The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) set a goal of of eliminating the problem of veteran homelessness by 2015, and according to recent findings it looks like officials are well on their way to reaching this. The 2011 figures found that on any given night, approximately 67,000 vets were homeless, a substantial 12 percent decline from the year before, The Associated Press reports.
Eric Shinseki, the VA Secretary, recently honored the strides being made during an appearance at a Denver resources center for homeless veterans. The center, which opened earlier this year, is aimed at helping vets and their families get back on their feet. The effort in Colorado is one of many across the country aimed at supporting the VA's ambitious goal.
"As we drive toward our goal to end homelessness among veterans by 2015, VA continues to find innovative ways to permanently house veterans who were formerly homeless," said Shinseki in a recent announcement of $28 million in funding for homeless vets. "Under President Obama's leadership, we have made incredible strides in creating programs to aid these brave men and women who have served our nation so well."
Addressing veteran homelessness is one of the many issues the VA and other organizations are seeking to address as tens of thousands of troops are expected to separate from service over the next few years. One of the most pressing concerns rests in helping troops with mental health issues get the assistance they need in a timely fashion. However, a report earlier this year found that almost half of veterans seeking help waited 50 days to receive it, notes the AP.
The need for addressing mental health issues has been met with a growing number of treatment methods, reports The New York Times. One of the most ambitious is the military's Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program, which runs through a soldier's entire experience in the Armed Forces. Specifically, it includes resiliency training and encourages soldiers to seek mental health counseling.
Perhaps the greatest challenge of all is addressing the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other traumatic brain injuries. There are not set figures, but experts estimate that approximately 20 percent of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have some form of PTSD.
In addition to homelessness and PTSD, unemployment is a concern as well. Veterans looking for assistance with the job hunt can visit AFBA's Career Center, which helps pair employers and recruiters with qualified servicemembers.
Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced their concern over the looming threat of across-the-board military budget cuts, known as sequestration, and now a bipartisan team of six senators has formed in an effort to avoid the deep slashes, Military Times reports.
The group, which includes both chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Carl Levin and Sen. John McCain, sent a letter to the rest of the upper chamber and said the two sides need to reach a bipartisan agreement. Not doing so could result in $500 billion in cuts to the defense budget over the next 10 years.
"We face a critical challenge in the next few months: balancing the need to reduce the deficit with the need to safeguard important priorities, particularly protecting our national security, vital domestic programs, and our economic recovery," the letter said, according to the publication.
Despite the willingness of several members of the Senate to work together, it could be quite some time until any progress is made. Congress is taking a break as the presidential election heats up, and when they reconvene there will be only two months left to reach a deal.
States looking to provide improved services to their veterans may want to look at what California has done. Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into a law a package that includes bills offering new benefits to the state's veterans, according to The Associated Press.
A number of the new bills were aimed at providing vets with greater educational opportunities. For instance, one of the laws expands the number of troops who are eligible for in-state tuition while another makes it easier for them to obtain vocational licenses. The move has been applauded by many of the state's veteran advocates.
"This comprehensive package of legislation signed by Gov. Brown continues to demonstrate that California is fulfilling its obligation to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much," California National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. David Baldwin said in statement.
Though California is the latest state to pass bills aimed at helping soldiers, it is certainly not the only one. In July, Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed a bill that provided tax credits to businesses that hire veterans who served after September 11, according to ABC affiliate WSIL.
Veterans looking for assistance with the job hunt can visit AFBA's Career Center, which helps pair employers and recruiters with qualified servicemembers.
The transition from active duty to civilian life is one of the biggest stressors for military families, and now a research team from Michigan State University hopes to get a better idea of the specific obstacles they face. The school is leading two programs totaling $1.5 million that focus on the well-being of members of the Michigan National Guard.
The main focus of the initiative is a $1.3 million study led by MSU professor Adrian Blow. Specifically, he plans on looking at how well Michigan National Guardsmen and their spouses, children and parents cope with transitioning to civilian life. The second part of the two-part program will involve Blow leading training for mental health professionals specific to treating veterans and their families.
"If we can identify common themes among those who flourish during extremely stressful times, we believe the project can inform prevention and intervention programs in ways that promote wellness for servicemembers and their families," Lisa Gorman, who is helping Blow lead the study, told MSU News.
Michigan is a good state to get an idea of the impact leaving the service can have on a military family. Approximately 16,000 members of the state's National Guard served in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the school. The research begins at a crucial time when thousands of troops are slated to come home from Afghanistan over the next two years. Officials estimate that about 300,000 servicemembers will separate annually for the next four years.
The study also comes as the Department of Defense prepares to launch its revamped Transition Assistance Program (TAP) in November. Among the most significant changes to the program is a five-day workshop aimed at helping soldiers make a smoother transition from military to civilian life. It will also provide them with everything from employment workshops to information on briefings on veterans' affairs.
"The United States Army is committed to ensuring a life-long success of our soldiers, preparing our soldiers for transition by enhancing the training and service models," said Army Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Jason T. Evans.
Although the latest improvement to the TAP starts in November, it's not the last one the DoD plans on making in the near future. The next phase is expected to begin early next year and continue through October 2014. It will focus more on individual transition asssistance and financial planning.
One of President Barack Obama's first moves as president was to order a troop surge of about 33,000 soldiers to Afghanistan to clamp down on Taliban attacks. Now, more than two years after they arrived, the last of the surge troops is heading home, according to The Associated Press.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta marked the occasion on Friday and said the surge served its purpose. However, while the 33,000 soldiers have left, there are still about 60,000 American troops on the ground in Afghanistan, all of whom are slated to leave by the end of 2014.
