tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/veterans-12825/articlesVeterans – The Conversation2024-01-08T21:22:07Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2194702024-01-08T21:22:07Z2024-01-08T21:22:07ZService dogs play vital roles for veterans, but Canada’s lack of standards makes travel and access difficult<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/service-dogs-play-vital-roles-for-veterans-but-canadas-lack-of-standards-makes-travel-and-access-difficult" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>It is becoming common to see dogs assisting people with their mental health in Canadian communities. Over the past five years, our <a href="https://www.pawsitiveconnectionslab.com">research lab</a> has been studying the <a href="https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v7i1.194">benefits of service dogs for Canadian veterans</a> dealing with post-traumatic stress injuries and other mental health challenges. </p>
<p>Our findings align with research from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22587">United States</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115212">Australia</a> emphasizing the valuable role of service dogs in veterans’ treatment plans. For example, service dogs can wake a veteran from a traumatic nightmare. </p>
<p>This finding also aligns with studies examining the positive effects of owning a pet on mental health. While there is a need for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274960">more research</a>, most anyone with a pet in their family can attest to some benefit. </p>
<p>Our research team is not only adding to the growing evidence about the benefits of specific tasks a trained service dog can assist a veteran with, but we are also uncovering the positive impacts of the human-animal bond. The <a href="https://www.avma.org/one-health/human-animal-bond">human-animal bond</a> is understood as a mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals. </p>
<h2>Approaches to training and standards</h2>
<p>In early 2023, our research lab identified nearly <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/629f8dcf8cbdb56e047bb866/t/642b0b527763c50e7c2be22a/1680542550706/UofS+-+Canadian+Service+Dogs.pdf">100 service dog training organizations</a> in Canada. The number is likely even higher today. This ranged from not-for-profit organizations that train a person’s pet dog to be a service dog, to for-profit organizations that provide a service dog to a veteran for a fee they are commonly asked to fundraise — this can be upwards of $30,000. </p>
<p>Considering this difference alone, it is easy to see why there is a need for service dog standards in Canada. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.scc.ca/en/standards/what-are-standards">Standards</a> are generally agreed upon rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results. Basically, they offer guidance, just like a recipe to make dog biscuits would! An example of a standard for service dogs is requirements for their selection, training, safety and welfare. </p>
<p>Given that there are very different approaches among organizations in how service dogs are trained and matched with veterans, neither the service dog industry nor Canada’s federal, provincial or territorial governments have come to any consensus on what the standards should be. </p>
<p>In fact, in 2017, the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/service-dogs-ptsd-standards-1.4625484">Canadian General Standards Board</a> continued a process that was initiated by members of the service dog community in <a href="https://www.cf4aass.ca/application/files/7516/6665/7748/firstcndmilassistdogsummitreport2013finalversion.pdf">2013</a>. The aim was to reach a consensus, but it was unsuccessful and may have inadvertently increased confusion and tension in the field. <a href="https://cf4aass.ca/application/files/6616/7651/1209/consensus-_standards_-are_they_going_to_the_dogs.pdf">The need for service dog standards was identified</a> at least two decades earlier in Canada. </p>
<h2>Impact of lack of standards</h2>
<p>The lack of national standards has led provinces and territories to take <a href="https://www.cf4aass.ca/resource-one/resource-six">assorted approaches</a>, if any, to public access for service dogs. This has resulted in numerous challenges for veterans, such as <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/service-dogs-in-public">travelling between provinces</a> with their service dogs. </p>
<p>It has prompted <a href="https://policies.usask.ca/documents/procedures-student-service-animals.pdf">businesses and organizations</a> lacking expertise about service dogs to create their own policies. It has also made human rights commissions and tribunals busy with <a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/12/02/service-dog-user-urged-to-file-human-rights-case">complaints</a>. </p>
<p>The impact of the lack of standards extends beyond its effects on veterans with service dogs. It also affects others matched with service dogs, including first responders and current Canadian Armed Forces members, as well as other forms of service dogs who are trained to assist, like <a href="https://autismdogservices.ca/">autism service dogs</a> and <a href="https://www.dogguides.com/programs/diabetic-alert/">diabetes alert</a> service dogs.</p>
<h2>Taking action to improve veteran health</h2>
<p>There may not be consensus in Canada right now about national and/or provincial and territorial service dog standards, but we are confident the field can agree upon one thing — our commitment to improving veteran health. </p>
<p>In the meantime, we propose a shift toward practical approaches that government, service dog organizations and trainers, businesses and members of the general public can take to improve veteran health. These suggestions recognize the value of the human-animal bond. </p>
<h2>Role of governments:</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Recognize the merits of developing standards through a process that honours the human-animal bond experiences of veterans and service dogs. Consider the guidance offered from the 2023 voluntary process undertaken by the <a href="https://www.cf4aass.ca/application/files/7216/9543/2723/CAN.HRSO-500.01-2023-A.1-EN.pdf">Canadian Foundation for Animal Assisted Support Services</a> to develop a management system for all animal-involved human support services. </p></li>
<li><p>Be familiar with the value of accreditation for organizational quality standards. In 2023, two service dog programs, <a href="https://www.canadianaccreditation.ca/accreditation/accredited-organizations/?wpv_view_count=937&wpv-wpcf-organization=audeamus&wpv_filter_submit=Submit&wpv_aux_current_post_id=932&wpv_aux_parent_post_id=932">Audeamus Inc.</a> and <a href="https://www.canadianaccreditation.ca/accreditation/accredited-organizations/?wpv_view_count=937&wpv-wpcf-organization=courageous+comp&wpv_filter_submit=Submit&wpv_aux_current_post_id=932&wpv_aux_parent_post_id=932">Courageous Companions Inc.</a>, achieved several accreditation standards (for example, Governance & Management) for the first time in Canada through the <a href="https://www.canadianaccreditation.ca/accreditation/accredited-organizations/">Canadian Accreditation Council</a>. Both Audeamus and Courageous Companions recognize the bond between a veteran and their service dog. </p></li>
<li><p>Accreditation in this case is not to be confused with service dog standards. <a href="https://www.canadianaccreditation.ca/">Accreditation typically reviews an organization’s general structures, programs and practices involving humans against the accrediting body’s standards</a>. </p></li>
<li><p>Review the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/federal-government-budgets/budget-2018-equality-growth-strong-middle-class/medical-expenses-tax-credit.html#wb-cont">Medical Expense Tax Credit — Service Animals</a> program that applies to veterans and consider the applicability of such a program to pets. Service dogs are specially trained to perform technical tasks well beyond what a pet can. However, recognition of the health benefits of the human-animal bond with pets is likewise important. </p></li>
<li><p>The <a href="https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/content/canadian-transportation-agency-issues-final-decision-about-travelling-emotional-support">Canadian Transportation Agency</a> can be looked to for guidance with its recent decision on how individuals being treated for a mental disability can travel in an air, rail or ferry passenger cabin with an <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/pov-sorting-out-the-service-dog-confusion-ainsley-hawthorn-1.5471013">emotional support animal</a>, and specifically dogs in an approved animal carrier. These passengers are recognized by a mental health professional to have a beneficial emotional connection or bond with their pet.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Role of service dog organizations and trainers:</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Service dog trainers embrace a <a href="https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/our-organization/our-direction/engagement/sha-engagement-framework/trauma-informed-engagement">trauma-informed approach</a> to provide services to people with a mental health concern. The online, three-hour <a href="https://servicedogtoolkit.ca/">Connecting for Veteran Wellness</a> certificate course recognizes the role of trauma and the beneficial influence of the human-animal bond on client health. It is now available at no cost.</p></li>
<li><p>Acknowledge the interconnectedness of human and animal welfare by exploring a
<a href="https://www.animalhealthcanada.ca/work-areas/one-welfare">One Welfare framework</a> to challenge the influence of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/speciesism">speciesism</a>, the assumption of human superiority over animals, in the service dog field. This aligns with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/h6040078">Indigenous worldviews</a> of the relationship between human, animal and planetary health.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Role of the general public:</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Recognize the challenges veterans face when in public with their service dogs, such as being denied access to a business because of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/this-service-dog-isn-t-a-golden-retriever-or-lab-is-that-why-this-woman-wasn-t-allowed-in-an-ontario-hotel-1.6711426">stigma</a> or having a stranger <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/service-dogs-in-public">ask them to disclose their disability</a> for their own interest by inquiring about the reason they need a service dog. </p></li>
<li><p>Be informed about what service dogs do and who they are, including that they can be any breed of dog. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>A recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193091">Canadian survey</a> by our research lab found that the Canadian public generally holds positive views of service dogs, with some groups (for example, women) more supportive than others. In this area, Canada is doing well!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219470/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Colleen Dell receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and has received funding from Health Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada to study service dogs.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linzi Williamson receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). </span></em></p>Organizations have very different approaches to training service dogs and matching them with veterans. Neither the industry nor Canada’s provinces and territories have come to a consensus on standards.Colleen Dell, Professor and Research Chair in One Health & Wellness, University of SaskatchewanLinzi Williamson, Assistant Professor, Psychology & Health Studies, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2187842023-12-12T19:53:39Z2023-12-12T19:53:39ZCanada owes its veterans new mental health tools: Access to psychedelic therapies is overdue<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/canada-owes-its-veterans-new-mental-health-tools-access-to-psychedelic-therapies-is-overdue" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The Canadian Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs recently released a striking report entitled <a href="https://sencanada.ca/en/info-page/parl-44-1/veac-psychedelic-therapies/"><em>The Time is Now: Granting Equitable Access to Psychedelic Therapies</em></a>. </p>
<p>To address high rates of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans, the report calls on Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to immediately implement “a robust research program funded by VAC and the Department of National Defence (DND) in partnership with Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and all other relevant partners.”</p>
<p>With psychedelic research, Veterans Affairs Canada has a real chance to live up to its mandate “to provide exemplary, client-centred services and benefits that respond to the needs of veterans, our other clients and their families.” </p>
<p>As a psychedelics researcher with an interest in veteran health, I couldn’t be happier, especially with the Senate focus on timeliness, equity and access. </p>
<p>Not only is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372244882_Knowledge_Synthesis_in_the_Science_of_Psilocybin_Scoping_Reviews_of_Clinical_and_Preclinical_Research">my PhD on the therapeutic application of psilocybin</a>, but my father was a veteran of the Canadian Forces, as is my brother and two uncles and both of my grandfathers. I grew up on Canadian Forces bases.</p>
<h2>Canada’s veterans</h2>
<p>Lt. Col. (ret’d) Jack Shore, my father, graduate of the <a href="https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&srchtxt=APPRENTICE%20SOLDIER">Soldier Apprentice Program</a> and a United Nations Peacekeeper in the <a href="https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/onucB.htm">Congo mission</a> of the early 1960s, passed away as I was working as a guest co-editor of a special edition of the <a href="https://jmvfh.utpjournals.press/toc/jmvfh/current"><em>Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health</em></a>. The theme of the edition is “Therapeutic use of psychedelics, entheogens, entactogens, cannabinoids and dissociative anesthetics for military members and veterans.” </p>
<p>While my Dad rarely talked about his time in the Congo, he experienced what we would now recognize as moral injury, and most likely PTSD. These conditions directly shaped our family life and upbringing. That was before Sudan, Rwanda, the Yugoslav wars and Afghanistan.</p>
<p>My childhood on bases occurred in time of relative peace, but Canada has now had a few generations of soldiers experience active combat. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://patientsmedicalhome.ca/resources/best-advice-guides/best-advice-guide-caring-for-veterans/">629,000 veterans living in Canada have rates of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder that are higher than the civilian population</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21956">One in seven is living with PTSD</a>. Veterans are <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/files/maxbellschool/ofha_veteran_homelessness_policy_brief_-_2023.pdf">two to three times more likely</a> to experience homelessness compared to the general population. </p>
<h2>Duty of care</h2>
<p>To veterans of the Canadian Forces and to their families, we owe a duty of care, and not just to provide services and access to novel treatments. We also have a duty to care enough to do the science well and to tackle the public policy challenges (including regulatory drug reform) necessary to provide Canadian veterans with effective care.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It is the Government of Canada’s duty to assure veterans that it is doing everything in its power, immediately, to respect its solemn commitment to support, at any cost, those who chose to defend us with honour.” — <a href="https://sencanada.ca/en/info-page/parl-44-1/veac-psychedelic-therapies/">The Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Senate of Canada</a> </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The role of the VAC includes paying for the cost of health-care benefits and other services for veterans through the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/topics/benefit-plans/plans/health-care-plan.html">Public Service Health Care Plan</a> and supplemental treatment benefits. While this single-payer provider model has advantages, it relies heavily on VAC staff and managers to assess and approve plans of care. </p>
<p>Developing a psychedelics research program for veterans should be seen as a public health priority. It will most likely require an independent panel of experts and stakeholders, including veterans, to help shape the agenda in a timely manner for the VAC. </p>
<h2>Psychedelic therapies</h2>
<p><a href="https://cimvhr.ca/">The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research</a> (CIMVHR), founded in 2010, is well positioned as the Canadian hub for military, veteran and family health research to provide the infrastructure to foster collaboration, ensure stakeholder engagement and work on the knowledge translation so necessary to rapidly developing the capacity and expertise of Canadian researchers.</p>
<p>We can build on the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05876481?term=Veteran&intr=Psilocybin&rank=1">currently conducting several psilocybin trials</a>, and the long-standing work of <a href="https://maps.org/">MAPS (Multi-disciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies)</a> in advancing MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD towards regulatory approval. We can also listen to the experts, such as Canada Health Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities Monnica Williams, who are calling for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01160-5">greater equity and improved inclusion of BIPOC veterans and researchers</a>. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“When we have tried everything in our toolbox but still cannot help our patients, it is truly time for some new tools.” —<a href="https://jmvfh.utpjournals.press/toc/jmvfh/9/5">Monnica Williams</a>, Canada Health Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities </p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-potential-of-psychedelics-to-heal-our-racial-traumas-218233">The potential of psychedelics to heal our racial traumas</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Psychedelic ketamine appears to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1192%2Fbjo.2021.1061">positive but short-lived outcomes</a> in the treatment of mood disorders, and ketamine clinics require evaluation given recent <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-warns-patients-and-health-care-providers-about-potential-risks-associated-compounded-ketamine">FDA warnings</a> about risks of commercialized mental health telemedicine and take-home doses.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the Canadian public may want to reconsider the policy framework that still severely limits access to these promising compounds for researchers, clinicians and those in need. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albertas-new-policy-on-psychedelic-drug-treatment-for-mental-illness-will-canada-lead-the-psychedelic-renaissance-195061">Alberta’s new policy on psychedelic drug treatment for mental illness: Will Canada lead the psychedelic renaissance?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Veterans have taken it upon themselves to support each other and to advocate for change. <a href="https://heroicheartsproject.org/">The Heroic Hearts Project</a> helps veterans access psychedelic therapies and has long championed the potential benefits of plant medicine ceremony.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.heroicheartsproject.ca/">Heroic Hearts Canada</a>, which aims to provide Canadian veterans with equitable access to safe, effective and affordable psychedelic therapies, has recently partnered with University of Calgary for some <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/research/participate/study/16168/are-you-veteran-canadian-armed-forces-have-you-investigated-working-psychedelics-legally">important observational research</a>.</p>
<h2>Faster progress to medical use</h2>
<p>The time lag from drug discovery to patient care is often decades, prompting the expression “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41231-019-0050-7">valley of death</a>” to refer to the gap between bench science and bedside care. </p>
<p>Given the real mental health needs of Canadian veterans, and the known limits on effectiveness for current standards of care, we must aim for quicker progress towards medical use, <a href="https://www.unodc.org/res/WDR-2023/WDR23_B3_CH2_psychedelics.pdf">as both the United States and Australia have done</a>. However, this progress must not be at the expense of safety and quality, and definitely not simply for commercialization. </p>
<p>Thought needs to be given to the development, evaluation and quality assurance of accessible programs for veteran-centred care, with Veterans’ voices at the table. It is time for more emphasis on psychedelics-related <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.04.025">implementation science</a>, the study of methods to promote the uptake (and identify barriers) of research findings into routine clinical use in order to improve effectiveness of health services.</p>
<p>There is <a href="https://healthsci.queensu.ca/source/Psychedelics%2520Research/Psychedelic%2520Medicine%2520Report%2520-%2520Final.pdf">robust and mounting evidence to support regulatory approval for MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapies</a>. Their availability and uptake by clinicians and the public is only a matter of time. </p>
<h2>The need for more diverse research</h2>
