Our troops sacrifice a great deal while serving, and they shouldn’t have to sacrifice more as veterans

By Bill McCamley

My father retired from the U.S. Army after serving for 25 years that included two tours of duty in Vietnam. There is one topic that always gets him frustrated and angry: the situation our soldiers face when they return from serving overseas, from Vietnam then or Iraq-Afghanistan now.

The truth is that we are failing those who have served America. It is utterly shameful, and we must demand that the federal government take action.

Health care is the most pressing problem for veterans. Recently, the Washington Post reported on the living conditions of disabled veterans housed at Walter Reed Medical Center. Some have been living in rooms infested by mice, cockroaches and mold.

What does it say about our government that those who were seriously injured while fighting under the U.S. flag overseas return only to be placed in dirty, contaminated hospital rooms? It says either that the administration is incompetent or that its priorities are elsewhere. History can decide which is the case, but a solution must be immediately found.

Furthermore, better medical technology has saved more soldiers than ever from wartime injuries – a fantastic change for which we are all grateful. However, this has increased the numbers of troops surviving with major head and spinal injuries, amputations, nerve damage and burns. Mental health issues have increased, too, with roughly 30 percent of veterans reporting problems with their mental health within 3-4 months of returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Harvard University study recently estimated that the long-term costs of taking care of Iraq war veterans will be somewhere between $300 billion and $700 billion, with 263,000 troops projected to need treatment next year alone. We have promised these services to our veterans, and leaders in Washington had better be prepared to pay when the bill comes due.

Unemployment is also problem for returning soldiers. Veterans 20 to 24 years old are unemployed at a rate of over 10 percent. While this number has thankfully declined in recent months, it is still more than twice that of the overall national unemployment rate of 4.6 percent. A main reason for this problem is that service members injured in Iraq and Afghanistan are in the early stages of their careers and have not gained the opportunity to learn job skills or gain civilian work experience. We need to provide these men and women opportunities to find well-paying jobs.

While homelessness is a known issue, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates a total of 400,000 military veterans were homeless over the course of 2006. In addition, a new issue has emerged: The Pentagon estimates that more than 16,000 single mothers have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. The provision of care and support for these mothers and their children becomes a difficult problem to solve, since parental status does not give special dispensation for being deployed.

Budget cuts, higher fees and co-pays

Given all of these issues, how is our government reacting? The answer is frightening: budget cuts. After an increase for the next fiscal year, the Bush Administration plans on cutting the Veterans Administration budget in 2009 and 2010 and freezing it thereafter. Whether this is serious or merely smoke and mirrors masking a deficit-ridden budget, the message is clear. Funding for the Veterans Administration is on the chopping block, highlighting the enormous gap between this administration’s rhetoric about supporting those who serve and its actions.

Here, the situation is already difficult for those wishing to use VA services. Though there are regional clinics, New Mexico has just one VA hospital. Located in Albuquerque, it has only 217 beds. VA waiting lists are becoming normal. If funding is cut further, will New Mexico’s disabled veterans have to travel further and wait longer to get the services they need?

But budget cuts for the VA are not the only assault being made on veterans. Last year, the Bush Administration tried to raise fees and co-payments for Tri-Care, the program that military retirees rely on until they become Medicare-eligible at 65. The proposal failed, but it showed again problems associated with rising health care costs for our nation’s uniformed services.

Though there are many similarities between the Vietnam conflict and our current war, there is one positive difference. In spite of the vast difference in public opinion about this war itself, our men and women in uniform have been embraced by everyone in America. This is commendable, but praise and respect only go so far. When our veterans sacrifice their time, their families and their lives to protect us, we need to take care of them when they return. Not doing so is dishonorable and morally weak.

Our legislators and the president need to shoulder the burden of providing for our veterans and military retirees. It is our duty to remind them not to forget this responsibility.

Bill McCamley is the District 5 Doña Ana County commissioner and an occasional columnist for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics.