Austin Resing

Mrs. Jankowski 2nd

11/22/15

War Veterans Financial and Mental Struggle

1517 words

With the numbers of struggling veterans increasing every year, unfortunately help is not
seen by all who seek it. Burdened by war scars and threatened by financial crisis, while just
trying to melt back into the brewing pot of society, is what veterans have to face when coming
home. Treatments and help are available for veterans with these issues, but are not always at
reach due to health facilities being too far away, health professionals not understanding the true
hardship of a veteran, or the health care just not being the preferred treatment in general.
What usually comes first with every veterans list of struggle, is the financial district.
Many veterans who come home from service often get hit with financial struggles
right off the bat. They try finding jobs, but are shunned away by the bad reputations that veterans
have with P.T.S.D and other employment crippling disorders. Veterans are desperate to find jobs
that can understand their problems and still keep them employed. Adam Legg, a 30 year old
Navy Veteran, ran into financial trouble following two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan (Bill
p5). I was a watch commander where I had 25 to 30 men working beneath me, in charge of
millions of dollars worth of munitions, weapons, vehicles, and computers, but when I come
home, not only can I not find a job, I cant take care of my family either ( Bill p9). Veterans
struggles are not just of mental issues, but of financial problems more than ever.
Credits cards are the first thing veterans cling to life in the ocean of great debt.

But this life support may have a few holes it, slowly sinking veterans further into the dark waters
of financial struggle. Veterans are almost twice as likely to carry some credit card debt from
month to month, (58%) more debt than civilians, (34%) ( Quentin p2). This habit of credit card
use is just to show how little of veterans plan to save before service. Research shows that a
majority (55%) believe they are unprepared financially, so they depend on the cards (Quentin
p3). These facts are one of many reasons of why veterans suffer so much financial hardship after
their services, but saving can be the key to more than half the issue.
With the percentages of veterans not preparing financially before heading off for their
duties showing great numbers, it is getting clear on just what needs to be done. Veterans need to
have a plan before going off to service, or even while they are in service, otherwise its a life
sentence of hardship waiting for them to return. 20% of veteran clients of Veteran Plus, a vet
financial care agency, have stock piled a six month savings cushion while serving (Bill p10). If
veterans would follow a simple savings plan before or during service, financial struggle would
decrease. One organization, Veterans Plus, can help veterans be on the right track with having
fielded more than 170,000 calls from ex vets about financial concerns. (Bill p2). Veterans would
not have as hard of struggle if they just took the time to prepare before doing their heroic duties,
especially if there is help in reach.

Veterans mental health problems is is just as bad, or even worse than their financial
struggles. Since, 2001, there have been over 2,000,000 deployments to combat theaters in Iraq &
Afghanistan with 793,000 multiple deployments ( Friedman p2). With so many deployments,
there are bound to be hundreds of thousands with battle scars and stress beyond belief. According

to (Cnn.com), a study was made by the University of California, San Francisco and the San
Francisco VA Medical Center that shows that nearly two thirds of veterans returning from Iraq &
Afghanistan between 2001 and 2005 were diagnosed with mental illness (p1). One of the most
common diagnosed illnesses is P.T.S.D, or Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder. P.T.S.D is a stress
disorder that comes from extreme traumatic events like combat or combat related injuries. With
research showing that 52% of veteran mental diagnosis being P.T.S.D, the other percentages are
just as severe (Stunning Numbers p5). Other diagnosis include Anxiety (24%), Adjustment
stress 24%, Depression 20% and Substance Abuse 20%, (Thousands of Vets p7).
Consequently, if there are disorders, there are risks that come along with them.
Risks can come before and/or after tours of combat. Most risks from after combat are of the
disorders that were recently explained. According to University of Californias study, the
youngest group studied- 18-24 years, appeared to be at greatest risk for P.T.S.D (p11). This age
group is at most risk due to being low ranked in there first years of service. The lower the rank,
the more combat experience the young soldiers will get. When there is war, and troops are sent
out to fight, there are always risks involved.