<p>Research funds now are best allocated towards large Phase 3 trials that treat wider cross-sections of the veteran community, to begin to assess the safety and efficacy of interventions such as the naturally ocurring and culturally significant psychedelic compounds <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2023.2220874">ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT</a> <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/2d897baa8a8203979eaf5ee7deb9037e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y">and ayahuasca</a>, and to invest in knowledge translation, program evaluation and training researchers and clinicians. </p>
<p>Apart from new biomedical research, it is time we recognized the widespread personal use of psychedelics, including among veterans, and develop safer use guidelines for psychedelics like those in place <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/alcohol/low-risk-alcohol-drinking-guidelines.html">for alcohol</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404169">cannabis</a>.</p>
<p>While the Senate report does not mention cannabis, it is worth noting that veterans in Canada have been <a href="https://dimensionsretreats.com/dimensions-retreats-algonquin-elevate-veterans-only/#:%7E:text=The%2520program%2520does%2520not%2520include,mind%252Dbody%2520practices%2520in%2520nature.">approved for treatment with cannabis-assisted therapy</a>. </p>
<p>This includes the use of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881121997099">cannabis as a psychedelic</a> and mimics the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-021-00401-8">preparation-session-integration protocols</a> of psychedelic therapies. This intervention is also worth rapid evaluation and possible expansion. </p>
<p>Given the pressing needs of Canadian veterans and the limitations of our current tools, the need for research on psychedelic therapies, as well as for timely and equitable access, is urgent.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218784/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ron Shore worked for, and consulted to Dimensions Health Centres in 2021 and 2022; he continues to own shares in the company.</span></em></p>One in seven Canadian veterans is living with PTSD. Developing a psychedelics research program for veterans should be a public health priority.Ron Shore, Research Scientist, Queen's Health Sciences and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2004172023-04-25T12:27:16Z2023-04-25T12:27:16ZWhite power movements in US history have often relied on veterans – and not on lone wolves<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512087/original/file-20230223-4425-vmxhup.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A member of the Ku Klux Klan shouts at counterprotesters during a July 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va., calling for the protection of Southern Confederate monuments.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/member-of-the-ku-klux-klan-shouts-at-counter-protesters-news-photo/810860866?phrase=white%20supremacists%20rally&adppopup=true">Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>For decades, the white power movement has gained steady momentum in the U.S. <a href="https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/kathleen-belew.html">Kathleen Belew</a> is an expert on the history of the white power movement and its current impact on American society and politics. Her book “<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078">Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America</a>” examines how the aftermath of the Vietnam War led to the birth of the white power movement.</em></p>
<p><em>In March 2023, Belew spoke at the <a href="https://www.imaginesolutionsconference.com/">Imagine Solutions Conference</a> in Naples, Florida, about how the narrative of the “lone wolf” actor distracts from the broader threat of the white power movement in America. The Conversation asked Belew about her work. Her edited answers are below.</em></p>
<figure>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Kathleen Belew speaks at the 2023 Imagine Solutions Conference.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is the white power movement?</h2>
<p>The white power movement is an array of activists that is, in all ways but race, remarkably diverse. Since the late 1970s, it has convened people of a wide variety of belief systems, including <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/ku-klux-klan">Klansmen</a>, <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/neo-nazi">neo-Nazis</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/77.3.1221">white separatists</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/01/883115867/white-supremacist-ideas-have-historical-roots-in-u-s-christianity">proponents</a> of white supremacist religious theologies, and, starting in the late 1980s, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0031322X.2016.1243349">racist skinheads</a> and militia movement members. These activists represent a <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078">wide range</a> of class positions. The movement has long included men, women and children; felons and religious leaders; high school dropouts and holders of advanced degrees; civilians and veterans and active-duty military personnel. They have lived in all regions of the country, including suburbs, cities and rural areas.</p>
<h2>How has the legacy of US warfare fueled white power groups?</h2>
<p>After every major American war, <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078">the historical record</a> shows a surge in membership and activity among extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. In each example, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/military-police-and-rise-terrorism-united-states">these groups also adopt</a> elements of military activity, like uniforms, weapons and the latest military tactics. But this doesn’t mean that these surges are entirely composed of veterans. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Violence-Military-Social-Weapons-ebook/dp/B00PSSF7UC?ref_=ast_author_dp">All measures of violence rise after warfare</a>, including acts carried out by women, children and older people. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan have been able to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bring-War-Home-Movement-Paramilitary/dp/0674237692/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678477040&sr=8-1">use this postwar opportunity</a> for their own purposes: recruitment and radicalization.</p>
<h2>When and why did the white power movement emerge in the US?</h2>
<p>The white power movement <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/19/us/the-secret-history-of-white-power.html">came together</a> in the late 1970s around a <a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/605661710">shared narrative of the Vietnam War</a>. In this narrative, the war exemplifies the failure of government, the betrayal of the American people by the government and the betrayal of American men by the state. </p>
<p>Disillusioned veterans and civilians alike mobilized around a number of other <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Backlash-Undeclared-Against-American-Women/dp/0307345424">social grievances, such as dissatisfaction</a> with changes caused by feminism, the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/eyesontheprize-responses-coming-civil-rights-movement/">Civil Rights Movement</a> and other movements at home, as well as frustrations with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/00021482-74.2.366">economic changes like the farms crisis</a> and the general move to financialization in the 1970s that made it harder to find and keep a working-class job.</p>
<p>This disaffection allowed for the white power movement to recruit in two different ways: narrative force – the story that was used to hold these activists together; and contextual force – the social grievances many of them had in common.</p>
<h2>What role do women play in the white supremacist movement?</h2>
<p>People often think of the white power and militia movements as men’s movements. It’s true that the <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/white-supremacy-returned-mainstream-politics/">majority of media reports heavily feature men</a>; that’s because those who participate in public demonstrations and those who get arrested because of underground activity tend to be men. But this is a movement that has relied in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190204204.013.37">extraordinarily heavy ways on women</a>. </p>
<p>Women have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190265144.003.0013">been tasked with normalizing</a> and legitimating violence, orchestrating recruitment and maintaining the relationships that allow this movement to operate as a social network. Take, for instance, the <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078">Aryan Nations World Congress</a>, a 1983 meeting in which the white power movement declared war on the United States. This meeting featured men’s speeches and ideological activities, a cross burning and a swastika burning. But it also featured matchmaking and a big spaghetti dinner, which socially bound activists together to enable the organization of violence. Women were indispensable for arranging these kinds of activities and for maintaining strong relationships between groups.</p>
<h2>Where do US veterans fit in?</h2>
<p>Veterans are specifically targeted for recruitment into white power groups because they and active-duty service members have a set of experiences and expertise that is very much in demand by these groups. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/24/us-military-white-supremacy-extremist-plot">Veterans have tactical training</a>, munitions expertise and weapons training that the white power movement wants because it is trying to wage war on the American government – in fact, this movement has <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/113968/witnesses/HHRG-117-VR00-Wstate-JonesS-20211013.pdf">directed recruitment</a> specifically aimed at veterans and active-duty troops. </p>
<p>While very few veterans returning from war join white power groups, the groups still feature an <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/02/06/signs-of-white-supremacy-extremism-up-again-in-poll-of-active-duty-troops/">enormous percentage of people who are veterans</a> or active duty – or falsely claim to be. This is because those military roles are in high demand among these groups – and their command structure within the movement mirrors military organization. </p>
<h2>How can the US address its lack of care toward veterans?</h2>
<p>The white power movement is one example of a broader social failure to support veterans and to reckon with the cost of warfare. This movement is able to <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/06/23/military-veterans-targeted-by-extremists-preying-on-patriots/">opportunistically mobilize disaffected people</a> in the aftermath of war because <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Failing-Our-Veterans-Vietnam-Generation/dp/0814724876">our society lacks robust social structures</a> to reintegrate people after warfare and to have a real public discourse about the price of war. </p>
<p>Before <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/magazine/fall-of-kabul-afghanistan.html">the fall of Kabul</a> in Afghanistan, my undergraduate students at Northwestern and the University of Chicago had been at war for their entire living memory. These are kids who don’t remember 9/11. And yet that war has not featured prominently even in the list of the top five or 10 crises facing our nation. In the recent past, war has not been at the center of our political conversation. We <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629612001178">don’t reckon with the massive impact</a> the people who serve in our armed forces shoulder for the nation. </p>
<p>In all of these ways, the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/war-on-terror-timeline">global war on terror</a> has <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/113968/witnesses/HHRG-117-VR00-Wstate-Miller-IdrissC-20211013-U1.pdf">continued the cycle</a> of generating a recruitment opportunity for extremist groups. We are now in the middle of a <a href="https://acleddata.com/2022/12/06/from-the-capitol-riot-to-the-midterms-shifts-in-american-far-right-mobilization-between-2021-and-2022/">massive groundswell of white power</a> and militant right activity, both underground and in public-facing actions.</p>
<h2>What are you working on now that people might not be aware of?</h2>
<p>My next project departs from the white power movement to examine gun violence in America, specifically the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/1990s/columbine-high-school-shootings">Columbine shooting</a> – which happened when I was in high school, not far from where I was in high school – as a fulcrum point between the 20th century and the 21st. There were mass shootings at schools and elsewhere before Columbine. But Columbine really marks the moment when mass shootings became normalized. I think the event signals major fissures in the social fabric and reflects other massive changes in how society thinks about place, politics and violence – not only in Colorado but in the nation as a whole.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200417/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An expert in American history explains the white power movement, its impact on veterans and women and how the Vietnam War was the impetus for extremist groups to gain new members.Kathleen Belew, Associate Professor of History, Northwestern UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2007932023-03-16T12:33:43Z2023-03-16T12:33:43Z54% of firearm deaths in the US are from suicide – and easy access to a gun is a key risk factor<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514028/original/file-20230307-18-j1qfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Suicide deaths involving firearms have increased over last decade.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/old-semi-automatic-hand-gun-royalty-free-image/1249406015">Josiah S/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514546/original/file-20230309-20-2qyuqj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>More than half – 54% – of all firearm deaths in the United States in 2021 were attributable to suicide, according to <a href="http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html">February 2023 data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. </p>
<p>Suicide deaths involving firearms – the <a href="http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html">most common means of suicide</a> in the U.S. – have increased 28% since 2012. Groups particularly at risk <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/258916/number-of-firearm-suicide-deaths-in-the-united-states-by-gender/">include men</a> <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/data.asp">and veterans</a>, who are more likely to have access to and experience with firearms. Research also suggests that alcohol use is a significant risk factor for gun-related suicides, as opposed to suicides involving less lethal means. This is particularly true for <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2012-04031710.1136/injuryprev-2012-040317">young adults and middle-aged people</a>.</p>
<p>Access to firearms is a <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.7326/M13-1301">key risk factor for suicide</a> due to their high lethality. Suicide attempts that involve firearms end in death <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.7326/M19-1324">90% of the time</a>. Suicide is often an impulsive act, and when a person has access to swift and lethal means such as a firearm, there is limited opportunity to intervene or allow for a suicidal impulse to pass. </p>
<p>It is a common myth that once a person has made up their mind to die by suicide it is not possible to prevent them from doing so. In fact, most individuals who survive an attempt <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.181.3.193">do not attempt suicide again</a>, and those who survive an initial attempt using one method are <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199112053252305">unlikely to switch</a> <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12091256">to a different method</a>.</p>
<p>These findings underscore the importance of <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031811-124636">restriction of access to firearms</a> as a <a href="https://afsp.org/extreme-risk-protection-orders#what-the-research-shows">critical suicide prevention strategy</a>. </p>
<p>Research indicates that storing a firearm safely <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2003.017343">reduces the risk</a> of the owner – as well as others, including any <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1078">children living in the home</a> – dying by suicide. </p>
<p><a href="https://project2025.afsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Toolkit_Safe_Firearm_Storage_CLEARED_508_2-24-20.pdf">Firearm safety measures</a> include gun safes, lockboxes, storing firearms separate from ammunition, and either <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305545">voluntarily</a> or involuntarily removing firearms from the home when a person has a mental health condition or other warning signs for suicide risk.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/red-flag-laws-saved-7-300-americans-from-gun-deaths-in-2020-alone-and-could-have-saved-11-400-more-185009">Nineteen states</a> – <a href="https://casetext.com/statute/california-codes/penal-code-pen/part-6-control-of-deadly-weapons-16000-34370/title-2-weapons-generally-17500-19405/division-32-gun-violence-restraining-orders-18100-18205">California</a>, <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/2018/title-29/chapter-529/section-29-38c/">Connecticut</a>, <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2018/790.401">Florida</a> and <a href="https://mdcourts.gov/district/ERPO">Maryland</a> among them – as well as the <a href="https://oag.dc.gov/public-safety/dcs-red-flag-law-removing-guns-potentially">District of Columbia</a> have enacted so-called <a href="https://theconversation.com/red-flag-laws-saved-7-300-americans-from-gun-deaths-in-2020-alone-and-could-have-saved-11-400-more-185009">red flag laws</a>. These allow law enforcement, family members and sometimes school administrators or health care professionals to petition the court to remove a firearm from the home of a person at risk of harming themselves or others.</p>
<p>In addition to these measures, policymakers and care providers can address other risk factors for suicide as part of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy. This includes <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30285348/">screening and identifying</a> people who are at high risk, treating underlying mental health conditions, improving <a href="https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/essays/mental-health-access-and-suicide.html">access to mental health care</a> and encouraging <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/factors/index.html">stronger family and community connections</a>. Prevention priorities also include reducing <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/factors/index.html">risk factors</a> such as exposure to violence, financial strain and chronic illness.</p>
<p>Another strategy is training friends, teachers, clergy, coaches and other community members in assessing suicide risk and referring individuals to resources. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2018.1509749">has been shown</a> to increase both the likelihood that a trained helper offers needed assistance, as well as the likelihood that the person who is suffering seeks help.</p>
<p><em>If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to speak with a trained listener. Veterans can press 1 after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. Or, text HELLO to 741741. Both services are free, available 24/7, and confidential.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200793/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heidi Zinzow receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She has previously received funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institutes for Health.</span></em></p>Keeping weapons locked away and unloaded reduces the risk of death by suicide for gun owners and their children.Heidi Zinzow, Professor of Psychology, Clemson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1943072022-11-09T20:10:55Z2022-11-09T20:10:55ZVeterans have fought in wars – and fought against them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494474/original/file-20221109-10538-h9y26d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A participant at an anti-war protest marches in New York City in March 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1231820484/photo/participant-seen-holding-a-flag-at-the-protest-anti-war.jpg?s=612x612&w=gi&k=20&c=X2fZ2fahtnH3Nf-8bMygS5w348yqTgo81dW5o3Jr2GI=">Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If former President Donald Trump had his way, the nation would have celebrated the centennial of the World War I armistice with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/planning-trump-s-military-parade-finally-getting-underway-n887431">a massive military parade in Washington, D.C.</a>, on Nov. 11, 2018.</p>
<p>But that never happened. When Pentagon officials announced the president’s decision to cancel the parade in August 2018, they blamed local politicians for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/us/politics/trump-military-parade.html">driving up the cost of the proposed event</a>.</p>
<p>There may have been other reasons.</p>
<p>Veterans were especially outspoken in their opposition. Retired generals and admirals feared such a demonstration would embarrass the U.S., placing the nation in the company of <a href="http://time.com/5137317/donald-trump-military-parade-officers/">small-time authoritarian regimes</a> that regularly parade their tanks and missiles as demonstrations of their military might. </p>
<p>President Joe Biden took a different path and last marked Veterans Day <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2841579/biden-pays-homage-to-service-members-in-veterans-day-speech/">in 2021</a> with a traditional ceremony remembering veterans at Arlington National Cemetery. </p>
