History of Veterans Affairs The United States of America has a long history of trying to provide support and benefits for the men (and recently women) who have fought for the country dating back to the Colonial War time in 1636. The Pilgrims passed a law saying the colony would care for the disabled soldiers who fought against Native Americans (U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, 2015b). During this time, it was customary for veterans to receive pensions for their service during war-time. This effort was made to prevent desertions and to encourage more men to enlist. Another effort the U.S. government made was to offer public land free to men who fought in the war due to only 3,000 men drawing on the pensions offered during the Revolutionary …show more content…
The Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Public Health Service, and the Federal Board of Vocational Education were combined to create the Veterans’ Bureau to oversee these services due to being overburdened. The two branches left to function independently were Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and the National Homes of Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, n.d.). In 1926, “the social work program was established in the Veterans’ Bureau, outlining its organization and functions. The first year staffing consisted of fourteen social workers who were placed in psychiatric hospitals and twenty-two placed in regional offices throughout the country,” (U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2016a). The incorporation of psychiatric treatment and social workers was an improvement in benefits for veterans. In 1930, President Hoover combined these offices to establish the Veterans’ Affairs, which would provide services to veterans in all of the categories including, finances, medical, disability, and retirement for military personnel and veterans (U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, …show more content…
A catalyst for change within the psychiatric treatment of veterans was the Vietnam War. Soldiers returned from war suffering unmistakable service related psychiatric conditions. (Pols & Oak, 2007) In 1969, veterans were returning from Vietnam War to find themselves suffering from the trauma of war with no resources or treatment to help them manage their mental health. A few key players, including Senator Alan Cranston, fought for the creation of appropriate mental health services, known as readjustment counseling, which would be provided to eligible veterans in “small, community based centers” and was approved after 10 years of battling with Congress to pass it through legislation (Blank,
The United States has the most comprehensive system and programs of assistance for Veterans of any nation in the world. The first domiciliary, a residential home for Veterans was authorized by the Federal Government in 1811. After the Civil War, President Lincoln made a promise to care for widows, orphans and injured soldiers; many State veterans homes were established to care for indigent and disabled veterans. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Congress established a new system of Veterans’ benefits, including the addition of disability compensation and vocational rehabilitation. In the 1920s, the ever-increasing benefits were administered by three different Federal agencies: the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, the Veterans Bureau, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The establishment of the Veterans Administration came in 1930 when Congress authorized President Herbert Hoover to consolidate the programs for Veterans into one government bureau. The Veterans Administration took over the responsibility of the National Cemetery System from the Department of the Army in 1973, but in 1989, President Bush established the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Cabinet-level position. President Bush was quoted as saying; "There is only one place for the veterans of America, in the Cabinet Room, at the table with the President of the United States of America." (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2010)
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) is a public organization that is government provided. The organization funding is produce through taxes. The executive branch of the agency is located in Washington DC and is headed by Secretary of Veteran Affairs. There are Veteran Affairs Offices located in all 50 states, including American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, North Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. It ranks number two in the United States federal department with over 200,000 employees.
In the year 1944, US Legislation passed the Servicemen’s Readjustment act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights. It is one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the federal government; one that impacted the United States socially, economically and politically. The GI Bill offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including financial assistance for higher education for veterans of U.S. military service. The benefits of the GI Bill are intended to help veterans readjust to civilian life following service to their country and to encourage bright, motivated men and women to volunteer for military duty. Many factors and contributions have gone into the development of the GI Bill, and it has changed over the years. This research paper will introduce the reader to a brief history of the formation and evolution of the GI Bill, discuss the current benefits that it offers to student populations in response to their specific needs, and introduce current implications that the GI Bill has placed on student veterans and institutions across the nation.
A Vietnam War veteran experienced many gruesome and horrifying events during their time of serving the army. Seeing such horrifying things affected their mental and emotional thinking “PTSD is defined as a re-experience of a traumatic event, for example, flashbacks. Anything can trigger a flashback a click, a movement, anything associated with the past event” (Cruz). Seeing such horrifying things affected their mental and emotional thinking. A soldier was told to forget what they saw and basically move on from it, but it only made it worse. Having everything “bottled up” makes it even harder to treat PTSD. U.S. soldiers had to live with the disorder on their own without any help. “The veterans experience combat related nightmares, anxiety, anger, depression, alcohol and/or drug dependency, all are symptoms of PTSD” (Begg). The symptoms occurred over long periods of time when that person has been in certain situations that he or she was not ready to be in. Some of these situations including the Vietnam veterans not feeling like their unit was together or united. “Soldiers were sent into replace other soldiers, which caused the other members of the group to make fun or haze them. The unit never developed as much loyalty to each other as they should have” (Paulson and Krippner). “Many of...
