The Human Face Of War- Talking Points

Wounds of war

· According to a study done by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research found that over 15 percent of Marines and soldiers surveyed suffered major depression, generalized anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder – this study did not look at reservists, who tend to suffer a higher rate of psychological injury than career soldiers. (“These Unseen Wounds Cut Deep” LA Times 11/17/04)

· Some experts predict the number of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who will eventually require mental health treatment could exceed 100,000. (“A flood of troubled soldiers is in the offing,” Shane, NY Times, 12/16/04)

· Through the end of September, the Army had evacuated 885 troops from Iraq for psychiatric reasons, including some who had threatened or attempted suicide. (“A flood of troubled soldiers is in the offing,” Shane, NY Times, 12/16/04)

· The rise in psychological trauma associated with the war in Iraq should not surprise experts. The extent of wartime trauma is directly proportional to the type of warfare fought and the experiences encountered. Studies of Vietnam veterans show that between 26 and 31 percent have experienced PTSD. This rate is understandable given that the Vietnam War’s combat environment included both guerilla and conventional warfare. It is arguable that the war in Iraq compares to the Vietnam War, as there is no safe place, no enemy lines, and threats surround the soldier on all sides. (“The Hidden Toll of the War In Iraq: Mental Health and The Military,” Steven Robinson, CAP)

Read first hand accounts from families and friends of soldiers in “The Costs of War” http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20041122&s=engelhardt

Nina Berman’s award winning photoessay, “Purple Hearts: Back from Iraq” selections: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/pages.php?catid=211

For more information on mental health and returning veterans, see “These Unseen Wounds Cut Deep” http://www.ngwrc.org/index.cfm?Page=Article&ID=1910

AND Stephen Robinson’s report “The Hidden Toll of the War in Iraq: Mental Health and the Military” http://www.americanprogress.org/atf/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/hiddentoll91404.pdf

For more on the experience of returning soldiers that have been wounded on the battlefield, see “Forgotten Casualties” http://www.guardian.co.uk/salon/story/0,14752,1310163,00.html

And “The Price of Valor” http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040712fa_fact (lengthy)

Veterans at Home

· It takes 4 to 16 months to file workman’s-comp-type paperwork before they are eligible for benefits. (“Forgotten Casualties,” Harris, Salon.com 9/23/04)

· The VA estimates that there are at least 300,000 veterans homeless on any given night and more than half a million veterans that experience homelessness over the course of a year. (www.nchv.org )

· through July nearly 31,000 veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom had applied for disability benefits for injuries or psychological ailments. (“A flood of troubled soldiers is in the offing,” Shane, NY Times, 12/16/04)

Amounts distributed annually to veterans by state: http://www.suntimes.com/special_sections/veterans/vachart.html

For a thorough fact sheet detailing the plight of homeless veterans see the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans at http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm