By Veterans Transitional Services

According to some reports more than 30,000 troops have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While in the past many of these wounded warriors would have died of their injuries, today due to medical advancements they are now surviving. The problem is that our systems are not designed to provide the necessary support for these disabled warriors and their family who often are the caretakers. It is not just the veterans that have to live with the disability, but also their families that will be living with the disability for the rest of their lives.

One of the most prevalent injuries of returning veterans from the Iraq war is traumatic brain injury. These types of injuries can drastically change a person from someone who might have been intelligent, funny, and charming to a person who is impatient, bitter, and in pain. Often this means that the veteran is completely disabled and unable to work forcing the spouse to carry the full weight of the financial responsibilities as well as care for their family.

In many cases these caregivers have had to sell the family home, quit their jobs, and move their families to be closer to hospitals. The result is that taking care of their disabled loved one becomes their full time occupation. They end up putting on hold their careers and lives and in some cases they are dealing with a person that does not resemble the love one before the injury. Gaining access to the limited benefits is time consuming and not at all easy and it is obvious they do need help in navigating through the bureaucracy of the benefits system.

The federal government has begun to address some of these issues. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in December a $4.7 million package of services for the families of injured veterans that includes help with transportation, respite care, and emotional support. Also, in January congress expanded the Family and Medical Leave act to require that employers allow caretakers to take up to 26 weeks to care for severely injured service members. This is a beginning but more has to be done and it is up to all of us in this country to become a voice for these disable veterans and their families.