America is the land of opportunity and the land of second chances. People come to America to live a better life, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. When Veterans come back home, all they want is a second chance at life again. They want to come back and be able to start from where they left off. But the government has done very little to help these veterans. The government believes they have done enough with the programs they have created, but it hasn’t had much of a change. The purpose of this essay is to discuss my opinion and what I know about this issue, to benefit The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who are my intended audience. If the government were to put a lot of effort, like they do for pointless issues, there wouldn’t be many struggling veterans. If the government does more to improve every aspect of the reintegration process of veterans, so many benefits would come out of this action. There are a couple of reasons for why we should work toward improving veterans lives. First, there would possibly be a decrease in the veteran suicide levels and a decrease in the substance abuse aspect. Second, less veterans and families will have to worry about living and struggling with mental illnesses. Third, by improving the economical aspect for these veterans, more will find jobs and less will end up on the street homeless. And lastly, the reintegration process won’t be as hard for these veterans, and they will be able to resume a normal life. This essay is not meant to offend in any way, its purpose is to provide a new perspective over this issue, to cause a change for the better.
The federal government have the mandatory regulation for helping veterans who have disability 30 percent or more have a chance to work in government departments if one of the department has opening job
United States Government Accountability Office (2011). Veterans' Education Benefits: Enhanced Guidance and Collaboration Could Improve Administration of the Post-9/11 Program (GAO-11-356R). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
It was once assumed that the government would provide services for veterans, but nonprofit organizations and communities have been picking up the slack to help veterans get back on their feet after returning home. The government is dependent on nonprofit organizations to supply veterans and their families with the necessary goods and services. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an organization that provides services for veterans and their families. The WWP focuses on mind, body, economic empowerment, and engagement, all things that help veterans through post-war symptoms (The Wounded Warrior Project). The government is recommending giving less housing allowances, limiting pay raises, and having higher fees for health care benefits; other cuts would include stores being unable to give discounts to military families (Nissenbaum and Barnes). The amount of money veterans receive for housing, health care, and retirement is being cut left and right by the government and the money is being used and put towards other departments. In California, The County Veterans Service Officers Inc. plays a very important role in verterans’ lives (California Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Inc.) Many organizations help veterans who are in need of services because our government is not always able to provide...
Imagine living in despair after coming back home, dismayed from a war that got no appreciation. Robert Kroger once said in his quote, “The brave men and women, who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are, the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.” Eleven percent of Vietnam Veterans still suffer with symptoms of the terrifying disorder of PTSD (Handwerk). Vietnam Veterans struggle with the physiological effects of PTSD after war, which leads to despair and many deaths.
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder need to receive better care, because post traumatic stress disorder is curable, damages relationships, and veterans made many dramatic sacrifices. The health care for veterans needs to be more easily accessible.
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Veteran’s healthcare has recently been the subject of much discussion within American political circles. However, most ordinary Americans know little of this burning issue. Although support for veterans has risen to its highest levels compared to other times in American history, veterans need more than support to survive; they ne...
It wasn’t until 1811 that the federal government authorized the first medical and domiciliary facilities, along with benefits and pensions for the veterans and their families. When the United States entered World War 1 in 1917, Congress created a new system for veterans’ benefits, such as disability compensation, insurance, and vocational rehabilitation. These benefits were directed by three different agencies in the Federal Government, these branches were the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Ten years later, Congress authorized the president to “consolidate and coordinate government activities affecting war veterans”; this action united the three component agencies into bureaus under the veterans’ administration. In the following six decades there were vast increases in the veteran population, and new benefits enacted by Congress for veterans following World War II.... ... middle of paper ...
Our soldiers not only risked life and limb for our country while serving in the Vietnam War, but they continue to suffer immensely. Americans as well as Vietnamese troops and civilians suffered great losses when it comes to casualties. Witnessing first-hand the pain and death of strangers and allies, isn’t something one is likely to forget. Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been one of the many repercussions of witnessing these gruesome events (Mental Health America). Veterans, their families, and the government have come together in combat in attempts to address the detrimental effects of PTSD.