The Debt we owe as Americans

Unequivocally, we owe the men and women who served and are serving in United States military a debt of gratitude and support. These brave men and women often facing unimaginable challenges and sacrifices. Their dedication ensures our safety, freedom, and way of life. As a society, we must honor their service by providing them with the care, resources, and respect they deserve.

The Reason to be United in the Service of those who Served

About 17 veterans die by suicide each day, with veterans being 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than civilians.

In 2023, more than 1,000,000 veterans lived in poverty and veterans comprise 10.6% of all homeless in the U.S. and are 2x as likely to become homeless versus those who didn’t serve in the military.

11% to 23% of veterans have experienced PTSD within a given year.

According to the VA, 1,107,440 disabled veterans have a 100 percent VA disability rating, which represents 20.44% of the total number of veterans with a service-connected VA rating of 0% or higher.

On December 15, 2023, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the results of the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count showed veterans experiencing sheltered homelessness increased by 2.6% from 2022, and veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness increased by 14.3% from 2022.

In addition to being the fastest growing group in the Veteran population, Women Veterans are also the fastest growing group in the homeless population, and four times more likely to become homeless than their male peers. Women Veterans in general face significant economic and housing challenges, however, Veterans who are single mothers are particularly vulnerable.

Women veterans report significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than veteran men in a study of post-9/11 veterans.

The Reason to be United in the Service of those who are Serving

The Department of Defense (DoD) listed nearly 1.29 million people as active-duty troops, and 767,238 as national guard/reserves.

89 percent of active-duty deaths by suicide were among enlisted servicemembers.

Across the active and reserve component those who died by suicide were primarily enlisted males under the age of 30. If this population is struggling with their mental health while in service, those struggles are likely to continue and get worse as they make the transition to civilian life. 

About 200,000 service members transition to civilian life every year, according to DoD. 

Though some service members transition well to civilian life, others struggle and may experience mental health issues, unemployment and disability-related issues and over 60% of post-9/11 veterans have difficulty adjusting to civilian life, compared with 25% of veterans from earlier eras. 

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Census Bureau Veteran Data, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government Accountability Office, National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, Veteran Benefits Administration FY 2022 Annual Benefits Report, DOL and HHS Poverty Guidelines, 2023 VA Veteran Homeless Statistics, Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.