In addition to risks being a burden to veterans, transitioning back to everyday life can be
an even larger step. Even going through one year long tour in the military requires a total
lifestyle change for every soldier. When coming home, every veteran has to re-adjust from strict
military, back to casual civilian. ,According to Fottrell, these readjustments are also met with
difficulties that are largely attributed unemployment and health challenges (Fottrell p8).
Although there are options for veterans to get help, there are difficulties getting to it. For
instance, The Federal VA has taken steps to increase health and mental health services to

veterans. However, over 85 percent of veterans do not access VA health care. Either not preferred
treatment, or too far away from facilities (Friedman p5). Transitioning back to normal life, for
veterans, is a very hard wall to break through. Finding ways to cope with mental/physical
disabilities and/or financial issues, while finding a job in a bumpy economy, makes transitioning
seem almost not worth it. However, there is always help out there in some shape or form.
All veterans have the same variety of recurring problems after military service.
Struggling to provide for self and family financially. Coping with post war mental health stress
and/or disorders. Just trying to transition back into normal life is a struggle in itself. With all of
these common issues, it can make a veteran feel like there is no help in site, but there is hope.
From Veterans Plus, to The Federal VA, there are several different organisation out to help
veterans get back on their feet again.

To begin with, the largest and most common problem, besides P.T.S.D, is Financial
struggle. Many veteran never plan ahead for this, so they dig themselves a hole for when they get
out of service. According to (Fottrell p4), majority of veterans 55% believe they are ill-prepared
for a financial emergency.Although this belief may be strong, there are groups that can change
veterans minds. Veterans Plus, recently mentioned in the first body, is one of many non-profit
organizations that have helped thousands of veterans financial panics. With having fielded over
170,00 calls from real veterans in need, Veterans Plus can help guide struggling vets into the
right direction and talk to veterans in real time about their individual problems (Briggs p2).
In addition to Veterans Plus, there are several mental health organization as well. The
main organization is The Federal VA, a commonly mentioned group that acts like the, welfare

for veterans. The Federal VA provides local primary care physicians and mental health
professionals, community health centers and hospital-based clinics, mental health clinics, social
services agencies, emergency rooms and inpatient services in local general hospitals (Friedman
p5). This great care is here for veterans, but there are still some that wont take it, why? Veterans
have either the problem of just being too far away from facilities that provide the care. For
others, they do not prefer this kind of care due to the medical professionals not being trained to
understand veterans origins of mental health. What needs to be done to reach all veterans?
Training regarding identification and treatment of mental health and substance use problems and
about military culture should be provided for local physical and mental health and substance
abuse providers (Friedman p8). Local care needs to be provided in my common areas rather than
rural out of city areas like regular hospitals. Our veterans need help, so we need to find the right
ways to provide.
Given these points, veterans cant fight these post war struggles on their own. Grasping
for life financially, dreading each days battle with mental disorder, and seeking help but getting
nowhere with fear of feeling weak. Life of a common hero isnt always a happy ending when
returning home from service If veterans just get that extra push or encouragement, people could
really make a change and even save a life. That courageous push, just needs to be done soon,
before its too late.

Works Cited
Briggs,Bill. Financial strain pushes many veterans to the breaking point. nbcnews.
4 May 2013. Web. 4 Nov 2015.
Fottrell,Quentin. Why veterans have more money problems. Marketwatch.
28 Oct 2014. Web. 4 Nov 2015.

Friedman,Michael. Stunning numbers of veterans suffer psychological problems with no

support. huffingtonpost. 27 Jan 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2015.
Thousands of veterans return home with mental illness. cnn. 13 March 2007.
Web. 8 Nov 2105.

Introduction- Burdened by war scars and threatened by financial crisis, while just
trying to melt back into the brewing pot of society, is what veterans have to face when coming
home.

I. Veteran Financial State

A. Jobless after service service
1. No jobs for hire
2. unable to hold a job
3. non understanding
B. Credit Card Debt
1. Planned on living off cards
2. 58% likely to carry debt rather 34%
3. poor savings

C. Ill Prepared
1. savings
2. others have better plans
3. what needs to be done

II. Psychological Issues

A. Disorder
1. deployments as the cause
2. P.T.S.D
3. others
B. Risks
1. what they are
2. who is most at risk
3. why the risk?
C. Transition
1. Difference comparison
2. the hardship
3. Access difficulty

III. Treatments and Help

A.Sum up of problems
1. financial
2. mental
3. transitions
B. Financial relief
1. Struggle for access
2. lead up to the help
3. Veterans Plus
C. Psychological help
1. Federal VA
2. why veteran cant reach it
3. what needs to be done

Conclusion- (do not write it out)