"The surge did accomplish its objectives of reversing the Taliban momentum on the battlefield and dramatically increasing the size and capability of the Afghan national security forces," Panetta told the AP.
There are still considerable challenges facing American forces still in Afghanistan. Among the most serious obstacles are the rise of insider attacks, where Afghan troops kill American soldiers. So far this year, 51 servicemembers have been killed in such attacks.
With the withdrawal of its surge troops, the United States remains on pace to fully leave the country by 2014. Despite the insider attacks, White House officials tout the fact that 330,000 Afghans have joined the national forces.
In the years since leaving office, former President George W. Bush has kept a relatively low profile. Yet, the nation's 43rd president emerged on Monday to host a golf tournament to support America's wounded veterans. Bush hosted the two-day Warrior Open in Irving, Texas, a key component of his eponymous institute's Military Service Initiative, reports The Associated Press.
The tournament is in its second year and attracted 22 wounded warriors this time around. Back for another go is last year's winner Army Cpl. Chad Pfeifer, whose leg was amputated above the knee in 2007. As part of the rehab process he began playing golf more often, and the practice has certainly paid off.
"The competition for golf was good and to be able to hang out with President Bush – it was great," he told the AP. "He's always thought about the troops, and for him to continue to do that even when he’s out of office is incredible."
The Warrior Open is one of the most visible facets of Bush's efforts to support the troops, but his institute has much more planned. Earlier this year, the organization hosted a 100-kilometer bike ride to showcase the resilience of injured troops.
Few people know the challenges veterans face more than their fellow servicemembers, and a program in Florida has found success in letting the troops assist each other. Dubbed Veterans Helping Veterans, the initiative aligns former soldiers with others who have had some run ins with the law, the Sun Sentinel reports.
The program began in Broward County in 2010 and is modeled after a similar initiative from Palm Beach County. It has enjoyed a considerable amount of success as of late. The program's 18 mentors, all of whom have to be 55 or older, are paired with vets with mental health or behavioral problems who have been arrested. Rather than shuffling them around in the legal system, organizers say the mentors help them rehabilitate.
"We see a veteran who came into court looking like he was down on his last bit of luck come back in 12 or 15 months with a smile on his face and ready to go back into society," program coordinator Michael Coleman told the newspaper.
Such a program is especially helpful in the Sunshine State, which has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country. According to Census figures, approximately 1.6 million vets live in Florida, placing it among the top three nationally.
It was announced earlier this summer that Michigan State and the University of Connecticut would open the college basketball season at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, and organizers say it could be the beginning of a yearly tradition. Dubbed the Armed Forces Classic, the game will be a the first in a series of games played on military installations across the globe, according to The Detroit News.
The game, slated for November 9, will be played inside an airplane hangar on the base and is part of a week-long effort on behalf of ESPN to honor the troops. The initiative is similar to an event last year when Michigan State played North Carolina on board the U.S.S. Carl Vinson off the coast of San Diego. For Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, the opportunity is one he cherishes.
"To now have the opportunity to take our game overseas to servicemen and women serving to protect us is an awesome experience," Izzo said in statement. "I'm reminded of my trips to the U.S. bases in Kuwait, and what a life-changing experience that was for me."
The matchup is especially interesting given Connecticut's roster. The team has three players from Germany, including incoming freshman Leon Tolksdorf.
Between having to manage rides to school with just one parent or shifting some of the household duties around, it's no secret deployment can have a significant impact on the lives of miltiary families. In an effort to help out some members of the White Lake Township, Michigan, community Home Depot is lending a hand, the Detroit Free Press reports.
The do-it-yourself giant recently reached out to Melanie Prapotnik, whose husband Joseph deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. Before he left, he had been working on remodeling their home, but since then his project has gone unfinished. As a result, Prapotnik and her daughter have been left with a home that has a host of issues.
Recognizing the challenges of military life, a Farmington Hills Home Depot sent 25 volunteers to help finish the project that Joseph Prapotnik had started before he was deployed. The move is just one of the latest by Home Depot, which has long exhibited support for veterans. While the company provides the services free of charge, Prapotnik still plans to send the flag he flew in Afghanistan as a sign of his appreciation.
"We don't expect anything in return," store manager Dennis Sanders told the newspaper. "This is part of Home Depot's culture. But for her and her husband to do that, it's amazing."
Working on Prapotnik's house continues the tradition of the Home Depot Foundation. In 2011, the organization worked on nearly 500 projects across the country.
The Veterans Job Corps Act had been lauded by the Obama administration as having the potential to lower the unemployment rate among veterans, but the ambitious legislation died in the Senate on Wednesday. The measure failed to secure the necessary 60 votes after some lawmakers raised concerns about the $1 billion cost, according to Military Times.
The act would have helped provide employment opportunities for vets in a number of different areas ranging from law enforcement to conservation. Although the measure was supported by both the White House and veterans organizations, given the cost, it was unlikely to make it to the president's desk.
Opponents said the funding would push the Department of Veterans Affairs over its budget for 2013, and said that new programs aren't unwarranted, but other costs need to be cut first. Still, some disagree.
"Veterans don't care to hear about why we cannot support them," Sen. Bill Nelson, the bill's chief sponsor, told the publication. "Veterans don't care about a budget point of order."
Despite the defeat of the bill, veterans unemployment has been on its way down as of late. In July, the rate reached 6.9 percent, its lowest spot in three years.