Thank goodness someone is taking a long hard look at this issue. It is not surprising that such large numbers of returning vets are facing these problems. If you consider the average age of a returning vet they are in that age range where depression and suicidal tendencies is normally high anyway. Add to that the additional stress of violence and war, the lack of a real job when returning to civilian life, (many of these younsters entered the military right out of high school and when returning home have to ask themselves what do I do now?). Some entered relationships and married too young before leaving for active duty at and age and maturity level where they and their spouse are not truly ready for marriage, (especially when one of the spouses is sent out of the country for a year or longer). Exposure to war has added 5 years to their lives while their 18 - 20 year old spouse remains at a maturity/social level 5 years behind them. And then they return home to find that their home and home towns are not the same when they left. The buddies they grew up with are gone, working, and have little time for them anymore. They have come from an adrenaline rush of patroling the streets in Bagdad to the streets of small-town USA where little is going on (especially after 10 PM). So they roam and when finding nothing to do they return to their rooms, alone, to play video games. But even those become boring after a while. Some turn to drugs to escape the boredom and lonliness adding to the depression. It is not surprising that so many of our young vets have these issues when returning from war. The military, VAs', and Congress need to work together and find some solutions to these issues. Frankly, I believe these young people (those diagnoised with these problems) need to avoid returning home right away (except for a short term visit) and provided a larger support group of military buddies and others who have expereienced the same that they have. Perhaps some kind of camp like those offered by the outward bound programs that would allow them to integrate back into their lives here at home slowly and with individual and group camaderie and counseling. Something that still challenges them and keeps them busy until they are ready to return to the realities of life at home. If you asked some of them if they would prefer a bus ticket home where upon arrival they get off the bus and ask what do I do now, versus that of participating in a month long (or longer) wilderness challenge that involves a challenging kayak ride down the Colorado river, which do you think they would select? The key is to slowly bring them down off that high of active military duty until they are able to handle the boredom along with the highs, the downs of life along with adrenaline rushes of life. Letting those who are diagnosed with such depression and suicidal tendencies to return home immediately without some kind of support group is giving them a ticket to the morgue in many cases. And by support group I don't mean a 30 -60 minute vist to a VA once a week to speak to a doctor, nurse or counselor.

Paul, thanks for your leadership and public service. Our career politicians, and most journalists, seem devoted to keeping us in the dark ..... intellectually barefoot, pregnant and on the edge of town. It's no wonder the American people see themselves more in Anna Nicole Smith, the former Vickie Lynn Morgan of rural Arkansas, than in the speeches of our official leaders. Thanks for being a real one, and thanks to all veterans -- you are us.

Edmund, Don't forget that it was the journalists who exposed Walter Reed. No one in the administration gave a darn. Thank you Washington Post.

Paul, thank you for your leadership to IAVA, I read every day about why Walter Reed, VA Hospitals and the Veterans Administration in general are under funded. It seem that everyone has forgotten about the TAX CUTS given to the top 1 to 2% of the riches Americans. W talks a good game but does not deliver when he continues to reduce the VA's budget as he has since elected. He gives the TAX CUTS then turns around and tells the American people that there is not enough funds and something has to give, and the VA is one of them. Please remind people that this is the only president who ever took our country to war while giving and still giving TAX CUTS. Manny Sustita, Grunt, Vietnam. Waco, Tx., we have saved our VA Hospital here in Waco for now.

While I appreciate CA observations and comments, keeping returning military personnel away from their loved one is hardly the answer. These may be the only ones they truly trust now that they are not with their comrads in arms. It would be more advantagous to rate these veterans, and I call them veterans because their military life would be over especially if they are experiening emotional trama and/or physical wounds, with 100% disability rating with dependence allowences for their wives and childern, housing for them and their families, in other words take as much of life's pressurers away from them so all they gave to worry about is healing. The VA would have to increase qualified personnel to handle the work load and give them the care necessary. But to put them in a camp, You go to a camp CA!!!

