Essay On Veterans Suicide

PROBLEM STATEMENT With a suicide rate 50 percent higher than civilians, there are too many young veterans committing suicide in the U.S.. Once separated from military service, men and women become veterans and do not have as much support as they did while in the service. They have disparate needs than civilians, and the military culture of mental toughness, with its emphasis on obedience, selflessness, and duty does not protect these young people from mental illness. Nor do current health care treatments or resources provided for transition into civilian life. In order to successfully help these veterans, we must use prevention tactics like screenings, counseling, and education to help them transition into civilian life and enjoy mental wellness.

Mental health conditions, traumatic brain injury, and suicide risk are significantly higher in recent wartime veterans, especially when compared to veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf War periods. The “healthy soldier effect” used to mean that veterans had lower overall mortality rates compared to the general population. However, suicide risk is not included in this effect any longer. Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn

Ever since, the U.S. has managed an All-Volunteer Force (AVF) to provide the humanpower to support the interests of the U.S.. In 2001 and 2002 respectively, the U.S. started the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. These wars have changed the success of the AVF, testing its effectiveness outside of peacetime. The US military slowly had more trouble recruiting enough volunteers to maintain the force required. In 2008, in order to combat this problem, the Department of Defense (DoD) created a directive that called for a long-term plan to increase the size, roles, and responsibilities of the Reserve Forces component of the military going