Veterans Health: Beyond Costs, Emotional Toll On Soldiers And Their Families Is Huge

More than nine years of war in Afghanistan and seven in Iraq have so far cost America nearly 5,800 lives lost in combat, close to 40,000 wounded and more than $1 trillion.

Even if America starts withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 -- the stated goal of U.S. President Barack Obama, who inherited the conflicts from his predecessor George W. Bush -- the impact of the wars will last generations.

Beyond the additional nearly $1 trillion two prominent economists estimate it will cost just to treat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq for the next 40 years, the potential human cost is huge.

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Comments

[AZreb]

08:56 PM on 11/09/2010

Many young men and women and some not so young are enlisting because they can't find jobs in this economy. This is a he** of a choice -

[mixpiklix]

08:51 PM on 11/09/2010

War is hell always has been and always will be , but the hell the returning wounded the rest of their lives are hell. wether the wounds they received are physical or mental they deserve the best care on the planet .no buts ifs or ands. we can't let the repubs/tper's throw them away like tin cans

[armywifee]

07:26 PM on 11/09/2010

We are lucky. Hub has always come home safe & sound.
Set to re-deploy to The Crazy Place, where up is down and down is up.
I keep our whole life going while he's gone. The kids, the house, the vehicles, the cat litter, homework, teacher meetings, laundry/shopping/cooking, the lawn. Our life. 24-7.
All with my fingers crossed, waiting to get buzzed on skype, unsettled when he misses a day. Not liking the sound of the doorbell.

[studmoose]

05:32 PM on 11/09/2010

You guys are on your own.

Sure the GOP talks a good game about our armed service members, but they aren't there when they need them. They are like the cheap employer who will offer the employee a pile of free praise to make then 'feel better' but not back that up with anything of substance, such as increased pay or perks.

Praise is the cheapest thing a manager or company can provide to keep the minions in line.

It's rather a joke in the office, how people can be so swayed by something that is SO meaningless.

THE NEXT TIME THE GOP SAYS THEY HAVE YOUR BACK - MAKE THEM PROVE IT!

[LastTexasRose]

05:15 PM on 12/10/2010

The GOP talks the talk, but when it comes down to actually supporting our Military and taking care of our Vets, their actions are the opposite of all that they say

[vonPinto]

05:19 PM on 11/09/2010

A nation that cannot (or refuses) to take care of the men and women it sent into harms way in other to defend the freedoms, security and the comfortable living conditions of all its citizen SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF.

My heart bleeds when I realize what an ungrateful lot this nation is when it fails on its promise to our veterans.

[Littlewords]

04:13 PM on 11/09/2010

There is no clean w@r, no sterile w@r, no nice w@r there is only w@r. W@r comes with all of the h0rrors, ended lives, wounded lives, broken lives, physical harm, psychological harm, emotional harm, lost family, lost friends, and spent treasure all riding the wake of w@r.

The concept of w@r seems in the grasp of the lay person, however, its profound and layered impact reaching with every stretching tentacles well beyond normal perceived geographic and time boundaries to touch and cause implications that we continue to fail to comprehend when we make the choice to venture onto the w@r beast for a ride.

Sometimes w@r is necessary, however, we need to regard it for the greater power, complexity, and impact it has on so many lives and in ways we continually fail to recognize until the dance with w@r is already underway or is over when we finally set about to dealing with the many scattered fragments and pieces knocked about and begin to fully analyze the complex and layered results of our endeavor. Sadly this step seems always to uncover a myriad of 'unanticipated' consequences which continue to unfold and reveal themselves years after the battlefield skirmishes are concluded.

W@r is he11 so be careful when treading on that real estate and note to all, trespassers beware.

[wyldthings]

03:59 PM on 11/09/2010

If he has brain damage and PTSD then he receives about $4,500 a month tax free. He also is entitled to 100% free medical care for the rest of his life. Yes war is brutal and many Combat Veterans suffer, but I personally know that the U.S. Veterans Administration takes great care of me under the same circumstances.

[Lori Goodwin]

09:20 PM on 12/01/2010

YOU. Not everyone. I'm glad you're not getting shafted like the majority of us.

[Welib]

03:49 PM on 11/09/2010

Well the Republicans haven't stolen that yet, but they'll get around to it, so our troops will have no health care when they come home.  Republicans aren't going to give the vets anything.  They'll rape them just like they've raped us.

[SwimUpstream]

07:13 PM on 11/09/2010

your wet dreams are of little interest. why don't you come back when the Republicans actually steal it

[arlandbaee]

10:43 PM on 11/09/2010

Won't that be too late chimp.

[Welib]

10:12 AM on 11/10/2010

Your low intellect and right wing obscene ignorance doesn't think 6 trillion dollars was enough?  The lives of all of those American troops was stolen and wasted and that wasn't enough for you either? 
 
You are talking to a 57 year old woman that is never surprised by right wingers who call themselves Christians but never stop shooting off their filthymouths.

[mombabytiger]

09:26 AM on 11/10/2010

What, specifically, have the Republicans done to end health care for veterans?

[Welib]

10:28 AM on 11/10/2010

It's all over the internet so please go and look it up.  They want to privatize veteran health care so they can give their insurance and drug company buddies more billions in profit.  Not only will this be a huge cost to us, it will cost the vets their lives.  The very people that put their lives on the line mean nothing to Republicans.  Look at the shape Walter Reed was in under Republicans.  Vets missing limbs and sitting in their own feces and urine soaked beds with taps running over covering the floors of their wards.  Sickening and unacceptable!!!  Our troops are just used by the GOP to pay for wars and make millions.