<p>But at the time in 2018, some veterans organizations opposed the parade because they saw it as a celebration of militarism and war. </p>
<p>Veterans of past wars, as I document in my book “<a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/guys-like-me/9781978802810">Guys Like Me: Five Wars, Five Veterans for Peace</a>,” have long been at the forefront of peace advocacy in the United States. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A row of green tanks go by on a street, with a small crowd of people watching from bleachers" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Trump was inspired to have a U.S. military parade after watching this French one in 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trump-US-France/35424f89195b4bcbb002a6d4df627ecd/14/0">AP/Carolyn Kaster</a></span>
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<h2>Politicians’ betrayal?</h2>
<p>In 2018, the advocacy group Veterans for Peace joined a coalition of 187 organizations that sought to “<a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/files/6315/3444/0593/Sign_on_Statement_Against_Military_Parade.pdf">stop the military parade; reclaim Armistice Day</a>.” </p>
<p>In the past few years, the group has organized to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has lobbied Biden to <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/pressroom/news/2022/03/08/release-stop-padding-pentagons-budget-86-groups-tell-biden">decrease military spending</a>.</p>
<p>And as I have shown <a href="https://www.unconventionalcombat.com">in my research</a>, activists from Veterans for Peace and another veterans group known <a href="https://aboutfaceveterans.org">as About Face</a> have also worked to link demilitarization efforts to actions to address climate change and racial justice activism.</p>
<p>There is a deep history to veterans’ peace advocacy.</p>
<p>As a young boy, I got my first hint of veterans’ aversion to war from my grandfather, a World War I Army veteran. Just the mention of Veterans Day could trigger a burst of anger that “the damned politicians” had betrayed veterans of “the Great War.”</p>
<p>In 1954 Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day. In previous years, citizens in the U.S. and around the world celebrated the <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-i-ends">11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918</a> not simply as the moment that war ended, but also as the dawning of a lasting peace. </p>
<p>“They told us it was ‘the war to end all wars,’” my grandfather said to me. “And we believed that.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An old newspaper cover says in big black font, Germany has surrendered, World War ended at 6 AM" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The New York Tribune on Nov. 11, 1918.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1918-11-11/ed-1/seq-1/#words=over+end+surrendered+Over+war+ENDED+War+armistice+SURRENDERED+End+surrender+WAR+Armistice">Library of Congress</a></span>
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<h2>Veterans for peace</h2>
<p>What my grandfather spoke about so forcefully was not an idle dream. In fact, a mass movement for peace had pressed the U.S. government, in 1928, to sign the <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg">Kellogg-Briand Pact</a>, an international “<a href="http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/kbpact.asp">Treaty for the Renunciation of War</a>,” sponsored by the United States and France and subsequently <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Internationalists/Oona-A-Hathaway/9781501109867">signed by most of the nations of the world</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg">A State Department historian described the agreement</a> this way: “In the final version of the pact, they agreed upon two clauses: the first outlawed war as an instrument of national policy and the second called upon signatories to settle their disputes by peaceful means.” </p>
<p>The pact did not end war, of course. Within a decade, another global war would erupt. But at the time, the pact articulated the sentiments of ordinary citizens, including World War I veterans and organizations like the <a href="https://www.vfw.org/">Veterans of Foreign Wars</a>, who during the late 1930s opposed U.S. entry into the deepening European conflicts.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp">In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law</a> changing the name of the holiday to Veterans Day to include veterans of World War II and the Korean War.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Eisenhower on June 1, 1954, signing the legislation that changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:72-901-1_HR7786_Veterans_Day_June_1_1954.jpg#/media/File:72-901-1_HR7786_Veterans_Day_June_1_1954.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span>
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<p>For my grandfather, the name change symbolically punctuated the repudiation of the dream of lasting peace. Hope evaporated, replaced with the ugly reality that politicians would continue to find reasons to send American boys – “guys like me,” as he put it – to fight and die in wars.</p>
<p>World War I, like subsequent wars, incubated a generation of veterans committed to preventing such future horrors for their sons. </p>
<p>From working-class Army combat veterans like my grandfather to retired generals like <a href="https://fas.org/man/smedley.htm">Smedley Butler</a> – who wrote and delivered public speeches arguing that “war is a racket” benefiting only the economic <a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Racket-Antiwar-Americas-Decorated/dp/0922915865">interests of ruling-class industrialists</a> – World War I veterans spoke out to prevent future wars. And veterans of subsequent wars continue speaking out today.</p>
<p>There have been seven U.S. presidents since my grandfather’s death in early 1981 – Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden – and each <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42738.pdf">committed U.S. military forces to overt or covert wars</a> around the world. </p>
<p>Most of these wars, large or small, have been met with opposition from veterans peace groups. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Vietnam Veterans Against the War was a <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814751473/">powerful force in the popular opposition to the American war in Vietnam</a>. And <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/">Veterans for Peace</a>, along with <a href="https://aboutfaceveterans.org">About Face: Veterans Against the War</a>, remains outspoken against America’s militarism and participation in wars in the Middle East and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Were he alive today, I believe my grandfather would surely express indignation that American leaders continue to send the young to fight and die in wars throughout the world. </p>
<p>Still, I like to imagine my grandfather smiling had he lived to witness some of the activities that will take place this Nov. 11: Veterans for Peace will join other peace organizations in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the U.S. and the world, marching behind banners that read “<a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/take-action/armistice-day">Observe Armistice Day, wage peace</a>!”</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an <a href="https://theconversation.com/veterans-have-fought-in-wars-and-fought-against-them-99966">article originally published on Nov. 8, 2018</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194307/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Messner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Veterans of past wars have long been at the forefront of peace advocacy in the United States.Michael Messner, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1885792022-08-12T07:14:40Z2022-08-12T07:14:40ZRoyal commission delivers damning interim report on defence and veteran suicide. Here’s what happens next<p>The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has released its interim <a href="https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2022-08/interim-report.pdf">report</a> after more than 1,900 submissions and 194 witnesses.</p>
<p>It includes recommendations considered so urgent the royal commission is making them now (it still has two years left to run).</p>
<p>After years of lobbying efforts by the veteran community, the government finally relented and established the royal commission in 2021. The evidence presented and initial findings justify how important it is. </p>
<p>The interim report is a good start and we hope the problem of independence and accountability for the effects of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) culture and systems will be addressed. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-veteran-on-average-dies-by-suicide-every-2-weeks-this-is-what-a-royal-commission-needs-to-look-at-157582">One veteran on average dies by suicide every 2 weeks. This is what a royal commission needs to look at</a>
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<h2>A culture of tribalism and exclusion</h2>
<p>Defence and veteran suicide is predominantly understood as a mental health issue. But an overemphasis on mental health neglects the impact institutional cultures and systems have on the wellbeing of service personnel.</p>
<p>Institutional abuse is a significant issue in the ADF. The hierarchical and closed character of the military provides environments where service personnel can harass and bully each other. </p>
<p>Cohesion and a sense of pride and loyalty in each unit are central to military effectiveness. But this can create the conditions for abuse.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2022-08/interim-report.pdf">we told the royal commission</a>, there’s often a culture of tribalism and exclusion in military settings. This is created by factors including hyper-masculinity, intense stigma against acknowledging injuries (physical or psychological), and the total authority commanders have over military life.</p>
<p>The military justice system permits commanders to use their discretion to discipline their subordinates, which can result in administrative violence. This refers to commanders using their authority arbitrarily to make the life of a subordinate unbearable.</p>
<p>From our own research into <a href="https://www.opendoorveteran.com/institutional-abuse-and-organisational-reform-in-the-adf">institutional abuse in the ADF</a>, the effects of a closed system that perpetrates administrative violence against members can be a contributing factor in veterans self-harming. </p>
<p>We also consistently heard how these processes were used to further traumatise victimised members. We call this the second assault.</p>
<h2>Moving from military to civilian</h2>
<p>The royal commission recognises the importance of the transition from military to civilian life. Moving from the closed military institution to the open civilian world is a significant upheaval, with service personnel losing their sense of identity, purpose and belonging.</p>
<p>The ADF is very effective at socialising civilians into the military – it needs to direct that expertise to transitioning them safely out. </p>
<p>Another key focus of the interim report is the management of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and the claims system. When veterans leave the service the DVA manages their injuries. </p>
<p>The royal commission noted the DVA had yet to determine more than 62,000 claims as of June 2022. It recommends urgent and immediate action to clear the backlog of claims, as claim delays can significantly worsen veterans’ mental health. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-many-military-veterans-leaving-the-force-is-the-biggest-battle-157774">For many military veterans, leaving the force is the biggest battle</a>
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<h2>Unable to change</h2>
<p>The royal commission is right to ask why it has taken so long for the ADF to change, despite decades of scrutiny.</p>
<p>It identified over 50 previous reports, with 750 recommendations since 2000. The commissioners say: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have been dismayed to come to understand the limited ways that Australian Governments have responded to these previous inquiries and reports. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>We recently concluded an Australian Research Council Discovery grant on <a href="https://www.opendoorveteran.com/institutional-abuse-and-organisational-reform-in-the-adf">institutional abuse in the ADF</a>. We conducted nearly 70 interviews with survivors and assessed the ADF’s inquiries and policy attempts to reform military culture. Our yet-to-be-published research extends back to 1969 – when the same culture of bullying was identified, followed by institutional cover-up and victim blaming.</p>
<p>The ADF has undertaken many inquiries into these problems yet has been unable to effect meaningful change. </p>
<h2>Independent scrutiny is crucial</h2>
<p>The royal commission flagged there’s a “compelling case” for an independent body to oversee the implementation of recommendations from inquiries and reviews. The commission will explore this further over its final two years.</p>
<p>We think the development of an independent body that sits outside the chain of command is urgent. The entity should also be able to address member grievances. </p>
<p>At the institutional level, Defence has been unable to reform itself and needs to be subject to independent scrutiny.</p>
<p>But this isn’t the first time such an entity has been flagged. In 2005, the Senate Inquiry into the Effectiveness of the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/miljustice/report/index">Australian Military Justice System</a> recommended something similar, called the Australian Defence Force Administrative Review Board. It was vetoed by Defence and the federal government. </p>
<p>This highlights a fundamental tension for the ADF – between keeping things in house and continuing the legacies of abuse, or empowering an external body that protects the rights of service personnel. The problem is such an entity will inevitably come into conflict with the ADF command. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-royal-commission-must-find-ways-to-keep-veterans-out-of-jail-176880">The royal commission must find ways to keep veterans out of jail</a>
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<p>The royal commission must seek more answers from the leaders and commanders of the ADF and DVA. Their leadership is the key site of institutional dysfunction that disempowers members, veterans and their families, and perpetuates the systems of abuse.</p>
<p>The royal commission must stand up to this power in order to recognise and support those who serve their country.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call the following support services:</em></p>
<p><em>Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (phone and online counselling)</em></p>
<p><em>Defence Member and Family Helpline: 1800 628 036</em></p>
<p><em>Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 (24-hour crisis support)</em></p>
<p><em>ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line: 1800 628 036</em></p>
<p><em>1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 - 24-hour counselling service for sexual assault, family and domestic violence</em></p>
<p><em>Men’s Referral Service - 1300 766 491 (for men concerned about their own use of violence, or abuse)</em></p>
<p><em>Open Arms: 1800 624 608 (free and confidential, 24/7 national counselling service for Australian veterans and their families, provided through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs)</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188579/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Wadham received funding from the Australian Research Council for research on institutional abuse and organisational reform in the ADF. He also received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs on veterans and higher education pathways, as well as Veteran wellbeing measures and Veteran in Corrections. Ben also received funding from the Freemasons Male Health and Wellbeing Research Centre and Flinders Foundation to research male veteran suicide. Ben also received funding from the Hospital Research Foundation for research on female veteran experiences of military to civil transition. Ben also is funded by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Sucide.
Ben is a member of the Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA), the Royal Australian Regiment Association (SA), the Australian Peacekeepers and Peacekeeping Veteran's Association and the Military Police Association of Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Connor receives funding from the Australian Research Council for research on institutional abuse and organisational reform in the ADF. James is also funded by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.</span></em></p>The evidence presented and initial findings show how important the royal commission is.Ben Wadham, Director, Open Door: Understanding and Supporting Service Personnel and their Families, Flinders UniversityJames Connor, Associate professor, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1853912022-06-30T19:49:47Z2022-06-30T19:49:47ZFriday essay: why soldiers commit war crimes – and what we can do about it<p><em>The following essay contains disturbing images and language.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>In 2020, the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force released the <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/IGADF-Afghanistan-Inquiry-Public-Release-Version.pdf">Afghanistan Inquiry</a> into Australian Defence Force Special Forces atrocities in Afghanistan. The report – commonly known as the Brereton Report – resulted in a flurry of analysis debating how and why Australian soldiers could have committed war crimes. </p>
<p>Some commentators <a href="https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/special-forces-issues-have-deep-historical-roots/">focused on</a> “high operational tempos” that increased soldiers’ dependence on their teams. Others emphasised how operational independence among “elite” forces allowed “charismatic leaders” to influence teams with a “warrior hero” culture. A <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/IGADF-Afghanistan-Inquiry-Public-Release-Version.pdf">common thread</a> was that counterinsurgency warfare made it difficult to differentiate allies, civilians and enemies among the local population.</p>
<p>While these factors are important, analyses focusing on unit problems tend to treat culture as a static and internal problem, rather than an ongoing practice influenced by broader society. Similarly, the stress on counterinsurgency warfare negates the fact that similar crimes are also <a href="https://granta.com/products/an-intimate-history-of-killing/">well documented</a> in trench warfare and in occupations in conventional wars. </p>
<p>For policymakers, military leaders and the general public, a deeper understanding of the nature of war crimes is crucial if we want to prevent them from happening again.</p>
<p>War crimes reflect social prejudices. They are shaped around wartime laws and policies, and are facilitated by cultural veneration of the military. Historical comparisons between general infantry forces in Vietnam and special forces in Afghanistan show that atrocities have at least as much to do with broader social, political and cultural fabrics as they do with tempo, leadership and internal culture. </p>
<p>Military leaders, policymakers and civilians should recognise that atrocities, far from being aberrations, are likely outcomes of warfare. By proactively tackling troop prejudices, anticipating the manipulation of policies in the field, and encouraging civilian engagement with the realities of warfare, we can reduce the likelihood of war crimes in the future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fit-for-service-why-the-adf-needs-to-move-with-society-to-retain-the-public-trust-159924">'Fit for service': Why the ADF needs to move with society to retain the public trust</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Trained to dehumanise the enemy</h2>
<p>Military recruits are commonly trained to dehumanise the race or ethnicity of their enemy forces. This dehumanisation facilitates combat and strengthens the collective identity among soldiers. By <a href="https://granta.com/products/an-intimate-history-of-killing/">portraying</a> an enemy group as fundamentally different – less valuable, less human – the group establishes unity within the “Self” and justifies violence towards the “Other”. </p>
<p>American and Australian Vietnam veterans, for instance, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9891453-bomber">remembered</a> their training as “bastardisation”, where “the loathing was hammered in”. They were “taught to hate the gooks, to see them as less than human. You can’t kill a Vietnamese, but it’s easy to blow away a gook or a slope”. </p>
<p>Troop racism is often an intensified version of prejudices apparent in broader societies. After 9/11, for example, Islamophobia in Australia <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/eighty-per-cent-of-muslims-in-australia-say-they-have-experienced-discrimination/od64j7jmr">became</a> more pronounced, with overt discrimination, suspicion and violence towards Muslims. </p>
<p>Suspicion of Afghans flows through the Brereton Report into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan: “local nationals were presumed to be hostile”, and Special Forces aimed to “‘clear’ the battlefield of people believed to be insurgents, regardless of the Law of Armed Conflict”. This suggests that the soldiers viewed the entire population on “the battlefield” – that is, Afghans living on their own lands – as the enemy. </p>
