Veterans Fought for Us, We Should Fight for Them
After the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States of America went to war determined to protect our country and seek out those that wanted to hurt us. As a result of being at war for almost 10 years, we are left with approximately 1.3 million veterans since 2002 and many of those with physical disabilities and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Newhouse, 2011). The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have left a new generation of veterans with challenges. Adjusting to civilian life, getting a job in the bad economy and dealing with the mental effects of being in combat are just a few of the challenges that these veterans face. There are government programs and laws in place to help these brave men and women but many companies do not see the benefit of hiring a veteran and many people believe that they don’t deserve what they see as preferential treatment. Veterans have made sacrifices defending our country and our freedoms. Not only do I believe they deserve all of the advantages they earned but they also deserve to have preferential treatment when applying for jobs. We need to make sure as a country that they are not discriminated against while trying to make a living for themselves and get back to civilian life after putting their lives on hold to keep us safe. We as a society need to embrace our heroes and give them the assistance that they have earned.
Today there are many problems that face veterans such as homelessness, unemployment, rising costs, foreclosure and bankruptcy. Many believe that because many of these issues are faced by all Americans in this bad economy it is unfair for veterans to receive special programs and assistance, but the difference is many veterans have PTSD. An estimated 367,749 veterans have shown signs of PTSD and have gone to the Department of Veterans Affairs for help (Newhouse, 2011). Combat veterans face two battle zones, the physical and also the one that goes on in there head long after the first is over and never seems to end. The mental problems with this new generation of veterans seem to be compounded by the multiple tours to Iraq and Afghanistan (Brown, 2008, p. 9). PTSD is not only something that is plaguing veterans mentally but it is hard for them to get the help that they deserve because of backup in the Department of Veterans Affairs system. It is estimated that there is a four year wait for veterans to receive mental health benefits and it can take many weeks for a suicidal veteran to receive an appointment (Favate, 2011).
Many civilian employers do not understand the value of the skills held by veterans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2010 the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is 14.7% (Embree, 2011). Another problem is employers are very wary of hiring veterans that are in the reserves because of their high likelihood of being deployed again. Many companies like the idea that a future employee fights for our country but they use the unexpected unavailability against them when making the decision to hire. Yet veterans and service members are known to have skills that managers consider essential to the workplace. Some of those skills include attention to detail, self-discipline, problem-solving, decision-making in stressful situations and ability to work in a team, say human-resources experts (Glazer, 2011).
There is a constant argument whether disabled veterans should get preferential treatment over better qualified candidates who are not disabled veterans. Employers prefer to hire a person without a disability regardless of qualifications over a disabled veteran that has a physical or mental impairment which limits one or more major life functions. There will always be better qualified candidates who are not disabled veterans. Disabled job applicants continue to face a high unwelcome wall, because many employers feel uneasy with regards to hiring a veteran with PTSD. Experts say that employers are wary of hiring veterans with mental disabilities because it is hard for them to understand how to accommodate them (Zavis, 2010). If someone is missing a limb or is in a wheelchair it is more straightforward what can be done to help them. Veterans with mental disorders like PTSD are still a mystery to many people. Many employers fear that these veterans are not in a stable mental state and may “go postal” or all of their appointments and therapy session will get in the way of them doing a good job (Zavis, 2010).
There are many things that employers can do to help veterans once they are hired. Many struggle with flashback, stress and anger problems related to their PTSD. Providing short breaks, allowing white noise machines and giving flexibility for appointments make a huge difference in mental state with those that have PTSD (Zavis, 2010). According to a Monster survey, more than 60% of employers feel motivated to hire veterans based on their qualifications and prior work experience and a full 98% of employers that had hired a veteran would hire one again (Glazer, 2011). This survey shows that once employers were able to get past the stigma they believed that veterans made such good employees they would hire another veteran.
The United States government has done a lot to try to support veterans and their families. There are many programs and benefits in place to help. The U.S Department Veteran’s Affairs provides a wide range of benefits for our service members, veterans and their families. Some of these benefits include compensation, disability, education, and home loans. Disability benefits are a monetary benefit paid to veterans for any disability that is considered to have happened during active military service (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011). These benefits are paid to veterans who have injuries or diseases that happened while on active duty, or were made worse by active military service. It is also paid to certain veterans disabled from VA health care. These benefits are tax-free. The amount of basic benefit by percentages between 10 and 100% which equals to $123 to over $3,100 per month, in accordance with their compensation rate table, any percentage over 30% are eligible for additional allowances for dependents, including spouses, minor children, children between the ages of 18 and 23 who are attending school, children who are permanently incapable of self-support because of a disability arising before age 18, and dependent parents (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011). The additional amount depends on the disability rating and the number of dependents. It is also paid to certain veterans disabled from VA health care. These benefits are tax-free. Those members that retire and are eligible for these benefits get an additional check in addition to their retirement check.
