Who would not agree that our Nations Veterans are our greatest asset? Yet we fall down miserably as a Nation in providing for them once they return from what have become multiple tours of combat. Two recent wars and a lack of available government resources to keep up with the demands to properly transition our veterans (approx. 500,000 per year for the next several years) into the civilian sector have created a need for additional support. Our nation can benefit from the unique skills, experience and leadership they have developed while in the military. The following is a Top Ten list of common areas that our Veterans experience difficulties in and we owe it to them to find a solution to each and every one of them.
- Unemployment (2x the national average)
- Suicide (22 per day)
- Homelessness (comprise 1/3 of all homeless)
- Physical and Emotional Challenges (1 out of every 3)
- Education
- Health Care
- Veterans Administration Backlog (Over 1 million cases on backlog)
- Corruption within Government and Non-Profit programs
- Drug and alcohol dependencies
- Assimilation back into Civilian or family life
The list above is by no means exhaustive but a representation of the severity of what we need to solve. Several thousand Non-Profit organizations have been created in an attempt to solve all or a portion of these issues due to lack of proper government programs. With that said I'm not sure Veterans know they exist and where to turn. Until this becomes a focus that can't be ignored by our elected officials then it will continue to be a serious epidemic level set of issues. I challenge our Nation to make this a top priority. For each and every citizen who enjoys their freedom and liberty you are equally responsible for contributing to the issues at hand.
I will be discussing each of the areas above in more depth in upcoming posts. Be sure to follow, comment and share this information with those you feel would benefit.
Landmark Life Coaching is here to provide tailored coaching services for tenacious high flyers and transitioning veterans that are robust, meaningful, and add value to provide a quality return for the investment in their personal and professional lives.