Beyond The Battlefield: Lack Of Long-Term Care Veteran Tragedy...

[kas125]

Beyond The Battlefield: Lack Of Long-Term Care Can Lead To Tragic Ends For Wounded Veterans

"Beyond the Battlefield" is a 10-part series exploring the challenges that severely wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan face after they return home, as well as what those struggles mean for those close to them. Other stories in the series can be found here.
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The wounded warriors visible to most Americans are the survivors, those who overcome debilitating injuries through their own perseverance and the hard work of military medical teams, friends and family.

There are those who rise even further above adversity, competing in the Paralympics, giving motivational speeches, enjoying standing ovations and special guest appearances at ballgames and State of the Union addresses.

Others come home wounded, and don't make it much further. For them, the quality and type of medical care they require simply isn’t available on a long-term basis, and that’s a problem the military and the Veterans Administration have yet to fully wrestle to the ground.
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Please read the rest at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/beyond-the-battlefield-3-jimmy-kinsey_n_1000357.html

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1. Veterans Administration needs much, much larger funding

and that should be paid for by drastic cuts in wasteful defense contractor spending (Halliburton, Xe, Becthel, et. al.). The VA has an enormous task and the people that work for it are very good. They are providing some care to my 93-year-old mother, even though it's been more than 60 years since her military service ended! The VA needs to have its budget increased substantially and it is money very well spent.

[malthaussen]

2. It Has Ever Been Thus...

Rudyard Kipling, a much-despised name in some circles, had much to say on how a country spits out and neglects its veterans after it can no longer derive use from them. As with so many things, this is something we have in recent times made an effort to change -- but are now being told we can no longer afford to change.

-- Mal