<p>Racism in the larger Australian military <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/IGADF-Afghanistan-Inquiry-Public-Release-Version.pdf">allowed</a> atrocities to continue unchecked: Australian Defence Force officers responded to Afghan complaints about Special Forces conduct with “a presumption, not founded in evidence, to discount local national complaints as insurgent propaganda or motivated by a desire for compensation”.</p>
<p>Similarly, militaries from patriarchal societies <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-43170-7_15">find</a> misogyny among their ranks, manifesting in both institutional violence and war crimes. </p>
<p>Historian Christian Appy <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/433286.Working_Class_War">found</a> that in US basic training for Vietnam, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the model of male sexuality offered as a military ideal in boot camp was directly linked to violence […] Drill instructors repeatedly described war as a substitute for sex or as another form of sex.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sexualised descriptions of warfare are prolific in Vietnam War <a href="https://www.vashonbooks.com/product/59407/Drowning-out-the-Drums-a-Marine-Comes-Home-John-Akins">memoirs</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>killing is sexual. Death too […] Someone once asked me to describe up-close combat in a nutshell. How about this? Pure pussy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These links between masculinity, sex, violence and military authority produced atrocities. Journalists and scholars reported that the rape and murder of women was so widespread in Vietnam that soldiers <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250045065/killanythingthatmoves">coined</a> the term “double veteran” to glorify perpetrators. In a war where combat soldiers felt vulnerable to guerrilla attacks, mines and booby traps, rape was frequently used to assert control, reinforcing soldiers’ sense of masculinity and authority.</p>
<p>Underlying gendered and racialised atrocities is a psychological drive to conquer through violence. Australia, like other Western nations involved in “the War on Terror”, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18335330.2016.1231414">saw</a> a resurgence of white male supremacy in the 21st century. Indeed, <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/clash-ignorance/">the agendas</a> of neo-colonial “West versus the rest” foreign policies “supercharged” white male supremacist movements.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471353/original/file-20220628-25-lzkh13.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">US marines pose with the SS flag.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This resurgence is particularly apparent in the military, with groups of deployed soldiers bearing white supremacist symbols, including the Nazi and Confederate flags, Ku Klux Klan hoods and the Crusader’s Cross. </p>
<p>White male supremacy helps to explain atrocities that intentionally degrade victims: torture, rape and war pornography. For soldiers who <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Colonial+Present%3A+Afghanistan+Palestine+Iraq-p-9781577180890">see themselves</a> as “crusaders” fighting a war for “civilisation” against “barbarism”, racialised and gendered violence are logical steps in maintaining racial and gender hierarchies. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1007&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1007&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471546/original/file-20220629-18-9xvqfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1007&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Detainee in Abu Ghraib prison, Iraq, 2003.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Public domain/Wikimedia commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Political scientist Laleh Khalili <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/review-of-international-studies/article/abs/gendered-practices-of-counterinsurgency/7226869010B937A9A36D15DFCD92041F">notes</a> that in the War on Terror, torture practices were frequently shaped around religious humiliation and emasculation, based on “an orientalist understanding of what is considered honourable or shameful in ‘Muslim culture’”. Similarly, the common tendency for soldiers to <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250045065/killanythingthatmoves">document their atrocities</a> reflects a desire to exert total control over the Other. </p>
<p>Finally, degrading war crimes are often collective practices. Perpetrators enact and share power with one another, reinforcing values and establishing loyalty within the group.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/owning-up-australia-must-admit-its-involvement-in-afghanistan-has-been-an-abject-failure-166213">Owning up: Australia must admit its involvement in Afghanistan has been an abject failure</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How military policies shape war crimes</h2>
<p>Soldiers who commit atrocities are responding to military policies: Laws of Armed Conflict (international law) and Rules of Engagement (country-specific policies). Some soldiers who commit war crimes interpret Rules of Engagement in contradiction to Laws of Armed Conflict. Some deliberately exploit the former to violate the latter. In both situations, crimes are shaped by the policies set out to prevent them.</p>
<p>There is strong evidence to suggest that military frameworks prevent soldiers from recognising violations of international law. Veterans often use techno-strategic language to describe torture during interrogations, corpse desecration, forced displacement and small-group civilian killings in free-fire zones, indicating that they learned these crimes as lawful tactics. </p>
<p>For example, in both Vietnam and Afghanistan, Australian soldiers desecrated corpses. One Vietnam veteran <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781741987638/">remembered</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I blew up bodies […] It saved time digging a hole. They used to call it an engineer’s burial. I was well aware of the psych ops angle of it because they’d always try and take their dead away with them. If you understand the Asian mind, you know they all want to go to the happy hunting ground in one piece and have a proper burial.</p>
<p>So, by blowing the body to shithouse, it will piss off the ones that are still alive.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The veteran’s choice of words here – “they used to call it” – indicates this was not an isolated incident. Another veteran <a href="https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&context=vietnamgeneration">remembered</a> a </p>
<blockquote>
<p>policy of dumping VC [Viet Cong] bodies in town market squares or dragging them behind Armoured Personnel Carriers, in sight of the village children, both methods supposedly meant to draw out further VC sympathisers. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Similarly, the ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/killings-of-unarmed-afghans-by-australian-special-forces/8466642">Afghan Files</a> revealed that in 2013, an SAS corporal severed hands from the bodies of three Afghan insurgents. When questioned, the corporal explained that it was “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/afghan-files-shed-light-on-notorious-severed-hands-case/8496654">a tactical necessity</a>” to collect fingerprints.</p>
<p>Vietnam veterans were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108972987">also trained to think</a> that mistreating and killing civilians was lawful under certain circumstances. The US-led pacification strategy to isolate rural civilians from revolutionary forces involved the forced displacement of civilians. </p>
<p>To secure the Australian base at Nui Dat, the nearby villages of Long Tan and Long Phuoc were destroyed and the villagers resettled by “clearing patrols”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>we’d put up huts and then we’d go into a village and say, “right, we are going to shift you into this lovely beaut place you’re going to live in”. And you’d take them out of there, take everybody out. Then you’d burn them [the villagers’ huts]. And then you start to hear screaming. And then they’d all come out, because some of them were Viet Cong.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Once the area was “cleared”, it was designated a “free-fire” or “restricted” zone, which soldiers were instructed to treat as “enemy territory”. </p>
<p>Free-fire zones are not a legal instrument of war. Nor is displacing civilians and destroying their property. Yet through these policies, soldiers justified mass killings and total destruction. “I flew infantry on helicopters,” one US veteran recalled, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>and we did search-and-destroy missions. We would fly into a village, enemy village, and we would kill everything and every pig and chicken and water buffalo and burn down every hooch in the place, just because it’s enemy territory.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Killings in free-fire zones are the kinds of acts commonly referred to as “fog of war” incidents. Recent investigations into Australian war crimes deliberately avoided all “fog of war” accounts, because ambiguity around intention made them nearly impossible to prosecute.</p>
<p>Yet examining more ambiguous actions reveals that military policies can produce atrocities. Social anthropologist Heonik Kwon <a href="https://california.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1525/california/9780520247963.001.0001/upso-9780520247963">argues</a> that displacement and “free-fire” policies led directly to massacres. </p>
<p>While Australian and American military understood that any Vietnamese in “free-fire” zones were the enemy, displaced civilians monitored the situation in their homes carefully, petitioning local authorities for visitation rights and travelling back and forth to tend to family farms. </p>
<p>“Safe” villages attracted returning civilians, but could be quickly recategorised as “free-fire” zones by military command without the villagers’ knowledge. In the case of the 1968 My Lai massacre, the villagers “considered the US soldiers in [nearby] My Khe to be friends”.</p>
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Read more:
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<p>Soldiers also exploited ambiguity around “fog of war” incidents to commit atrocities. US Vietnam veterans described a policy whereby Vietnamese were deemed enemy forces if they ran away. Soldiers would shoot near civilians to “test” them, and kill them when they jumped or fled: “they were killed for being frightened. And of course they were frightened, because they knew they might be killed.” </p>
<p>Similarly in Afghanistan, the Brereton Report <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/SOCOMD-Culture-and-Interactions-Insights-and-Reflection-Jan-16_0.pdf">alleges</a> that soldiers developed an expansive interpretation of Rules of Engagement around “spotters” and “squirters” – people suspected of relaying information to the Taliban, or believed to be running to or from a weapons cache – to justify killing. In doing so, they instilled fear among the local population, giving Afghans good cause to flee and allowing soldiers to claim further killings of “squirters”.</p>
<p>Military lawyers were aware of these “sanctioned massacres”, and tried to limit soldiers’ ability to kill by changing the Rules of Engagement, but soldiers “just got more creative in how they wrote up the incidents”. </p>
<p>Civilian murder is a direct result of “body count” or “kill count” measures of victory, where military success is equated to the number of enemy killed. In both Vietnam and Afghanistan, soldiers competed to outscore other patrols in the count and deliberately planted “throwdowns” (weapons or equipment) on dead bodies to document them as legal killings. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1972/01/22/coverup">My Lai massacre</a>, for instance – in which over 500 civilians were slaughtered, with many tortured and raped – was initially reported by the US military as a “fierce fire fight”, in which US soldiers killed 128 “enemy”, justified by the recent “free-fire zone” designation and three planted weapons.</p>
<p>In Afghanistan, the Brereton Report concluded that Australians’ frequent use of “throwdowns” originated as a “strategy of avoiding scrutiny” when a killed Afghan “turned out not to be armed”. It then <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/four-corners-sas-allegations-war-crimes/12028522">morphed into</a> a deliberate practice to conceal calculated murder, with soldiers allegedly carrying a backpack with materials to plant on non-combatants. The practice was widespread enough that soldiers “use[d] to joke about how the same serial number [of a gun] was in every single photo of a dead Afghani [sic]”.</p>
<p>The torture and murder of prisoners also demonstrates deliberate subversion of Laws of Armed Conflict. </p>
<p>Sociologist Samantha Crompvoets <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/SOCOMD-Culture-and-Interactions-Insights-and-Reflection-Jan-16_0.pdf">found</a> “corroborated accounts” that Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan would detain men and boys in guesthouses in villages and torture them, depriving them of food, water and medicine, “do anything at all they wanted to”, and then kill them. These practices were <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Torture_and_Democracy/-L8GtJY_J00C?hl=en&gbpv=1">justified</a> as “interrogation”, an institutional as well as individual defence by Western forces in the War on Terror. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-line/id1560743789">common justification</a> for the murder of prisoners is “medical termination”. An Australian Vietnam veteran described killing a wounded enemy in his memoir, and when later challenged <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/military/All-Guts-and-No-Glory-Bob-Buick-with-Gary-McKay-9781865082745">claimed</a> it was a “mercy killing”. More recently in Iraq, US Navy SEAL medics <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/eddie-gallaghers-shocking-claim-seals-intended-detainee-die/story?id=77462164">admitted</a> that they killed a captured militant by doing “medical scenarios on him until he died”. UK and US soldiers confirmed no one they fought with ever wanted to save a wounded enemy combatant.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-investigating-potential-war-crimes-in-afghanistan-just-became-much-harder-and-could-take-years-171412">Why investigating potential war crimes in Afghanistan just became much harder – and could take years</a>
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<h2>Culture, national myths and war crimes</h2>
<p>The occurrence of these atrocities contradicts <a href="https://www.americanheritage.com/secret-soldiers-who-didnt-shoot">a widespread belief</a> that combat soldiers exhibit an unwillingness to kill. Many civilians want to believe that soldiers can fight effectively, honourably and unwillingly out of duty. This belief allows civilians to revere soldiers who do the nation’s “dirty work”. Underpinning this admiration is a view that international law is abstract and idealistic, and that soldiers have their own “moral code” grounded in the realities of warfare.</p>
<p>“War is a messy business,” <a href="https://www.2gb.com/war-is-a-messy-business-brendan-nelson-backs-under-fire-war-hero/">according to</a> the former Australian War Memorial Director Brendan Nelson, who “question[s] whether the national interest is in trying to tear down our heroes”. A petition to “<a href="https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-stop-the-witch-hunt-support-the-sasr-and-ben-roberts-smith?redirect=false">stop the witch hunt</a>” against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith described how Special Forces “deploy to the hottest hot spots [… to] do a job that the vast majority of people cannot do”, and claims that “you want men like this defending the country”. </p>
<p>Our cultural approach to war tacitly approves ultraviolence while avoiding any discussion of what it actually entails, entrenching the idea that combat and killing impart special knowledge and setting soldiers beyond civilian judgement. Ironically, the belief that “good” soldiers use violence unwillingly promotes the idea that killing is the key to military legitimacy.</p>
<p>Military veneration produces soldiers who are attracted to service because it allows for “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-03/instagram-account-from-australian-special-forces-mocks-killings/12595062">state-sanctioned violence</a>”. In post-Vietnam “professional” Western militaries, violence is linked to status: the most elite soldier is one whose work “outside the wire” is dangerous and taboo.</p>
<p>In 2018, the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Angus Campbell, had to issue <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-19/army-bans-troops-from-wearing-skulls-death-symbols/9673242">a ban</a> on “death symbols” among deployed troops who expressed their military identity with “violent, murderous and vigilante symbolism”. </p>
<p>Fascination with violence manifests in atrocities that perform brutality: stomping, beating, or “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2020/one-last-mission/">crushing the life</a>” out of people; collecting body parts as “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/photo-reveals-australian-soldier-drinking-dead-taliban-prosthetic-leg">trophies</a>” of military prowess; “blooding” new soldiers with the murder of a prisoner to achieve their “<a href="https://theconversation.com/allegations-of-murder-and-blooding-in-brereton-report-now-face-many-obstacles-to-prosecution-145703">first kill</a>”. </p>
<p>Blooding establishes killing as a rite of passage for a military elite, binding perpetrators into a code of silence. Crimes that perform brutality <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/SOCOMD-Culture-and-Interactions-Insights-and-Reflection-Jan-16_0.pdf">reinforce</a> military veneration and fascination with violence: Australian perpetrators were “equated with being good and effective soldiers”.</p>
<p>National narratives that celebrate “good” soldiers as the pinnacle of national identity also shield perpetrators of war crimes. In Australia, a central theme of the Anzac legend is that Australian soldiers are innately superior to those of our allies. This narrative is frequently deployed to deflect allegations of Australian atrocities. </p>
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<p>During <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/02/how-the-good-war-went-bad-elite-soldiers-from-australia-uk-and-us-face-a-reckoning">an admission</a> of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan, one soldier added that “whatever we do […] I can tell you the Brits and the US are far, far worse”. Another theme is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Australias-War-1914-18/Beaumont/p/book/9781863734615">the idea</a> that Australian soldiers are so good at warfare – so formidable, yet honourable – that other groups recognise and respect them. </p>
<p>Media coverage of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan emphasised that Australians were “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2020/one-last-mission/">feared red beards fighting a fierce but just campaign</a>”, idolising soldiers even as they reported alleged atrocities. The term “red beards” <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/11/03/one-reason-you-shouldnt-go-to-afghanistan-with-a-beard">is actually</a> used by Afghans as a pejorative for special forces across Western militaries, because of their mistreatment of civilians. </p>
<p>In this reverent cultural context, war crimes allegations in Australia just don’t seem to stick. Afghans have repeatedly accused Australian soldiers of atrocities throughout the 20-year War on Terror, <a href="https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/SOCOMD-Culture-and-Interactions-Insights-and-Reflection-Jan-16_0.pdf">but</a> although “many atrocities have been documented in the media”, they “seem to disappear shortly after they surface”. Cultural mythologisation of Australian warfare allows soldiers to get away with murder.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-australian-veterans-who-opposed-national-service-and-the-vietnam-war-158958">The forgotten Australian veterans who opposed National Service and the Vietnam War</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>De-radicalising the armed forces</h2>
<p>Soldier atrocities reflect the social and cultural fabric of their home nation, and crimes are shaped by military policies intended to prevent them. These factors are often interlinked; the process of the blooding of a soldier (cultural) requires both the dehumanisation of the local population (social) and the exploitation of Rules of Engagement to cover it up (policies).</p>
<p>What can we do about war crimes? The first step is acknowledging that they have happened throughout history, and that they are happening now. </p>
<p>Ongoing impunity suggests that these actions are not only considered justified in the context of war, but morally acceptable. Civilians and journalists should critically evaluate how the historical narratives they deploy around Australian war-fighting erase wrongdoing and perpetuate fascination with violence.</p>
<p>The military also needs to learn from the devastating results of dehumanising enemies in past conflicts. They need to urgently implement de-radicalisation in recruitment and training processes. This must go beyond <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/ielapa.663593082615132">ineffective cultural sensitivity training</a>. Prospective defence members should be screened and soldiers continuously evaluated for prejudices.</p>
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<p>These prejudices must be taken seriously, with the connection between prejudice and atrocity made explicit to soldiers. More broadly, Australians ought to question foreign policies that reflect and encourage racism in our communities, which will inevitably be reflected in our institutions.</p>