All the blame goes to Bush and Cheney who never served one second in a combat zone, then you have the neo -con supporting these sorry people, because they had more important things to do when they were young ladies (men). Everything Cheney said as been a lie, or he does not know because he never served, and don't know what it is like to serve. Then you have FOX'S New , Bill Kristol, and Sean Hannity, and Anne Coultier, who support's them because they never served either, then they go to Iraq for a week or two then said everything is fine with the mission and troops. What hypocrite's. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE LETTING THIS HAPPEN, AND I THINK IT IS ASHAME.

I'm a Vietnam Vet with Post Traumatic Stress.Suicidal tendencies are just one of the anguishing symptoms of the disorder.It took twenty years for the VA to diagnose me as having severe 'PTS'.It seemed common practice back then for VA doctors to put in your records that you had Personality Disorders and/or other problems that were not service connected.The veterans would then not get VA benefits for 'PTS'.The strange thing was that the veterans would be given treatment for 'PTS'.Later, after fighting the VA for years, many veterans would finally receive a "PTS' diagnosis.Most veterans I knew would be granted a low disability rating of about 10%.Once a veteran had a service connected rating they would be offered in- patient and out-patient group therapy sessions.It was also common to get prescription medication and a lot of it.We were given anti psyhcotic,anti depression,anti anxiety medications along with others.This is still a common treatment since there can be so many symptoms with 'PTS'.There are now PTS clinics in most major city VA Psychiatric Hospitals.My last two doctors have been very good and very knowledgable on 'PTS'.They work together with a team of other specialists to try to find the best treatment and medications for each patient.I spent a long time as an in-patient in Psyciatric wards of VA hospitals trying to get help.I would only advise that as a last resort.Group therapy didn't help me much but did allow me to meet other 'Brothers in Arms' with similar problems.Myself,I did things like cover death squad killings in Central America as a freelance journalist/photojournalist in the 80s,the scud attacks in and around Tel Aviv during the first Gulf War and other things that often put myself in danger.The VA is under funded and has been for many years as a Discretiionary Budget Item.The VA needs a change in the way it is funded in order to catch up with caring for the veterans who need help now and for the great magnitude of veterans who will be entering the VA system for help and care during the course of the Iraq war and any future wars our government decides to get involved in militarily. I read some articles today that stated that Congress is ready to pass another 'Emergency Funding Bill'to provide extra funds to the VA.This kind of temporary bandage type funding fix has been used in the past including in 2006.These kinds of temporary fixes will never make it possible for all our veterans to get the help they need.The articles also said it would not be as much funding as Veterans Organizations have been asking for. My question is why not fund the VA according to what these organizations have been asking for? They know what funding it will take to care for all our veterans.Congress and the President should feel morally obligated to provide VA funding that will always take care of all our veterans.They are the ones who got us into this war and also the ones who have been under funding the VA for a long time. When Congress votes to let the President start a war it should immediately be thinking about the costs to take care of the Veterans who will need help when they get home. More than that Congress should be ready to fund those costs.The Veterans organizations have had a realistic way to solve the problem of funding the VA now and in the future. That is to make it a budget item that is a 'Mandatory funding formula' that will give the VA whatever funding it needs each year. Anything short of that or other Legislation which would always provide the VA with the funding it needs to care for all our Veterans isn't good enough.I don't know if the Bill In the House now, H.R. 515 to amend 'Title 38 U.S. Code' to make sure there is always enough funding for the VA to take care of our veterans would meet the criteria I spoke of above. Also the Senate Bill S.331 which has been referred to as the 'Sister Bill' to the House Bill which both have the same title. If these Bills fund the VA in a way that will always make sure the VA can provide quality health care to all our veterans then why have they not been passed yet and put on the President's desk for signing?I think It is a disgrace that it has taken this many years for this issue to come to the attention of the majority of the American people who almost always tend to support our troops. Supporting our troops does not mean just providing them with the tools they need to fight a war. Supporting our troops must include the assurance that if they require any type of medical care or treatment when they get home, they will get it without undo delay, and the care will be the best care available in the country. Anything short of that is dishonorable, immoral, and disgraceful. Beyond that, those who have the ability to provide the means for the VA to assure that care to our veterans and do not should be ashamed of themselves.Some VA officials will tell you there are no funding problems.Please do not believe that.For the veterans now suffering with 'PTS' or other illnesses or injuries involving the brain--Don't give up--keep fighting. Brian

