There is lots of talk about morals these days, just too few actions befitting a moral society.
Philadelphia Daily News
In early 2005, because of budget constraints, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities began to cut back on services to veterans, had to postpone construction and repairs on facilities, kill orders for desperately needed medical equipment and keep staff positions unfilled - just to stay afloat. These cuts affect our returning heroes, they wait longer to be seen or receive services, pay more for their prescriptions and now have to pay fees to enroll in the VA system.
Consider the case of one Iraq war vet, Robert Acosta, who lost part of his arm and had his leg shattered in an explosion when a terrorist tossed a grenade into his truck. The prosthetic he got proved faulty. When he visited the VA for a new one, he was told there would be a long wait. He ended up having to use duct tape to hold his prosthetic arm together because of the delays.
Injuries are not always physical, though. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that one in three troops returning from Iraq will seek counseling within a year, though most believe the number may actually be higher.
Already, those with serious mental-health needs are being turned away because of underfunding. The result will prove to be the same as it was with the Vietnam veterans - many will be unable to cope with the transition back to civilian life and become drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless, or worse - suicidal.
(Jon Soltz is [an Iraq War Veteran and] executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Political Action Committee.)
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