We often hear reports in the news about veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in need of services from the VA only to be met with bureaucracy and delays.
However, an article by Carl Glassman entitled “Healing the Wounds of War Downtown” reveals some interesting perspectives from veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam on the services that are available from the VA’s 232 commmunity-based Vet Centers nationwide.
While I have been known to be critical of the VA, Vet Centers deserve a lot of credit when they’re getting accolades like these from veterans who’ve been there. Well done.
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I am doing a graduate social work internship at the Manhattan Vet Center, but I had nothing to do with Mr. Glassman’s article or any of the veterans who are quoted therein.
Paul J. Tobin
President, VetsFirst
When I returned from my third tour in Iraq with PTSD. I worked, slept, went on missions and was under fire several times- but I am not a VET- I am a DA civilian. Medical Services are very limited for us- I wish we had a forum like you all do. We have to deal with the Department of Labor who want us to PROVE where we were and what we did- Oh, like that is really going to help us out. I bet the majority of Department of Civilians just give up- like I did, and pay for our health care out of our pockets. Keep pushing- they never seem to ask questions of the people that were there- anything! only the arm chair quarterbacks.