<p>To avoid future atrocities, military leaders must anticipate that strategies and tactics will be subverted in the field to commit crimes. They should explore “fog of war” incidents to understand how military policies can produce atrocities, drawing lessons from war crime allegations. Leaders should pay attention to how psychological operations against “the enemy” engender brutality against “the people”.</p>
<p>The history of war crimes shows us that atrocities are a likely outcome of warfare. The Brereton Report claimed that “few would have imagined some of our elite soldiers would engage in the conduct that has been described”. Yet for anyone who had paid attention to the unfolding War on Terror, the allegations came as no surprise. </p>
<p>If preventative actions seem beyond the scope of possibility, we must question whether our military can serve its purpose. The Brereton Report acknowledged that in Uruzgan province, where Australians were based with the mission of “improving the conditions of the Afghan people”, Australian Defence Force operations were counterproductive: “it is plain that [raids] were a terrifying experience for villagers.” </p>
<p>Violent counterinsurgencies engender deep resentments, undermining local authorities who cooperate with occupying forces and weakening resistance to insurgent movements. Long-contested territory in the War on Terror, Uruzgan was among the first provinces to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-14/taliban-nears-kabul-as-insurgents-take-more-cities/100377048#">fall to the Taliban</a> in August 2021. The “fear and terror” our soldiers instilled in the local population surely played a role. </p>
<p><em>This is an edited extract from <a href="https://unsw.press/books/lessons-from-history/">Lessons from History: Leading historians tackle Australia’s greatest challenges</a>, edited by Carolyn Holbrook, Lyndon Megarrity and David Lowe (NewSouth).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185391/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mia Martin Hobbs does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Soldier atrocities are shaped by our society, culture, and political fabric. Preventing them will require a comprehensive rethinking of policies, attitudes, and approaches to war.Mia Martin Hobbs, Research Fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1826372022-06-05T12:22:14Z2022-06-05T12:22:14ZD-Day: The politics involved in how war should be memorialized and remembered<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466657/original/file-20220601-70047-1cisb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C70%2C994%2C634&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Troops of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade head to shore in Bernières-sur-Mer, Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gilbert Alexander Milne, Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada, PA-122765</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Villages and towns along the Normandy coast will fill with visitors this week to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Normandy-Invasion">D-Day landings</a> on June 6. Flags will fly to welcome and acknowledge those who fought in <a href="https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/d-day/order-of-the-day.pdf">the Great Crusade</a>. Over the summer, <a href="https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/normandy/commemorations/2022">hundreds of commemorations</a> will take place to mark <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/104/1045321/six-armies-in-normandy/9781844137398.html">80 days of battle</a>. </p>
<p>While not the only contribution by Canadian service men and women, D-Day takes a prominent place in Canada’s cultural memory of the <a href="https://douglas-mcintyre.com/products/9781550549133">Second World War</a>. </p>
<p>As a researcher of war heritage, I have observed and participated in commemorations in Normandy over the years. My focus has been on how the region, as a memorialized landscape of war, is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Managing-and-Interpreting-D-Days-Sites-of-Memory-Guardians-of-remembrance/Bird-Claxton-Reeves/p/book/9781138592476">managed and interpreted</a>. I am also interested in the <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203134900-14/12-place-identities-normandy-landscape-war-geoffrey-bird">meaning people draw</a> from the histories and stories told at these sites of memory. </p>
<p>My research has been augmented by my time as a guide at Vimy Ridge, by serving in the navy and by producing films as part of the <a href="https://warheritage.royalroads.ca/">War Heritage Research Initiative</a> at Royal Roads University. </p>
<p>This year’s anniversary offers a moment to consider how Canadians use commemoration as an act of community and a reflection of national identity. We are undergoing a turn in the evolution of war remembrance. </p>
<h2>The politics of remembrance</h2>
<p>The politics of remembrance refers to the <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300110685/remembering-war/">many voices</a> engaged in how war and the fallen should be memorialized and remembered — from the challenges and opportunities associated with <a href="https://youtu.be/43vFu-sJlNw">memorial design</a>, <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-boys-of-pointe-du-hoc-douglas-brinkley?variant=32205222314018">speeches by heads of state</a> and <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9781442616042/art-at-the-service-of-war/">war art</a>, to the interpretation of a <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/memorializing-pearl-harbor">war heritage site</a>. </p>
<p>Politics of remembrance evolve with new interpretations of the past to suit present-day ideological needs. While expected, the politics of remembrance illustrate how the past can <a href="https://www.ubcpress.ca/death-so-noble">unify</a> <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/608022/the-fight-for-history-by-tim-cook/9780735238374">or divide</a> people in the present. And the forces at play seem to be changing — three issues point to a new politics of remembrance. </p>
<p><strong>1. The passing of veterans</strong>: There is the inevitable passing of Second World War veterans. With less than <a href="https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-vac/news-media/facts-figures/1-0">20,000 veterans remaining</a>, in their passing we lose the voice of witnesses. </p>
<p>New generations will become entirely reliant on learning about the Second World War through various secondary means, like museums, schools, local commemorations and books and films. More funding to support communities to remember and commemorate <a href="https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/centenary_canada">is important</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man lays a wreath in a park with the assistance of another man" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466354/original/file-20220531-20-ondvwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">D-Day Veteran Jack Commerford lays a wreath during a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Canadian war heritage overseas under threat</strong>: In the early 2000s, the <a href="https://www.junobeach.org/">Juno Beach Centre</a> was established in Normandy, but it is currently under threat due to <a href="https://www.junobeach.org/juno-beach-centre-under-threat/">condo development</a>. The centre’s mandate was ambitious — to not only teach about what happened in Normandy and Canada’s wartime involvement, but of Canada as a nation. </p>
<p>Veterans realized the importance of a commemorative hub in Europe for Canada’s Second World War story. <a href="https://www.junobeach.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JBCA-5-Year-Strategic-Plan_February_2022.pdf">That vision</a>, and the centre itself, warrants a national effort to protect and preserve this cornerstone of Canadian heritage overseas.</p>
<p><strong>3. Contest to own war memory</strong>: There is an evolving political contest to own war memory, and with it, to take the high ground of Canadian identity. Earlier this year, <a href="https://twitter.com/erinotoole/status/1488980291108900864?s=20&t=Q2cZgebs_DJIp-cvuEkbRg">Erin O’Toole</a> claimed to lead the party of “Robert Borden and Vimy Ridge.” And there was public outcry over the <a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/police-look-to-identify-suspect-in-desecration-of-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-1.5765615">desecration</a> of the National Memorial by the so-called “freedom convoy” and the efforts to “<a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/maclellan-rolling-thunder-and-the-meaning-of-the-national-war-memorial">reclaim</a>” it. </p>
<p>Similar to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-canadian-flag-and-the-freedom-convoy-the-co-opting-of-canadian-symbols-176436">co-opting of the Canadian flag</a>, Canada’s war memory has become a source of inspiration and misinterpretation to justify opinions concerning the nature of freedom and what it means to be Canadian. The consequences are divisive and diminish the memory and sacrifices of Canadians.</p>
<h2>A moral obligation to remember</h2>
<p>Inherent in the politics of remembrance is the belief among many that there is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15027570.2020.1797987">moral obligation to remember</a>. </p>
<p>The meaning of remembrance is open to interpretation because <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-importance-of-personal-memory-on-remembrance-day-126252">each person’s</a> experience with and connections to war, military and civilian, are different. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People walk up to a modern building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466435/original/file-20220531-46163-i4bszx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, France.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jockrutherford/49139351541/in/photolist-WkwPWs-mtTTC-2hSh2dZ-bBrHJv-bowPK5-2hSh2DZ-WoLZuP-bBrGSp-2hSh2Tb-WkwPTw-WkwQ2s-XYicgk-bBrKUR-25trzr3-YWSNMY-25oGgN7-FNhn2g-XURWVA-BTsfEw-YCuWu1-YVmtwo-XYvwBk-YYuYuf-YWPmiw-BTsj57-XV2HH3-BTtRFG-YZK3pp-XV1LY3-YZJFog-YVmEa7-XV1ZLh-Z2dskk-XYtLG8-XUUWA1-YVmM4N-XYpUUZ-YWTF5m-YVuDzU-BUomsq-YZKhxe-XYnNkF-YVscLJ-XYsHQD-YAWVmQ-YAZvru-BTsQa7-YAY21y-BTAVds-XYqmhT/">(Jock Rutherford/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Remembrance for the post-veteran generations involves learning about history and trying to comprehend the what, how and why remembering is relevant today. Visiting sites of war memory, such as Normandy, assist in gaining <a href="https://canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/events-page/study-tours/">new perspectives</a> while acknowledging that remembrance is also a journey to imagine the past and its context.</p>
<p>Standing in the footsteps of soldiers triggers many reflections, including on the violence of war, responsibility, camaraderie, sacrifice, liberation and freedom. People often think about what they would do, as hard as it is to imagine. Commemorating with other nationalities is important in Normandy, especially with <a href="https://untpress.unt.edu/catalog/dolski-d-day-in-history-and-memory/">those who were liberated</a>, and serves to reconcile the past with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511551109">former enemies</a>. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://exepose.com/2019/12/11/the-politics-of-remembrance%E2%80%8B-nationalism-and-the-state/">nationalism brews with ease in remembrance</a>, there are many sites of war memory stripped of worldviews, leaving only the universally shared sense of loss and death, and the call for humanity and peace. </p>
<p>I think of places like Place des 37 Canadiens in Authie, Normandy, where <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/normandy-massacres">soldiers who had surrendered were executed</a>. These histories are profound and gut-wrenching. But spending time there allows the visitor to break free of the <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/fallen-soldiers-9780195071399?cc=ca&lang=en&">myth of the war experience</a>. </p>
<p>Remembrance as a force to heal, reconcile and unify, is something that should also be done here at home.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182637/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoffrey Bird does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Remembrance for post-veteran generations involves learning about history, trying to comprehend the what, how and why and its relevance today.Geoffrey Bird, Professor of war heritage, memory and culture, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1768802022-02-14T05:21:49Z2022-02-14T05:21:49ZThe royal commission must find ways to keep veterans out of jail<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446152/original/file-20220214-21-1uh3ltu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Hunt/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au">royal commission</a> into veteran suicide returned for its second session of hearings on Monday. </p>
<p>With one veteran dying by suicide every <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-veteran-on-average-dies-by-suicide-every-2-weeks-this-is-what-a-royal-commission-needs-to-look-at-157582">two weeks in Australia</a> and evidence veterans have <a href="https://theconversation.com/veterans-have-poorer-mental-health-than-australians-overall-we-could-be-serving-them-better-119525">poorer mental health</a> than Australians overall, this work is urgent and important. </p>
<p>But as the royal commission investigates the risk factors around veterans’ mental health, it is missing a key part of the puzzle: contact with the criminal justice system. </p>
<h1>Prison, veterans and mental health</h1>
<p>A key part of minimising the risk of veteran suicide is keeping veterans out of jail. </p>
<p>Time in prison is itself associated with a <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/2e92f007-453d-48a1-9c6b-4c9531cf0371/aihw-phe-246.pdf.aspx?inline=true">higher risk of suicide</a>. There is also some evidence <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-11/Rapid%20Evidence%20Assessment.pdf">veterans are over-represented</a> in Australia’s jail system compared to other occupations. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/life-just-went-to-crap-why-army-veterans-are-twice-as-likely-to-end-up-in-prison-128129">'Life just went to crap': why army veterans are twice as likely to end up in prison</a>
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<p>Nationally, it has been <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/twrp_mhpr.pdf">estimated </a> nearly 3% of defence force personnel are arrested within a few years of finishing their military service. About 5% of those who have left full-time military service are reported as being arrested or imprisoned. </p>
<p>We know many veterans have complex mental health disorders - such as PTSD - as a result of their military service, and this can lead to criminal conduct and time in prison.</p>
<p>In Australia, the mental health of veterans who have been in prison is not well understood. Prison and military service separately increase the chance of suicide, and this tends to indicate that veterans who have been in jail have a significantly <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-11/Rapid%20Evidence%20Assessment.pdf">increased risk of suicide</a>. </p>
<h2>Recognition is not enough on its own</h2>
<p>Military service - including training and deployment - can of course be traumatic and dangerous. It is also done on behalf of Australia. Because of this, veterans are owed a particular debt by government and society. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Sign showing the way to the royal commission hearing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446146/original/file-20220214-17-wfe1zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The royal commission held its first session in November 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jono Searle/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 2019, <a href="https://theconversation.com/drafts/176880/edit">new federal legislation </a> recognised the need to support veterans and their families. But this was largely a symbolic act. We need proper investigations into the complex, continuing, and uncomfortable consequences of military service on veterans’ health and welfare. </p>
<p>The key issue is how society can best support veterans returning to civilian life. This includes strategies to prevent veterans ending up in the criminal justice system, but also offer specialised support to those who do.</p>
<h2>Specialist veterans courts</h2>
<p>This sort of support already exists in the United Kingdom and United States. In the US, for example, eligible veteran defendants have a specialist pathway out of the criminal justice system through veterans’ treatment courts. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-veteran-on-average-dies-by-suicide-every-2-weeks-this-is-what-a-royal-commission-needs-to-look-at-157582">One veteran on average dies by suicide every 2 weeks. This is what a royal commission needs to look at</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>In general, these courts provide treatment to veterans who have committed nonviolent crimes and are suffering mental health disorders related to military service. A growing <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318635845_A_National_Study_of_Veterans_Treatment_Court_Participants_Who_Benefits_and_Who_Recidivates">body of evidence</a> suggests these courts are more successful at preventing re-offending than jail time, and also improve the health and well-being of participants.</p>
<h2>Could this work in Australia?</h2>
<p>There are several similar models in operation in Australia, including the <a href="https://www.drugcourt.nsw.gov.au/">NSW drug court</a> and mental health courts for other at-risk groups such as those with drug addictions and serious mental illnesses.</p>
<p>A veterans’ court would be a problem-solving court, with an emphasis on rehabilitation, allowing service providers and veteran peers to work with veterans to move away from criminal conduct. </p>
<p>Individuals participating in veterans’ court processes may have their sentence suspended or their sentencing hearing deferred while they complete a drug treatment program or other treatment option. On successful completion of the program, the individual may even avoid a prison term. </p>
<h2>What next for the royal commission</h2>
<p>The royal commission will provide an interim report by August 11 2022 and a final report by June 15 2023 – so there is still time for a thorough consideration of veterans’ contact with the criminal justice system. </p>
<p>This is relevant under the <a href="https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/about/terms-reference">terms of reference</a>. While they do not specifically mention the courts or criminal justice system, they do include “systemic issues and any common themes among defence and veteran deaths by suicide”. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-studied-50-years-of-royal-commissions-heres-how-they-make-a-difference-159231">We studied 50 years of royal commissions — here's how they make a difference</a>
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<p>Further work with veterans’ bodies in Australia will be necessary to determine the feasibility of and demand for veterans’ courts. But once this work is done, such courts could provide a practical, evidenced-based way to help those who have served our country. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If you or anyone you know needs help or is having suicidal thoughts, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or beyondblue on 1300 22 46 36.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176880/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the royal commission investigates the risk factors around veterans’ mental health it needs to look at contact with the criminal justice system.Arlie Loughnan, Professor of Criminal Law, University of SydneyClare Davidson, Research fellow, The University of Western AustraliaSarah Murray, Professor specialising in public law and less-adversarial justice, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1667562021-10-07T04:24:27Z2021-10-07T04:24:27ZFar right and extremist groups are targeting military veterans for recruitment. Does the ADF owe them a duty of care?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423738/original/file-20210929-18-1ijmnm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C11%2C7360%2C4891&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Even before extremist group activity in <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/mornings/shane-patton-lockdown-protests/13509882?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf248843094&utm_campaign=abc_melbourne&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf248843094=1&fbclid=IwAR0Ow3bJV5JX6uUE7X-4xX4D_J0eUgnw19I4S6M3MsVq6UcofMXEgkzUETY">Australia’s 2021 anti-lockdown protests</a> was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/25/far-right-exploiting-anger-at-lockdowns-to-radicalise-wellness-community-police-say">exposed</a>, concern about right-wing extremism in Australia was on the rise.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.asio.gov.au/publications/speeches-and-statements/director-generals-annual-threat-assessment-2021.html">ASIO</a> and the US annual threat estimate have noted <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2021-Unclassified-Report.pdf">right-wing extremism in Australia is on an upward trend</a>. Ideological extremism now makes up <a href="https://www.asio.gov.au/publications/speeches-and-statements/director-generals-annual-threat-assessment-2021.html">40%</a> of the ASIO caseload.</p>
<p>Our research at the University of Canberra’s <a href="https://www.governanceinstitute.edu.au/centres/national-security-hub">National Security Hub</a> is investigating online influence operations targeting Australia, including its veteran community. This is a global problem and was one of many issues noted at this year’s <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/law/cytrec/projects/tasm/">International Terrorism and Social Media Conference</a> in the UK.</p>