The real problem to me is that everyone seems to act like this was news. I'm a vietnam vet and except for names and dates nothing has changed from the time I served. Even more troubling to me is the fact that for all the problems my generation and the current vetrans have faced and will face; no one even mentions the legacy we have left in the places we served. Americans are not the only victims of war.

A Combat soldier from the battle field carries more than his weapon. "male or Female" their mental being will be changed. Sights , sounds, smell and death. those four factors will be carried in the mind for the remainder of their lives. They call it "post Combat Stress"! Meaning the after math! "NO PERSON" who has fought on the field of battle can express "their" personal mental state. Mental health of this generation soldiers is no different than those soldiers returning from battle 200 years ago. The mental scares are that! Today we of modern time are trying to address battle field stress. But we do not have a medical system which can assist all. As of past the system was a failure, news coverage has shown how big of a failure. ""Needles to Point the finger", Failure is failure! Solutions and action will address this failure. But we will still not understand the complete problems which must be addressed! You will understand a Bleeding wound can be healed, yet a wounded mind never heals. Saying this has presented the medical profession with a real problem! Meaning we do not have the ability to erase what was done to the mind from a battle field. I'm no Doctor. I carry my scares, I live with my mental anguish. You can never erase the mind! Compassion and loyalty to those who are scared makes life much easier. Understand the price a soldier must pay to insure your freedom.

Paul, It takes individuals like you to keep our government focus on the vet who returns home form war. Being a VietNam vet myself I know what the returning vets are going through. In my case, there was little or any help for the returning VietNam Vet until veterans started speaking out, which for some it was to late. It seems to me again we have polictics being play on both sides of the fence which leaves little time to concentrate on the retruning veterans. I guess money talks louder then the caring for the people who stand up and fight for our freedom. A caring vet

I can believe a lot of what Mr. Rieckhoff has said. I believe there is also another factor that very few have mentioned. I would bet most of these men served in the infantry. The infantry is a very intense environment with a lot of responsibilites. Sounds good, but they leave with no marketable job skills. It can be a real blow when you find out that you are only qualified for the same low level, unskilled job you had before you entered service. I know the feeling. I'm a 2 tour infantry veteran. Foutunatly, I already have a degree, but other the friends and the memories, my 3 years and 8 months of service will not help me on my resume, much less finding a decent paying job.

Couldnt they do some down time in humanitarian aid before rushing home to enjoy a normal society? They need to know it is not all about them in their existence and what harm they have done to themselves. Africa and numerous other places are crying out for help in learning to be civilians after war. Why not go and help those people simmer through their future thoughts? I know this is a bit 'pop-psychey' but cant you fulfill their lives in a more enriching manner if they would like it? They really have done well in keeping terrorism of your home soil so why dont you give them a break and your administration. Who better to work in securing world peace and prosperity? A perfect example is Liberia!

I like Brett's comments, from Australia. When I came home from Vietnam I didn't expect anyone to thank me. Stoicism is a practical approach to life. When I dance a war dance at powwows, as an honored veteran, it isn't to show that I was courageous, but that my people are courageous, and that whatever I did was for and because of them. This is the way I was taught, and it works. The reason there's so much suicide and drug addiction is because people are not taught this way, or, if they were, they pay too much attention to blood and dirt instead of to matters most.

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