration is an organization in the US that offers healthcare to veterans. The services provided by this organization are better than those given by non-VHA public agencies (Murphy 658). However, the quality and accessibility of these services are different. Various studies have proved that most veterans are not given any treatment on depression, substance use disorder, or posttraumatic disorder. Some of these veterans do not know how they should apply for care benefits for mental health issues. Besides, they are not sure whether they are eligible.
The main benefit of helping the veterans is that they are the source of security and protection for the country and its resources. The reason why the US veterans should be taken care of is that they are the history of the country, the real-life models, and heroes. Until World War II, the US was not a prominent figure in the world (Murphy 658). When the war ended, the military was considered as the frontline figure in the fight against foreign threats. Military forces in America also became the leaders of the western region in the fight against communism. Veterans have also shaped the policy of the country on international issues and made American advocates for justice and democracy on the globe. US veterans also offer aid and other services to the needy. Currently, the military is generally engaged in providing humanitarian services. For example, the military aircraft has been airdropping food to Ethiopia, rescuing victims of floods in Bangladesh, distributing foodstuffs in Sudan, ad delivering medical teams to various minor and major disastrous. The selfless and caring spirit of US veterans remains in the hearts of the people forever.
Some of the obstacles that US veterans face when seeking for VHA services are due to their location of work, or lack of transportation. Another obstacle is the concern of taking some time off, which may be dangerous for their careers. The last barrier is the fear that discrimination could make them lose contact or custody of their children or loss of disability and other health benefits.
The public can help US veterans in getting healthcare services in various ways. For instance, regularly educating health care providers and periodically evaluating their methods of treatment would help in ensuring that patient veterans get evidence-based and high-quality services. Another strategy is calling for the adoption of interoperable electronic health records for all practitioners in the health care system. Extensive coordination and communication among numerous private and public initiatives that serve veterans are appropriate for ensuring better care.
Future US veterans are our best friends and our children. Those who decide to enroll in the military have a huge responsibility. They will be responsible for the protection of the values of Americans. Upcoming veterans are prepared to uphold the honor and tradition of being an American Soldier. Their readiness to defend the will of the founding fathers and enhance peace and prosperity in the country is evident.
Works Cited
Mobbs, Meaghan C., and George A. Bonanno. “Beyond war and PTSD: The crucial role of transition stress in the lives of military veterans.” Clinical psychology review 59 (2018): 137-144.
Murphy, Dominic, et al. “Describing the profile of a population of UK veterans seeking support for mental health difficulties.” Journal of Mental Health 28.6 (2019): 654-661.
Nolan, Jon, Sarah Lindeman, and Femina P. Varghese. “Mobile app interventions for military and veteran families: Before, during, and after deployment.” Psychological services 16.2 (2019): 208.