<p>For researchers like us, who focus on the wellness of veterans – particularly during the fallout from the military withdrawal from Afghanistan – such extremist groups present a complicated and dangerous threat to the community.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1429577176546828291"}"></div></p>
<h2>Transition to civilian life</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.245890505329073">transition to civilian life</a> can be a vulnerable time for many veterans. Rates of suicide, homelessness and incarceration are alarmingly high for Australian veterans. </p>
<p>Some veterans find their <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.245890505329073">ideological beliefs are tested during transition to civilian life</a>, when they feel most disconnected from the military community that has so far played such a fundamental role in their sense of self. </p>
<p>It is during this period, rather than during service, when veterans are <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.245890505329073">particularly vulnerable</a> to radicalisation.</p>
<p>In some cases, <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.245890505329073">veterans have voiced being actively ostracised by their former colleagues for leaving the military</a>. This has in turn caused them to feel disillusioned with the entire institution. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C4608%2C3049&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man looks at his phone at night." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C4608%2C3049&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423737/original/file-20210929-16-1rwazmt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Well-designed prevention programs may help deter recruitment by extremist groups hoping to take advantage of military skill and knowledge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This, unfortunately, can make these veterans more vulnerable to appeals and influence by extremist groups offering the mateship and camaraderie now missing in their lives.</p>
<p>Such groups often promote a mission-based approach, which may attract those lacking the feeling of purpose they valued in military service. </p>
<p>There’s a risk this may lead to well-meaning veterans being enticed into participating in groups whose ideals they would normally have considered to be questionable.</p>
<h2>A broader risk to the public</h2>
<p>This is not a uniquely Australian issue.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/958915267/nearly-one-in-five-defendants-in-capitol-riot-cases-served-in-the-military">Nearly one in five defendants</a> in the prosecutions undertaken in response to the January 6 US Capitol attack had served in the military.</p>
<p>Escalation from participation in online forums to physically violent acts can happen quickly and sometimes without clear warning signs. These extremist groups aim to gain an already trained cohort of members who cannot only be immediately activated, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dskVval50AE">are also able to train others</a>. </p>
<p>Those with military experience and training in combat, weaponry, or explosives are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09546553.2021.1957675?needAccess=true">clear threats</a> if radicalised by extremist groups. One <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09546553.2021.1957675?needAccess=true">study</a> suggests some veterans tend to affiliate with such groups as instructors, rather than undertaking extremist acts themselves. </p>
<p>The newly established UK-based Veterans 4 Freedom (V4F) group even lists <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9936399/Secret-army-200-weapons-obsessed-ex-soldiers-plotting-attacks-vaccine-centres.html">service in the military as a requirement for membership</a>. </p>
<p>This group claims to be around 200-strong and is focused on “anti-vaccine” offensives, such as organising marches. In discussions on the group’s private Telegram account, however, it appears to be planning to escalate its activities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9936399/Secret-army-200-weapons-obsessed-ex-soldiers-plotting-attacks-vaccine-centres.html">Media reports</a> suggest discussions on the platform even include awareness that currently serving military members may well become “enemy combatants” as a result of V4F’s actions. Not only are these “freedom defenders” anticipating a confrontation, they are prepared to fight their former brothers and sisters-in-arms to achieve their goals.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1363584938763833347"}"></div></p>
<p>Veterans in Anglo democracies are being targeted by both overt and covert online influence campaigns using <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/15/tech/facebook-iran-hackers/index.html?utm_source=twCNNi&utm_term=link&utm_content=2021-07-15T19%3A31%3A02&utm_medium=social">fake military profiles</a> to connect with and deceive defence contractors and current and former military members. </p>
<p>Veterans are also ideal targets for international online influence operations encouraging promotion of particular political candidates, parties or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19434472.2017.1299782?casa_token=Qe6qmoruBd8AAAAA%3AgPyhhHQ0tqjEImreLBqmVus9WQNTno4CcYDXufSqfVWQ-8RoHgr9t6lcylV336mbBC0Vqkc_czhEPQ">ideologies</a>. Many of these operations originate in <a href="https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=senatedocs">Russia</a> or <a href="https://jamestown.org/program/chinas-intensifying-pressure-campaign-against-taiwan/">China</a>. </p>
<h2>A duty of care</h2>
<p>So, what duty of care does the Australian Defence Force owe to its members — and the community at large — to better prepare veterans for threats they may encounter when transitioning to civilian life?</p>
<p>Organisations such as the <a href="https://gifct.org/">Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism</a> (a collaboration between the technology industry, government, civil society, and academia) are actively engaged in monitoring and preventing violent extremist content and activity on online platforms. </p>
<p>But military members and their families would likely benefit from awareness and prevention programs designed specifically for the community — particularly if offered <em>before</em> they transition to civilian life. </p>
<p>Support should also be offered to assist and protect veterans seeking to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19434472.2017.1299782?casa_token=Qe6qmoruBd8AAAAA%3AgPyhhHQ0tqjEImreLBqmVus9WQNTno4CcYDXufSqfVWQ-8RoHgr9t6lcylV336mbBC0Vqkc_czhEPQ">leave such groups</a>.</p>
<p>Well-designed prevention programs may help deter recruitment by extremist groups hoping to take advantage of military skills and knowledge, and could be offered as part of military exit processing. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone
you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or visit the <a href="https://www.openarms.gov.au/">Open Arms</a> website</em>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166756/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carli Kulmar has received funding from the Australian Defence Force for grey zone research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Jensen receives funding from the Australian Defence Force for research regarding grey zone activities targeting Australia</span></em></p>Nearly one in five defendants in the prosecutions undertaken in response to the January 6 US Capitol attack had served in the military.Carli Kulmar, Lecturer in Law, University of CanberraMichael Jensen, Associate professor, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1623042021-09-01T18:55:09Z2021-09-01T18:55:09Z20 years of ‘forever’ wars have left a toll on US veterans returning to the question: ‘Did you kill?’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416537/original/file-20210817-18-1ws6h75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C41%2C3484%2C2284&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Every soldier has a different story.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/soldier-of-charlie-company-2-508-pir-second-platoon-second-news-photo/103229734?adppopup=true">Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Military service members returning from America’s “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/49387/the-forever-war-by-dexter-filkins/">forever</a>” wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have often faced deeply personal questions about their experience.</p>
<p>As one veteran explained to me: “I’ve been asked, ‘Have you ever killed anyone in war? Are you messed up at all?’”</p>
<p>“I don’t take offense to any of that because I realize, we went somewhere, we were gone for a couple years, and now we’re back, and now no one knows how to talk to a person.”</p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/MR-Book-Reviews/December-2018/Book-Review-006/">sense of estrangement</a> from the rest of the population is, in my experience, common among veterans. I interviewed 30 former military personnel between 2012 and 2018 for “<a href="https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/potomac-books/9781640120235/">After Combat: True War Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan</a>” – a book I coauthored with retired Army Col. Michael Gibler, who served as an infantry officer for 28 years, including deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.</p>
<p>20 years after the 9/11 attacks and the start of the ensuing <a href="https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5902&context=faculty_scholarship">global war on terrorism</a>, I believe that civilians would benefit from hearing veterans’ stories. It can help provide an understanding of the experience of mortality among the men and women who served in America’s name. </p>
<h2>Looking the enemy in the eye</h2>
<p>Neither I nor my co-author asked veterans directly if they had killed, and every person we spoke with had a unique experience of combat. All 30 interviewees, aged between 20 and 55 and from a variety of different backgrounds, were guaranteed anonymity to allow them to talk freely with us about their experiences of killing in combat. Their names have been changed for this article.</p>
<p>Killing in contemporary war rarely has the clarity of combat portrayed in war movies or video games, where the opponent is visible and threatening. In the fictional scenario, it is clear when a life is threatened and how to fight for the survival of oneself or one’s unit. </p>
<p>“People think it’s like ‘Call of Duty,’” one veteran said, referring to the popular video game, or that “it’d be cool to do that.” However, even in a direct engagement, like an ambush, it may not be clear who you are shooting at – it could be a response to a muzzle flash in the distance or laying down covering fire, he explained.</p>
<p>Describing an incident in which three men attacked his unit, one veteran, Beau, recalled the moral clarity he felt while shooting at a visible combatant.</p>
<p>“I know that they’re bad because they’re shooting at me,” he said.</p>
<p>But in other firefights, the situation was less clear, and as Beau explained, “For every innocent person that dies, that’s five more terrorists. I need to get this right.”</p>
<p>Beau said he preferred to look an enemy combatant in the eye, even when his own life was in danger. He indicated that it confirmed his view that these were “bad” people intent on killing him first.</p>
<p>Many recruits like Beau go into combat believing that killing is necessary in conditions of war and believing also that the <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2001/10/05/just-war-tradition-and-the-new-war-on-terrorism/">wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were militarily and politically justified</a>. But they are still <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0011000016666156?casa_token=iZT8Z12P0lYAAAAA%3Al6Yg0FPyxhJyqp_h8z-1kONaOo0DWhPWUpS_GkS08VioRRfL8a47n4m4NRN27azKGpJmDiTclA60MQM&">changed by having killed</a>.</p>
<p>One soldier shot back from his guard post when under fire from a nearby house. His unit entered the house to find a dead man with a warm rifle. But the guard was discomfited when congratulated on this kill by fellow soldiers. To his comrades, he had acted in self-defense and protected others from the shooter. But even in this situation of militarily justified killing, he felt he had crossed a line by taking a life.</p>
<p>Others expressed guilt for exposing civilians to danger. One veteran spoke of feeling responsible when a young informant was executed after providing crucial information to Americans.</p>
<p>“We found out that the family that was living there told the Taliban that that little boy ratted them out,” Robin recalled. “I found this out two days later, that they executed the little boy that I chose to bring into that compound.” </p>
<h2>‘No monster’</h2>
<p>While some veterans return from having killed in combat without suffering <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-moral-injury-in-veterans-77669">moral injury</a> or <a href="https://www.brainline.org/article/what-are-differences-between-pts-and-ptsd">post-traumatic stress</a>, others suffer enduring <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2018.1463582?casa_token=AwZTeLQv0WUAAAAA%3ANvDFFytQU71w7O9eTK55AVDXIRgVzH9n2Bn0zYNZDBeppoXPFQw3pQCPRtobjQGNBc6rPTMCSKGlKOI">impacts of killing</a>. Studies have shown that the act of killing in combat can cause “<a href="https://jmvh.org/article/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-killing-in-combat-a-review-of-existing-literature/">significant psychological distress</a>” and is associated with <a href="https://militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/jclp_22471_Rev2.pdf">elevated risks of PTSD, alcohol abuse</a> and <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/12/405231/killing-war-leaves-veterans-lasting-psychological-scars-study-finds">suicide</a> in veterans.</p>
<p>As former U.S. Army Lt. Col. <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lieutenant-colonel-dave-grossman/on-killing/9780316040938/">David Grossman</a> wrote in his book examining the psychological impact of killing, a “dead soldier takes his misery with him, the man who killed him must forever live and die with him.”</p>
<p>Reuben can attest to that. He fired on a vehicle accelerating into an Iraqi checkpoint. As the vehicle approached the checkpoint, he shot into and stopped the advancing automobile. Approaching it to investigate, the unit saw he had killed the driver. But he had also “splattered his head all over the driver’s child. Six years old. He was sitting in the passenger seat. The fifty caliber does a number on the human body. The man’s head was just gone. It was everywhere.”</p>
<p>Reuben has ruminated over that moment for many years, trying to reconcile how he had followed the standard protocol but with horrific results – and trying to convince himself, as he told us, that he is not a monster.</p>
<p>Most civilians will never <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15229303/">carry the burden of mortality that Reuben bears</a>.</p>
<p>As the 20th anniversary of the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/9-11-to-today-ways-we-have-changed">terrorist attacks of 9/11</a> and the inception of America’s global war on terror approached, the Biden administration withdrew the last remaining troops from Afghanistan. The military members returning from this conflict, and that in Iraq, will not all be traumatized by combat experience, and not all soldiers who deploy have killed. But those who have enter a moral space very few of us share or even particularly understand.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162304/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marian Eide does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The act of killing in combat is associated with heightened risks of PTSD and suicide. A scholar interviewed 30 veterans about their common experiences.Marian Eide, Professor of English and Women's & Gender Studies, Texas A&M UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1645882021-09-01T12:07:44Z2021-09-01T12:07:44ZCalculating the costs of the Afghanistan War in lives, dollars and years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418456/original/file-20210830-15-1wfwsc0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C33%2C4493%2C2964&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Heading for the exit.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/member-of-the-afghan-police-and-us-soldiers-leave-a-school-news-photo/495500609?adppopup=true">Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 to destroy al-Qaida, remove the Taliban from power and remake the nation. On Aug. 30, 2021, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/rockets-fired-kabul-airport-us-troops-race-complete-evacuation-2021-08-30/">U.S. completed a pullout of troops</a> from Afghanistan, providing an uncertain punctuation mark to two decades of conflict.</p>
<p>For the past 11 years I have closely followed the post-9/11 conflicts for the <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/">Costs of War Project</a>, an initiative that brings together more than 50 scholars, physicians and legal and human rights experts to provide an account of the human, economic, budgetary and political costs and consequences of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.</p>
<p>Of course, by themselves figures can never give a complete picture of what happened and what it means, but they can help put this war in perspective.</p>
<p>The 20 numbers highlighted below, some drawn from figures released on Sept. 1, 2021, by the Costs of War Project, help tell the story of the Afghanistan War.</p>
<h2>From 2001 to 2021</h2>
<p>On Sept. 18, 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives voted <strong><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/107-2001/h342">420-1</a></strong> and the Senate <strong><a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=1&vote=00281">98-0</a></strong> to <a href="https://www.congress.gov/107/plaws/publ40/PLAW-107publ40.pdf">authorize</a> the United States to go to war, not just in Afghanistan, but in an open-ended commitment against “those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.” U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee of California cast the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/08/17/barbara-lee-afghanistan-vote/">only vote opposed</a> to the war.</p>
<p>In other words, the U.S. Congress took <strong><a href="https://www.congress.gov/107/plaws/publ40/PLAW-107publ40.pdf">7 days</a></strong> after the 9/11 attacks to deliberate on and authorize the war.</p>
<p>At <strong><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=10&d1=7&y1=2001&m2=08&d2=31&y2=2021">7,262 days</a></strong> from the first attack on Afghanistan to the final troop pullout, Afghanistan is said to be the U.S.’s longest war. But it isn’t – the U.S. has <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/why-korean-war-never-technically-ended">not officially ended the Korean War</a>. And U.S. operations in Vietnam, which began in the mid-1950s and included the declared war from 1965-1975, also rival Afghanistan in longevity.</p>
<p>U.S. President <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushaddress_092001.html">George W. Bush told</a> members of Congress in a joint session on Sept. 20, 2001 that the war would be global, overt, covert and could last a very long time.</p>
<p>“Our war on terror begins with al-Qaida, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. … Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen,” <a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html">he said</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="President George W. Bush addressing US troops." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418462/original/file-20210830-13-1wrt01x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President George W. Bush speaks to soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/president-george-w-bush-speaks-to-soliders-from-the-10th-news-photo/525617790?adppopup=true">Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The U.S. started bombing Afghanistan a few weeks later. The Taliban surrendered in Kandahar on Dec. 9, 2001. The U.S. began to fight them again in earnest in March 2002. In April 2002, President Bush promised to help bring “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/world/a-nation-challenged-the-president-bush-sets-role-for-us-in-afghan-rebuilding.html">true peace</a>” to Afghanistan: “Peace will be achieved by helping Afghanistan develop its own stable government. Peace will be achieved by helping Afghanistan train and develop its own national army. And peace will be achieved through an education system for boys and girls which works.” </p>
<p>The global war on terror was not confined to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. now has counterterrorism operations in <strong><a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2021/USCounterterrorismOperations">85 countries</a></strong>.</p>
<h2>The human cost</h2>
<p>Most Afghans alive today were not born when the U.S. war began. The median age in Afghanistan is just <strong><a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/afghanistan-population">18.4 years old</a></strong>. Including their country’s war with the Soviet Union from 1979 to 1989 and civil war in the 1990s, most Afghans have lived under nearly continuous war. </p>
<p>There are, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, <strong><a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.htm#cps_veterans.f.1.">980,000 U.S. Afghanistan war veterans</a></strong>. Of these men and women, <strong><a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.htm#cps_veterans.f.1.">507,000 served in both Afghanistan and Iraq</a></strong>.</p>
<p>As of mid-August 2021, <strong><a href="https://www.defense.gov/casualty.pdf">20,722</a></strong> members of the U.S. military had been wounded in action in Afghanistan, not including the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/26/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-live-updates/">18 who were injured</a> in the attack by ISIS-K outside the airport in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021.</p>
