Veteran’s Day is a single day we set aside annually to acknowledge and honor our military servicemen and women. We can do so much more to show our appreciation of their service and the sacrifices that their families and loved ones make for us. One way to do that is to welcome them home, keep them at home, and assist in their integration back into society. The toll of preserving our freedom is staggering to the well-being of these heroes and it needs to be seriously addressed.
Here are some of the sobering facts:
Approximately 300,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — nearly 20 percent of the returning forces — are likely to suffer from either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, and these numbers continue to climb.
An additional 320,000 of the returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan may have experienced traumatic brain injuries during deployment.
The demand for assistance to these veterans is greater than the current supply of individuals professionally trained to provide effective treatment.
While there is no cure for PTSD, early identification and treatment of symptoms may reduce the severity of the condition and improve the quality of life for veterans suffering from this condition and their families. Awareness is the first step in addressing any problem. It is our obligation to inform ourselves on this issue and commit to the compassionate care of our servicemen and women.
Keith Binkley
Mukilteo
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