They deserve better....

[wolvie20m]

Christian Science Monitor
February 8, 2005

NEW YORK - Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are now showing up in the nation's homeless shelters.

While the numbers are still small, they're steadily rising, and raising alarms in both the homeless and veterans' communities. The concern is that these returning veterans - some of whom can't find jobs after leaving the military, others of whom are still struggling psychologically with the war - may be just the beginning of an influx of new veterans in need. Currently, there are 150,000 troops in Iraq and 16,000 in Afghanistan. More than 130,000 have already served and returned home.

So far, dozens of them, like Herold Noel, a married father of three, have found themselves sleeping on the streets, on friends' couches, or in their cars within weeks of returning home. Two years ago, Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ) in the borough of Brooklyn, saw only a handful of recent returnees. Now the group is aiding more than 100 Iraq veterans, 30 of whom are homeless.

"It's horrible to put your life on the line and then come back home to nothing, that's what I came home to: nothing. I didn't know where to go or where to turn," says Mr. Noel. "I thought I was alone, but I found out there are a whole lot of other soldiers in the same situation. Now I want people to know what's really going on."

Read further..
Link: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_homeless_020805,00.html?ESRC=marine.nl

It's sad to hear things like this. Shame on th politicians who say they support the troops. If they did how does this happen?

 

[Johnney]

Read further..
Link: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_homeless_020805,00.html?ESRC=marine.nl

It's sad to hear things like this. Shame on th politicians who say they support the troops. If they did how does this happen?

yeah that is fucking horrible. these are the ones who are fighting for them fat ass cats to sit there and cut mil. spending and bennies for the current vets and out of the mil vets.
but on the other hand, the VA offers programs for displaced vets. all the need to do is visit a va office to learn about them. i didnt know about any of the either until i started looking.

still, it is horrible though

 

[sinister59]

Christian Science Monitor
February 8, 2005

NEW YORK - Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are now showing up in the nation's homeless shelters.

While the numbers are still small, they're steadily rising, and raising alarms in both the homeless and veterans' communities. The concern is that these returning veterans - some of whom can't find jobs after leaving the military, others of whom are still struggling psychologically with the war - may be just the beginning of an influx of new veterans in need. Currently, there are 150,000 troops in Iraq and 16,000 in Afghanistan. More than 130,000 have already served and returned home.

So far, dozens of them, like Herold Noel, a married father of three, have found themselves sleeping on the streets, on friends' couches, or in their cars within weeks of returning home. Two years ago, Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ) in the borough of Brooklyn, saw only a handful of recent returnees. Now the group is aiding more than 100 Iraq veterans, 30 of whom are homeless.

"It's horrible to put your life on the line and then come back home to nothing, that's what I came home to: nothing. I didn't know where to go or where to turn," says Mr. Noel. "I thought I was alone, but I found out there are a whole lot of other soldiers in the same situation. Now I want people to know what's really going on."

Read further..
Link: Military.com

It's sad to hear things like this. Shame on th politicians who say they support the troops. If they did how does this happen?

God I hate it when they call a war a conflict , now the VFW and American legion will tell them you fought in a conflict not a war , thats what they told me about vietnam it was a police action , guys were killed its a war .

lot of homeless vets . bad medical care , you out now fend for your self .
people wave flags and say I support the troops , but not after their service is done . thats not support to me .

I hope veterans groups fined them and help them .

 

[The Gadfly]

The more things change, the more they remain the same......

 

[waltky]

Yes indeed they deserve better...

VA infection issues lead to 13,000 veterans' tests
5/29/2011 - Improper hygiene may have exposed patients to HIV, hepatitis or other blood-borne disease

Herman Williams came home safely after fighting in the jungles of Vietnam as a Marine. He was shocked to learn four decades later that his military service had again placed him in jeopardy — this time, because he got a tooth pulled. Williams is among 13,000 U.S. veterans who have been warned in the last two years that their blood should be tested for potentially fatal infections after possible exposures by improper hygiene practices at five VA hospitals in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee. This Memorial Day finds the Department of Veterans Affairs under political fire and numerous veterans upset after enduring fear and uncertainty over their health. "I was scared to death," Williams said.

One afternoon this winter, Williams received a letter warning that he could have been infected during tooth extraction and other procedures in the dental clinic at the Dayton VA Medical Center. A VA investigation found that a dentist who practiced there for decades repeatedly violated safety measures such as failing to sterilize equipment or change soiled latex gloves, potentially exposing patients to HIV, hepatitis, or other blood-borne diseases. For two anxious weeks, the 60-year-old Springfield, Ohio, man wondered and worried about himself and his family's health. "HIV ... that's something to be afraid of. AIDS is no joke. If you're positive, then your wife, everybody around you, needs to be tested. "I didn't know what was going to happen." As with the vast majority of veterans tested, Williams' results were negative.

Eight patients with HIV, 61 with hepatitis

So far, VA officials say, tests on nearly 12,000 patients have found eight HIV-positive results and 61 confirmed cases of hepatitis B or C, including three hepatitis cases at Dayton. It's not known how many of the positives resulted from treatment at VA hospitals or from unrelated causes — officials say testing may not be able to determine the origin of the infections. Infections related to medical treatment are a problem at public and private hospitals nationwide. The VA, as a government entity, must report infections publicly but most public and private hospitals do not.

The Veterans Affairs system that serves about 6 million vets a year in more than 1,000 medical facilities has been praised by medical authorities for its successful efforts to reduce antibiotic-resistant staph infections from treatment, a common problem in U.S. hospitals. A study published last month in The New England Journal of Medicine reported VA hospitals reduced such infections by 60 percent in intensive care units around the country after three years of emphasizing hygiene education and sanitizer availability in its facilities.

MORE

 

[JBeukema]

They've served their purpose. The elites no longer have any use for them.

Humans are but a resource to bought, sold, manipulated, invested, and spent like any other.

That's Capitalism, kids.

Why did you think corporations have a 'Department of Human Resources'?

 

[whitehall]

Why do you think some Veterans are homeless? Because politicians don't care? That's the lazy and ignorant answer. In some inner city areas the unemployment rate is over 20%. Did the stimulous help? Veterans are given medical and psychological care and the "G.I." bill pays for education. Is it the responsibility of "politicians" to make sure veterans can get a job when nobody else is employed?