<p>Of the veterans who were injured and lost a limb in the post-9/11 wars, many lost <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23192067/">more than one</a>. According to <a href="https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2021/08/09/Since-Gulf-War-Advanced-Prosthetic-Technology-Saves-Lives-Careers">Dr. Paul Pasquina</a> of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, of these veterans, “About 40% to 60% also sustained a brain injury. Because of some of the lessons learned and the innovations that have taken place on the battlefield … we were taking care of service members who in previous conflicts would have died.”</p>
<p>In fact, because of advances in trauma care, more than <a href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2020/july/us-military-has-improved-mortality-since-world-war-ii-but-there-have-been-some-alarming-exceptions"><strong>90%</strong></a> of all soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq who were injured in the field survived. Many of the seriously injured <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2729451">survived wounds</a> that in the past might have killed them.</p>
<p>In all, <strong><a href="https://www.defense.gov/casualty.pdf.">2,455 U.S. service members</a></strong> were killed in the Afghanistan War. The figure includes 13 U.S. troops who were killed by ISIS-K in the Kabul airport attack on Aug. 26, 2021.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The casket of a US soldier is seen through a doorway during a full military honors burial ceremony" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418458/original/file-20210830-26-k50cwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A burial for one of 2,455 U.S. troops who died in
Afghanistan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>U.S. deaths in Operation Enduring Freedom also include 130 service members who died in other locations besides Afghanistan, including Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Philippines, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Yemen.</p>
<p>The U.S. has paid <strong><a href="https://militarypay.defense.gov/Benefits/Death-Gratuity/#:%7E:text=The%20death%20gratuity%20program%20provides,of%20the%20cause%20of%20death.">US$100,000 in a “death gratuity</a>”</strong> to the survivors of each of the service members killed in the Afghanistan war, totaling <strong>$245.5 million</strong>. </p>
<p><strong>More than <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures">46,000 civilians have been killed</a></strong> by all sides in the Afghanistan conflict. These are the direct deaths from bombs, bullets, blasts and fire. <a href="https://unama.unmissions.org/protection-of-civilians-reports">Thousands more have been injured</a>, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>And while the number of Afghans leaving the country has increased in <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-do-afghanistans-refugees-go-166316">recent weeks</a>, more than <strong><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58283177">2.2 million displaced Afghans</a></strong> were living in Iran and Pakistan at the end of 2020. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported in late August 2021 that since the start of that year, <a href="https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/88385">more than 558,000</a> people have been internally displaced, having fled their homes to escape violence. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1095922">United Nations</a>, in 2021 about a third of people remaining in Afghanistan are malnourished. <strong><a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1095922">About half of all children under 5 years old</a></strong> experience malnutrition.</p>
<p>The human toll also includes the hundreds of Pakistani civilians who were killed in <strong><a href="https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-drone-war-in-pakistan">more than 400 U.S. drone strikes</a></strong> since 2004. Those strikes happened as the U.S. sought to kill Taliban and al-Qaida leaders who fled and sheltered there in late 2001 after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Pakistani civilians have also been killed in crossfire during fighting between militants and the Pakistani military.</p>
<h2>The financial cost</h2>
<p>In terms of the federal budget, Congress has allocated a bit over <strong>$1 trillion</strong> to the Department of Defense for the Afghanistan War. But all told, the Afghanistan War has cost much more than that. Including the Department of Defense spending, more than <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/BudgetaryCosts"><strong>$2.3 trillion</strong></a> has been spent so far, including increases to the Pentagon’s base military budget due to the fighting, State Department spending to reconstruct and democratize Afghanistan and train its military, interest on borrowing to pay for the war, and spending for veterans in the Veteran Affairs system.</p>
<p>The total costs so far for all post-9/11 war veterans’ disability and medical care costs are about <strong>$465 billion</strong> through fiscal 2022. And this doesn’t include the future costs of all the post-9/11 veterans’ medical and disability care, which <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/lbilmes/home">Harvard University scholar Linda Bilmes</a> <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2021/CareforVeterans">estimates</a> will likely add about $2 trillion to the overall cost of care for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars between now and 2050.</p>
<p>The war in Afghanistan, like many other wars before it, began with optimistic assessments of a quick victory and the promise to rebuild at war’s end. Despite Bush’s warning of a lengthy campaign, few thought then that would mean decades. But 20 years later, the U.S is still counting the costs. </p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This article was updated on Sept. 1, 2021 to correct the total death gratuity paid to survivors of service members killed in the Afghanistan war to $245.5 million.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164588/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neta C. Crawford receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. She is co-director of the Costs of War Project based at Brown University.</span></em></p>Following the completion of the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Neta Crawford, the co-director of the Costs of War Project, reflects on 7,268 days of American involvement in the conflict.Neta C. Crawford, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1609002021-05-27T12:07:23Z2021-05-27T12:07:23ZVeterans took an especially bad hit during the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401648/original/file-20210519-13-1x5engy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C5%2C3898%2C2600&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Navy veteran Faron Smith Jr. reacts as he receives a COVID-19 vaccination at a Veterans Administration pop-up vaccination site on April 17, 2021, in Gardena, Calif. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/navy-veteran-faron-smith-jr-reacts-as-he-receives-a-dose-of-news-photo/1232364610?adppopup=true">Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the nation takes a day to memorialize its military dead, living military veterans are facing a deadly risk that has nothing to do with war or conflict: the coronavirus. </p>
<p>Different groups and communities have faced different degrees of danger from the pandemic, exemplified by the humanitarian disaster in India and the inequalities in U.S. health outcomes, vaccine distribution problems and outright rejection of vaccines. Veterans have been among the <a href="https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BWF_WhitePaper-COVID19-5.0-Final.pdf">most hard-hit</a>, with heightened health and economic threats from the pandemic. These veterans face homelessness, lack of health care, delays in receiving financial support and even death.</p>
<p>I have spent the past six years studying veterans with substance use and mental health disorders <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1111/lapo.12142">who are in the criminal justice system</a>. This work revealed gaps in health care and financial support for veterans,
even though they have the <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199838509.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199838509-e-003">best publicly funded</a> <a href="https://www.rand.org/news/press/2016/07/18.html">benefits</a> in the country.</p>
<p>Here are eight ways the pandemic continues to threaten veterans.</p>
<h2>1. Age and other vulnerabilities</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/05/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/">73% of veterans are over 50, and 89% are male</a>. </p>
<p>The largest group served in the Gulf era, were exposed to dust storms, oil fires and burn pits <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burn-pit-military-lung-disease-thousands-of-veterans-fear-burn-pits-exposed-them-to-lethal-disease-2019-08-17/">with numerous toxins</a>, and perhaps as a consequence have high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. </p>
<p>The second-largest group served in the Vietnam era, in which <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2018/05/28/the-shocking-health-effects-of-agent-orange-now-a-legacy-of-military-death/#31b9dbbc21c6">2.8 million veterans were exposed to Agent Orange</a>, a chemical defoliant linked to cancer.</p>
<p>Age and respiratory illnesses are both risk factors for COVID-19 mortality. As of <a href="https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/Healthcare/COVID19NationalSummary">May 13, 2021</a>, 258,078 people under Veterans Administration care have been diagnosed with COVID-19, of whom 11,941 have died.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.kxxv.com/news/central-texas-living/fewer-number-of-veterans-receiving-second-dose-of-covid-19-vaccine">Reluctance to be vaccinated</a> <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/vaccine-refusal-rate-at-3-among-veterans-slightly-higher-in-rural-areas-1.668100">continues to hamper</a> full vaccination efforts, particularly in rural areas. The Veterans Administration <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7953856/">has set up</a> successful vaccine distribution sites that now administer to <a href="https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/#who-can-now-get-a-covid-19-vac">veterans, their spouses, caregivers and others receiving VA health care</a>. Approximately 2.5 million of 19 million veterans have been vaccinated through the agency. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://covid19militarysupport.org/2021/04/va-making-the-case-for-vaccines-as-demand-starts-to-drop/">demand is dipping</a> from 75,000 appointments a day to 30,000, and President Joe Biden recently decided <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/30/biden-making-covid-vaccine-mandatory-troops-im-going-leave-it-military.html">not to mandate</a> vaccinations in the armed services, where <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/22/navy-pulls-way-ahead-of-other-military-services-race-100-vaccination.html">vaccine rates</a> remain low.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An employee of a VA hospital in Brooklyn who is outside the building at a staff protest for more protective equipment and staff assistance during the pandemic." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401749/original/file-20210519-19-5l6db6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">VA Hospital employee Wayne Malone joins staff outside the Brooklyn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Monday, April 6, 2020, in New York, where they called for more personal protective equipment and staffing assistance to care for COVID-19 patients.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakNewYork/9eb665f138794b739bd79103d3ed54a8/photo?Query=Veterans%20Administration%20hospital%20COVID%20short%20staff&mediaType=photo&sortBy=creationdatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=1&currentItemNo=0">AP Photo/Kathy Willens</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Benefits unfairly denied or delayed</h2>
<p>When a person transitions from active military service to become a veteran, they receive a <a href="https://www.va.gov/records/discharge-documents">Certificate of Discharge or Release</a>. This certificate provides information about the circumstances of the discharge or release. It includes characterizations such as “honorable,” “other than honorable,” “bad conduct” or “dishonorable.” These are crucial distinctions because that status <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/docs/COD_Factsheet.pdf">determines whether the Veterans Administration will give them benefits</a>. </p>
<p>Research shows that some veterans with discharges that limit their benefits have PTSD symptoms, military sexual trauma or other behaviors related to military stress. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have <a href="https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/wp-content/uploads/Underserved.pdf">disproportionately more</a> of these negative discharges than <a href="http://www.legalservicescenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Turn-Away-Report.pdf">veterans from other eras</a>.</p>
<p>The Veterans Administration frequently <a href="https://today.law.harvard.edu/new-report-from-harvard-law-schools-veterans-legal-clinic-documents-the-vas-systemic-denial-of-health-care-to-veterans-with-bad-paper-discharges/">and perhaps unlawfully</a> denies benefits to veterans with “other than honorable” discharges.</p>
<p>Many veterans have requested upgrades to their discharge status. There is a <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-16-01750-79.pdf">significant backlog of these upgrade requests</a>, and the pandemic added to it, further delaying access to health care and other benefits. </p>
<h2>3. Diminished access to health care</h2>
<p>Dental surgery, routine visits and elective surgeries at Veterans Administration medical centers have been postponed as individuals await the full reopening of offices. <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/press-releases/VAOIG-VHAOccupationalStaffingNewsRelease.pdf">Veterans Administration hospitals are notoriously understaffed</a> – just before the pandemic, the agency reported 43,000 vacancies out of more than 400,000 health care staff positions. </p>
<p>The pandemic added to these problems. An Inspector General <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-20-01249-259.pdf">report</a> from fall 2020 found that 95% of Veterans Administration health centers are missing a key staff member, most commonly medical providers such as psychiatrists, primary care physicians and nurses, but also custodial staff necessary to keep facilities clean and sanitary. </p>
<h2>4. Mental health may get worse</h2>
<p>An average of 20 veterans die by suicide every day. A <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/08/2019-04437/national-roadmap-to-empower-veterans-and-end-suicide">national task force</a> is currently addressing this scourge. </p>
<p>The effects of the pandemic on veteran mental health are not yet clear. The VA continues to <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/03/20/san-antonio-va-moves-away-from-in-person-mental-health-appointments-for-vets-amid-covid-19-crisis/">encourage digital mental health treatment</a> since office visits remain limited. Suicide hotline calls by veterans were up <a href="https://connectingvets.radio.com/articles/veteran-crisis-line-calls-rise-over-coronavirus-wilkie-says">by 12% on March 22, 2020, just a few weeks into the crisis</a>. Recent <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/va-tracks-suicides-among-its-patients-during-pandemic-finds-no-increase-1.651889">information from the Department of Defense</a> suggests the already troubling suicide rates have not changed, with Black and Hispanic veterans at higher risk.</p>
<h2>5. Complications for homeless veterans and those in the justice system</h2>
<p>The latest available data, from prior to the pandemic, documented <a href="https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=7308">107,400 veterans</a> in state or federal prisons, and <a href="https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-019-0086-9">181,500 were incarcerated</a> if we also include jails. While many facilities responded to the pandemic by releasing eligible veterans, there is a <a href="https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-019-0086-9#ref-CR208">revolving door</a> between time served and homelessness. </p>
<p>After years of declining rates of homelessness, there was a <a href="https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/6292/2020-pit-estimate-of-veteran-homelessness-in-the-us/">0.5% rise</a> in homelessness from 2019 to 2020. Before the pandemic, in January 2020, an estimated <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/veteran-homelessness-increased-from-2019-to-2020-according-to-new-hud-report-1.666387">37,252 veterans</a> were homeless on any given night.</p>
<p>Thousands more veterans are under court-supervised substance use and mental health treatment in <a href="https://justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court/">veterans treatment courts</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25767963">More than half</a> of veterans involved with the justice system have either mental health problems or substance use disorders. </p>
<p>Courts quickly <a href="https://www.nadcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Treatment-Courts-COVID-19-Examples-3-26-20.pdf">moved online</a> after state shutdowns, and many continue in this new mode. While often useful to meet treatment court obligations, online justice administration can be an obstacle for individuals looking for the camaraderie that came with meeting in person. <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09553-1">Other challenges</a> relate to access to technology and due process.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A homeless Navy veteran in Los Angeles, on a sidewalk with a blanket and some possessions." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As veterans’ facilities close to new participants, many veterans eligible to leave prison or jail have nowhere to go and may become homeless, like this Navy veteran in Los Angeles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/travis-stanley-who-said-he-has-been-homeless-for-three-news-photo/1153992307?adppopup=true">Mario Tama/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>6. Disability benefits delayed</h2>
<p>Veterans Administration office closures have exacerbated the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-veterans-appeals-backlog-20151123-story.html">longstanding backlog</a> of disability claims, which <a href="https://federalnewsnetwork.com/veterans-affairs/2021/03/vba-says-it-will-reduce-the-disability-claims-backlog-by-fall-but-congress-isnt-so-sure/">more than doubled</a> over the course of the pandemic. Approximately <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/reports/mmwr_va_claims_backlog.asp">200,000 veterans</a> wait more than 125 days for a decision. Anything less than 125 days is not considered a delay in benefit claims. </p>
<p>There is a long delay for medical exams to determine disability benefits. As of March 2021, there was a backlog of <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2021/05/17/499517/challenges-facing-department-veterans-affairs-2021/#fn-499517-17">357,000 medical exams</a>, nearly three times the backlog from February 2020. </p>
<p>The closure of the National Personnel Records Center, which houses the physical records frequently required to obtain benefits, led to an estimated <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/2021/04/20/veterans-hit-by-huge-pandemic-related-records-backlog/">18- to 24-month backlog</a> of 499,000 document requests. These documents are often necessary to receive medical benefits as well as military honors upon death. </p>
<h2>7. Dangerous residential facilities</h2>
<p>Veterans needing end-of-life care, those with cognitive disabilities or those needing substance use treatment often live in crowded Veterans Administration or state-funded residential facilities. </p>
<p>State-funded “soldiers’ homes” are notoriously starved for money and staff. The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/us/holyoke-soldiers-home-coronavirus/index.html">horrific situation</a> at the soldiers’ home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where <a href="https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/the-latest-state-reports-89-resident-deaths-at-holyoke-soldiers-home/article_88b3a4d8-791d-11ea-b3b7-f37420fe3e63.html">76 veteran residents died from a COVID-19 outbreak</a>, leading to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/25/916977736/leaders-indicted-at-soldiers-home-where-at-least-76-people-died-in-covid-19-outb">criminal charges</a>, and the deaths of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/among-nursing-homes-hit-by-covid-veterans-homes-struggled-the-most-11607977327">46 veterans at an Alabama facility</a> illustrate the risk that veterans in residential homes faced early in the pandemic. </p>
<h2>8. Economic catastrophe</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BWF_WhitePaper-COVID19-5.0-Final.pdf">1.2 million veteran employees in the five industries most severely affected</a> – mining, oil and gas extraction; transportation and warehousing; employment services; travel arrangements; leisure and hospitality – by the economic fallout of the coronavirus. Veteran unemployment was at 3.5% before the pandemic and rose to <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/10/25/understanding-the-economic-impacts-of-covid-19-on-veterans-and-military-families/">6.4%</a> by September 2020.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>A disproportionately high number of post-9/11 veterans live in some of the hardest-hit communities that depend on these industries and had even <a href="https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/article/the-employment-situation-of-veterans-september-2020/">higher rates</a> of unemployment than their nonveteran peers as well as other veteran cohorts. Many veterans may face evictions when the national <a href="https://www.legion.org/veteransbenefits/251825/va-extends-its-ban-evictions-and-foreclosures-june-30">moratorium on evictions lifts</a> on June 30, 2021. </p>
