Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans

"I cut myself off from my family and went from being a pleasant guy to wanting to rip your head off if you looked at me wrong," Mr. Johnson said.

On the street for a year, he finally checked in at a V.A. clinic in Maryland and has struggled with PTSD, depression, and drug and alcohol abuse. The V.A. has provided temporary housing as he starts a new job.

Perhaps a different way to look at this may be it's the vets choice. I find some blame in our government but a lot of being in the military is being able to pick yourself up and dust off.

I really wish you wouldn't have titled the article the way you did Scott. How many vets do you have in your home?

Coming back from any long-term deployment, but especially one that involves combat, is hard on a soldier and his family. They have a hard time reintegrating themselves back into the life they knew before they left, a life that has gone on without them. This fact alone leads to domestic issues that might cause the solider to leave their home.

Many single veterans give up their home when deployed long-term and put their stuff in storage so when they return they really have no place to go.

Add issues like PTSD, alcoholism, financial issues etc. and you can see where it goes bad quickly.

We have too long underestimated the effects of these long-term deployments on the men and women that serve and protect us.

The idea that the VA officers are trolling homeless shelters and soup kitchens to find vets instead of working with them and counseling them as soon as they return to help integrate them back into society is a good example of how we've missed the boat.

Being a Navy brat, we've often had sailors stay with us until they got back on their feet. But it shouldn't come down to individuals to offer their homes to the men and women serving this country. We as a country should be stepping up to this plate.

How many housing is available on bases and posts for single sailors/soldiers? Can we offer short-term housing to returning vets who are leaving the service, but need time to reintegrate into the society?

We can ask these men and women to give up their lives to serve us. Can't we offer them some security in return?

OK our vet. can go without, but let give free medical and housing to illegal. Bush does not care about the vet. or the people of this country. He being paid to much money from other source to take us down, and doing a very good job.

Our government should be helping them fine home and jobs, but let give money to Mexico government to fright drugs, which they won't. That money could of help our vets instead.

Our country has change and we are second class citizens now, your replacement is coming from all the other countries, but Bush is smiling.

Maybe we can let them sell yellow "Support Our Troops" ribbons for extra cash....

this is sick, sad, and pathetic. I bet Blackwaters guys don't go homeless

I believe it is criminal. We send our best to another country and treat them like crap when they come back. We treat illegal immigrants like visiting royalty instead. Why should our service members go to another country for crappy reasons? I would have a hard time fighting for a country that treats me that way.

My first thoughts are where are the families of these 400 vets? My second question is where are the governmental programs that are suppose to be in place to prevent this from occurring? Lastly, this is why "WE THE PEOPLE" should fire these crazy Senators and Congressmen who are pork barrel crazy. This is no time to spend billions of tax payers dollars on bridges that lead to nowhere. We're going to witness an increase in young veterans returning from war without receiving proper counseling adding to the number of homeless now on the streets.
This is a travesty to those in uniform in today's military service and a black-eye to vets in general. The President ask these brave people to go and fight an unjust war and the same President who sent them refuses to honor pledges made to veteran organizations during his campaign. The promise of free lifetime health care benefits for soldiers and their family members with varying service commitments during various time periods. Our military is under paid and over worked with no end to the madness in sight. It's time out these people stop being used as pawns in the President's chess game on terror and our military receive the care and attention they deserve. Better treatment facilities, shelters for vets, retirement pay, separate disability pay without a 10 year waiting period, and the list goes on but start somewhere and start today!

We have gone from a Super Power to a Super Liar and the rippling effects are going to be devastating for years to come. Let's tie a yellow ribbon around the truth and begin to do something about it. Maybe then we can tell the truth about our boarders and secure them, or the truth about the war and end it, and then there is Corporate greed...stop feeding the beast that's out of control.

This thread and discussion are Newsvine at its best. Meaningful answers and solutions can be developed from such endeavors. Of special interest has been those who commented that we should be taking care of our own. Maybe there should be a program where DoD becomes directly responsible for the support of veterans. Feed the hungry in mess halls. House the homeless in base housing. Provide jobs at military installations. Medical care at VA and government hospitals.