There are a few options for education. The Montgomery GI Bill eligibility is started upon enlisting into the services, the member selects this option and contributes $100 per month for first 12 months and has 36 months of benefits which is currently worth $50,000. Educational benefits may be used while the service member is on active duty or after the service member’s separation from active duty with a fully honorable military discharge (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011). While on active duty Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Congress has given each service the ability to pay up to 100% for the tuition expenses of its members. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application processes and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services. Another program is called the MGIB “Top Up” program, which allows GI Bill participants' to use the GI Bill to supplement the tuition and fees not covered by tuition assistance (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011). The Post 9/11 GI Bill went into effect in August 2009 it is a new plan which provides education benefits for service members who have served on active duty for 90 or more days since Sept. 11, 2001 offering up to 100 percent tuition and fee assistance at institutes of higher learning; housing assistance; an annual stipend for books and school supplies; and the option to transfer benefits to immediate family members (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011).
The VA Home Loan program allows veterans and active duty service members with qualifying income and credit to purchase a primary residence without putting any money down towards the sale price of the home, as long as that sale price does not exceed the appraised value of the home (Federal Benefits for Veterans, 2011). Veterans do need money towards closing costs as well as earnest money, which the seller generally requires when a sales contract is signed. Closing costs may be paid by the seller, which can be negotiated when the sale price of the home is set. The VA can guarantee up to $417,000 of the total loan. Once loan is paid off you can use it again.
Federal law establishes the Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Programs, 5 USC, part 720, subpart C, section 720.301 states “This subpart sets forth requirements for agency disabled veteran affirmative action programs DVAAP’s designed to promote Federal employment and advancement opportunities for qualified disabled veterans (Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities, 2011). The intent of the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) is to help cut down on discrimination in the work place, despite the fact that some believes that DVAAP is a form of reverse discrimination. In contrast, the first goal of DVAAP was to help disabled veterans across the nation receive the benefits they deserve when they apply for employment in the Federal Government (Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities, 2011).
Although the United States government is providing many services, all of these programs have to be implemented by the Department of Veteran Affairs. Currently the Department of Veteran Affairs is extremely disorganized and very far behind in processing all of the disability claims. Veterans are suffering because it takes so long to get access to all of these programs. The unemployment rate is extremely high and depression and anxiety make it difficult for many veterans to function normally. The Department of Veteran Affairs is not providing the veterans what they deserve efficiently or effectively. In May 2011 the Ninth Circuit decided to place the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Board of Veterans Appeals under federal court supervision for failing to handle veteran’s disability claims in a timely manner (Favate, 2011). The Department of Veteran Affairs is set to appeal the ruling in December 2011. According to Ron Elsberry, the managing attorney of the Veterans Right Advocates, “We are confident that the en banc panel will reaffirm the Court’s prior ruling that the Department of Veteran Affair’s unconscionable delays and bureaucratic dysfunction in providing proper care to veterans violates veterans’ constitutional rights to due process of law”(Favate, 2011).
There are many things that can still be done. As an incentive, the Senate passed legislation earlier this month that includes tax breaks for businesses that hire veterans—up to $5,600 for veterans and up to $9,600 for disabled veterans (Glazer, 2011). This is great progress in ways to encourage businesses to hire veterans. In the last couple of years more media attention on PTSD has brought more awareness to those suffering but that media attention has also developed a stigma (Zavis, 2010). This stigma needs to be combated and employers and HR specialists need to be educated.
Veterans have made sacrifices for our country that can never be repaid. Especially in this hard economy there are many veterans that are suffering. There are many programs directed to help them but bureaucracy and poor management has made that impossible. We as a country need to do everything that we can to help all veterans and especially those that are disabled. If we don’t take care of our veterans, and especially our disabled veterans; then in the future we will not have as many brave volunteers to serve as Soldiers defending our freedom and we will either have to reenact the draft or risk the possibility of another country trying to take our life, liberty and freedom. We need to respect our heroes and give them the support they need.

Bibliography
Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Employers. (2011, November 25). Retrieved from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/veterans-disabilities-employers.html
Brown, W. B. (2008). Another Emerging “Storm”: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in the Criminal Justice System. Justice Policy Journal, 7-9.
Embree, T. (2011, November 22). Status of Veterans Unemployment. Retrieved from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America: http://iava.org/content/status-veterans-unemployment
Favate, S. (2011, November 22). Veterans Groups Brace for Disability Claims Hearing. Retrieved from Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/11/22/veterans-groups-brace-for-disability-claims-hearing/?KEYWORDS=veterans+with+disability
Glazer, E. (2011, November 21). Vets Join Tough Job Market . Retrieved from Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204517204577046320366010582.html?KEYWORDS=veterans
GPO Authenticated U.S. Government Information. (2011). Federal Benefits for Veterans, Survivors and Dependants. Washington, DC: Department of Veteran Affairs.
Newhouse, E. (2011, November 16). Half of Vets Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Need Medical Attention. Retrieved from TruthOut: http://www.truth-out.org/half-vets-returning-iraq-and-afghanistan-need-medical-attention/1321369149
Zavis, A. (2010, September 20). Employers Discriminate Against Veterans with PTSD Who Seek VA Treatment . Retrieved from Veterans for Common Sense: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/whats-new/1915-alexandra-zavis