<p><a href="https://bluestarfam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/200501_PPP_Most_Acute_Pain_Pts_wk6.pdf">Military spouses</a> are suffering from the economic fallout, as are children affected by school closures.</p>
<p>With veterans, many of the problems they face now existed long before the coronavirus arrived on U.S. shores.</p>
<p>But with the problems posed by the situation today, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble, and it will be harder to answer their needs.</p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/8-ways-veterans-are-particularly-at-risk-from-the-coronavirus-pandemic-135619">a story</a> that originally ran on April 16, 2020.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamie Rowen receives funding from the National Science Foundation.</span></em></p>As the coronavirus pandemic played out, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources found themselves in deeper trouble.Jamie Rowen, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1575822021-03-22T08:09:35Z2021-03-22T08:09:35ZOne veteran on average dies by suicide every 2 weeks. This is what a royal commission needs to look at<p>This is an important day for the veteran community. After five years of campaigning for a royal commission, parliament has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-22/parliament-backs-royal-commission-for-veteran-suicides/100021274">backed a motion</a> to establish one. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also signalled he would no longer oppose the move. </p>
<p>For at least two decades, there have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/enough-inquiries-that-go-nowhere-its-time-for-a-royal-commission-into-veteran-suicide-119599">numerous inquiries</a> into veteran suicide, institutional abuse, mental health, the transition from military to civilian life, and combat trauma — with little positive outcome.</p>
<p>More Australian veterans have <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-open-to-royal-commission-into-veteran-suicides-20210321-p57cme.html">lost their lives by suicide</a> than have been killed on active duty since ADF personnel were first deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. </p>
<p>In October and November of last year alone, nine veterans <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-06/veteran-suicide-spike-worries-covid19-war-crimes-brereton-report/12947234">took their lives</a>, leading Senator Jacqui Lambie to argue veteran suicides should be treated as “one of Australia’s most pressing problems”. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/this-cannot-continue-to-happen-another-adf-veteran-suicide/news-story/783ee346af65063751c4422067745326">Thirteen veterans</a> have tragically taken their life so far this year.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.change.org/p/a-royal-commission-into-the-veteran-suicide-rate-in-australia">petition</a> calling for a royal commission into veteran suicide — led by the families of those who have lost their lives — has garnered more than 400,000 signatures. </p>
<p>Yet, despite the urgent need and popular support for the idea, a royal commission didn’t have the political support of the Morrison government until this week.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1368920699289690112"}"></div></p>
<h2>The government’s initial response seen as inadequate</h2>
<p>Last year, a <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/64a2cab8-19ff-49aa-9390-197a1ec0b81c/aihw-phe-277.pdf.aspx?inline=true">report</a> by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said </p>
<blockquote>
<p>reducing the rate of serving and ex-serving suicides is a priority of the Australian government. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Despite this recognition, the matter has not been met with a sense of urgency. </p>
<p>In response to calls for a royal commission, the government <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/national-commissioner-defence-and-veteran-suicide-prevention">established</a> a national commission for defence and veteran suicide prevention, which has largely been seen as inadequate. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1373751450724048900"}"></div></p>
<p>The reaction from former and serving military personnel was also mixed. Critics said the national commission was inferior to a royal commission in terms of its <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/NationalCommissioner2020/Submissions">scope, independence and resources</a>. The timing of the move by the government was also viewed as problematic.</p>
<p>While the role of the national commission is likely necessary to prevent future suicides, we believe a royal commission is still vital to bring attention to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/enough-inquiries-that-go-nowhere-its-time-for-a-royal-commission-into-veteran-suicide-119599">links between</a> veteran suicide and the institutional failures and bureaucratic barriers that are causing harm daily.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/veterans-have-poorer-mental-health-than-australians-overall-we-could-be-serving-them-better-119525">Veterans have poorer mental health than Australians overall. We could be serving them better</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Data on defence suicides difficult to compile</h2>
<p>There is imprecise and limited research into veteran suicide in Australia. Research commissioned by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and conducted by AIHW found there were <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/veterans/national-veteran-suicide-monitoring/contents/summary">419 known suicides</a> of serving, ex-serving and reserve defence personnel between 2001-17. </p>
<p>That is on average one death by suicide <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/veterans/national-veteran-suicide-monitoring/contents/summary">every two weeks</a>. </p>
<p>Veteran Scott Harris has compiled statistics on veteran suicides for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheWarriorsReturn/">The Warrior’s Return Facebook page</a>, and has counted 731 deaths by suicide over the same period. </p>
<p>The Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRP) <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/VeteranSuicide/Report/c03">has described</a> the lack of information on veteran suicides as a “serious shortcoming in current knowledge”. The organisation said there is </p>
<blockquote>
<p>very limited research information focusing specifically on suicide mortality, non-fatal suicidal behaviour or suicidal ideation among individuals who have left the [Australian Defence Force]. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Put simply, the sector is flying blind. </p>
<p>We aren’t just lacking data on veteran suicides; there is limited knowledge of veterans in the Australian community more broadly. In fact, questions about veterans will be introduced to the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/2021+census+review+of+topics">census</a> for the first time this year.</p>
<p>A royal commission will enable us to gather information on the defence and veteran communities to help understand their needs and ensure we craft well-targeted policies. </p>
<h2>Five key points to consider for a royal commission</h2>
<p>The terms of reference of the royal commission must be designed by the veteran community, as well as policy-makers and other experts. Significantly, to preclude serving and former ADF members from such an investigation would continue to silence the very people it seeks to help.</p>
<p>We have identified five key points to ensure a rigorous and effective commission process. </p>
<p>1) The terms of reference should include suicidality – not just suicide. <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-m-mhaust2-toc%7Emental-pubs-m-mhaust2-hig%7Emental-pubs-m-mhaust2-hig-sui#:%7E:text=The%20term%20suicidality%20covers%20suicidal,suicide%20plans%20and%20suicide%20attempts.">Suicidality</a> is a term that covers both suicide ideation (serious thoughts about taking one’s life) and actual suicide attempts. </p>
<p>2) It should also focus on the structural and institutional systems that contribute to suicidality. This would include the experiences of defence personnel who have struggled to get the support they need both during and after their military service.</p>
<p>For instance, this means looking at the bureaucratic obstacles that have prevented some veterans from <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-14/jesse-bird-veteran-affairs-inquiry-finds-failings/9050594">accessing physical, mental and financial support</a> after leaving the ADF, or the institutional practices and structures that <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/australian-defence-force-teri-bailey-took-her-life-on-her-birthday-after-attempted-rape/news-story/e6f2ae78f8438e64576d067af2120a20">encouraged abuse</a>, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/how-an-army-of-bullies-drove-a-soldier-to-suicide-20030827-gdw8u3.html">bullying, harassment and denigration</a> in the ADF. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-talk-about-suicide-in-the-military-119219">We need to talk about suicide in the military</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>3) The terms of reference should look at the broader practices and processes of the ADF, including but not limited to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the military justice system</p></li>
<li><p>institutional abuse</p></li>
<li><p>military transitions, including at enlistment and discharge from the ADF </p></li>
<li><p>the health care of defence personnel, including the reporting of incidents and management of injuries.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>4) The royal commission must include protective measures for witnesses, akin to the <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/public-hearings/witnesses">disability royal commission</a>. Given that both serving ADF members and public service employees are restricted in public comment, potential witnesses are unlikely to come forward and provide evidence without strong protections.</p>
<p>5) The appointment of the commissioners also requires real independence, free from bias. This was a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/NationalCommissioner2020/Report/section?id=committees%2Freportsen%2F024541%2F75539">significant sticking point</a> with the establishment of the interim national commissioner for veteran suicide prevention, Bernadette Boss, who previously held various command and staff roles in the ADF. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1373786361140973568"}"></div></p>
<p>As such, we argue those appointed to the royal commission should have no association with the ADF – both past and present – and a wider background than just mental health.</p>
<p>Morrison said today a royal commission is not a “<a href="https://www.2gb.com/scott-morrison-confirms-support-for-royal-commission-into-veteran-suicides/">silver bullet</a>”, and we tend to agree. </p>
<p>Nobody believes this process will be easy – just that it is necessary. A royal commission, with broad terms of reference, has the capacity to draft a blueprint for the best way forward. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p>
<p><em>Safe Zone Support’s specialist counsellors understand the military and can offer help to veterans and their families without needing to know who you are. Calls to 1800 142 072 are answered 24/7, and are not recorded. For more Information visit: openarms.gov.au/safe-zone-support</em></p>
<p><em>Open Arms is Australia’s leading national provider of high quality mental health assessment, clinical counselling and support services for veterans and their families. If you or someone you know needs support, call 1800 011 046 or visit www.openarms.gov.au.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157582/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Morris is affiliated with the Queensland RSL </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Wadham receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He also receives funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs.</span></em></p>There have been numerous inquiries into veteran suicide, mental health and combat trauma over the past 20 years — with little positive outcome.Deborah Morris, Military analyst, Griffith UniversityBen Wadham, Associate Professor, School of Education, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1543202021-02-25T13:27:16Z2021-02-25T13:27:16ZDeported veterans, stranded far from home after years of military service, press Biden to bring them back<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385326/original/file-20210219-19-48maiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4843%2C2978&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mexican-American deported veterans at a Memorial Day ceremony held annually on the bridge that connects Texas to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, May 28, 2018. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.mx/detail/fotografía-de-noticias/mexican-veterans-deported-from-the-united-fotografía-de-noticias/963435876?adppopup=true">Herika Martinz/ AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ivan Ocon thought he would be headed back to civilian life as a U.S. citizen after serving the U.S. Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. </p>
<p>Ocon, who was born in Mexico, came to the United States as a legal permanent resident in 1985 to reunite with his mother. He joined the Army in 1997, and his recruiter assured him that enlisting would make him a U.S. citizen.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Soldier's headshot in uniform, against an American flag background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385942/original/file-20210223-18-10pf9u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ivan Ocon’s U.S. Army photo/</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ivan Ocon/U.S. Army</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When Ocon received orders of deployment to Iraq he was given a pre-deployment checklist to help him get his affairs in order. Confirming his immigration status wasn’t on that list, because citizenship is not required for overseas military service. </p>
<p>Ocon deployed as a noncitizen. He figured if he made it home alive, he would finish the naturalization process.</p>
<p>Instead, Ocon was convicted of a crime and jailed in 2007, released for good behavior after nine years, and summarily deported. Today, he is stranded in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, separated from his family and fighting to come home. </p>
<h2>PTSD-related crimes</h2>
<p>As of 2018, the United States had <a href="https://immigrationforum.org/article/essentials-of-naturalization-for-military-service-members-and-veterans/">94,000 noncitizen military veterans</a>. Ocon is one of at least 92 to be deported between 2013 and 2018, <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/699549.pdf">according to data</a> from <a href="https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/opla">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a> and <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_ice_eidupdate(15b).pdf">other agencies</a>. </p>
<p>The majority – 78%, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/699549.pdf">federal data</a> – were removed because of criminal convictions. Under the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, “aggravated felonies” are a <a href="https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2010-12-2337/LAMM-MASTERS-REPORT.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">basis for automatic deportation</a>. </p>
<p>Struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse put veterans at greater <a href="https://journals-sagepub-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/doi/full/10.1177/0306624X11406091">risk of incarceration than the general population</a>. In 2017, <a href="https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/Minority_Veterans_Report_Final.pdf">nearly 28%</a> of minority veterans – that’s 1,315,989 people – reported a service-connected disability, principally PTSD. </p>
<p>Veterans without U.S. citizenship are therefore <a href="https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2010-12-2337/LAMM-MASTERS-REPORT.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">acutely susceptible to deportation</a>.
The <a href="https://www.aclusandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/DischargedThenDiscarded-ACLUofCA.pdf">American Civil Liberties Union</a> suggests that many veterans are deported as a result of criminal convictions that stem from <a href="https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/Minority_Veterans_Report_Final.pdf">PTSD symptoms</a>. <a href="https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1359178919300485?token=4C21C05265B0A626B38CE89C7B237F4D2B2059AA3DFB28FD848F52362E880284AB7E1538202FD02AC4642E3509FAB04B">Intimate-partner violence</a> and drug convictions are <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43547442">common crimes</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C83%2C5047%2C3291&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Arms fold an American flag; in background, pictures of 'veterans in exile'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C83%2C5047%2C3291&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385325/original/file-20210219-13-1hb6ybx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Deported Mexican-American veterans during a Memorial Day ceremony in Tijuana, May 27, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.mx/detail/fotografía-de-noticias/mexican-veterans-deported-from-the-united-fotografía-de-noticias/1146667390?adppopup=true">Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Unfulfilled promises</h2>
<p>I am a political scientist who <a href="https://www.homegurlpolitix.com/about-me">studies political rights across borders</a>. I began collecting deported veterans’ stories after my brother, a U.S. Army veteran, was deported to Mexico in 2005. So this work, and this problem, is personal for me. </p>
<p>Military service is supposed to qualify veterans for naturalization as U.S. citizens – and extends status benefits to family members – because honorable service satisfies the “good moral character” requirements for naturalization, according to the <a href="https://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/1706">1940 Nationality Act</a>. </p>
<p>The promise of naturalization is sometimes a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110150/witnesses/HHRG-116-JU01-Wstate-Barajas-VarelaH-20191029.pdf">military recruitment strategy</a> targeting <a href="http://broncoscholar.library.cpp.edu/handle/10211.3/184876">immigrant communities</a>. After 9/11, immigrant military members even became entitled to <a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020703-24.html">expedited citizenship</a>, which could speed up the naturalization process from three years to one year. </p>
<p>But in 2017 a <a href="https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/Service-Suitability-Determinations-For-Foreign-Nationals.pdf">Trump administration policy</a> restricted <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1588">access to the expedited citizenship promised to veterans after 9/11</a>. And, in general, immigrant veterans get <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110150/witnesses/HHRG-116-JU01-Wstate-Barajas-VarelaH-20191029.pdf">very little guidance</a> about how to complete the naturalization process from their military branches once they have served. </p>
<p>This systemic failure, combined with <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110150/witnesses/HHRG-116-JU01-Wstate-StockM-20191029.pdf">a lack of coordination among ICE and other government agencies</a>, has left <a href="https://nation.time.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2012/04/non-citizens-in-the-enlisted-us-military-d0025768-a2.pdf">more than half of the eligible noncitizen service members</a> in administrative and legal limbo. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385141/original/file-20210218-22-1y3vqo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ocon and other veterans from the ‘Juarez Bunker’ do a Memorial Day salute, May 29, 2017.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Repatriation efforts</h2>
<p>In Ivan Ocon’s case, the aggravated felonies that got him deported were aiding and abetting a kidnapping and brandishing a firearm – secondary charges related to a 2007 crime committed by his brother.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Redacted letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386274/original/file-20210224-21-1czkgcv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The 2016 letter denying Ivan Ocon U.S. citizenship.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy of Ivan Ocon</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After being released from jail for good behavior in 2015, Ocon spent the next 11 months fighting the automatic deportation order that is issued when an immigrant is convicted of a crime. </p>
<p>He filed an application in late 2015 for naturalization based on wartime service, but despite his having earned over 10 military medals and ribbons, the Department of Homeland Services six months later denied his application, saying Ocon lacked “good moral character.” </p>
<p>He was deported to Juarez soon after. </p>
<p>With “no money and nothing but time,” Ocon now serves as a bridge for veterans navigating deportation. He describes his advocacy at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DVSHJuarez/">Deported Veteran Support House Juarez Bunker</a> as “Kicking up dust for the veterans that don’t or can’t.” </p>
<p>Deported veterans are using a variety of strategies to make their case for returning home, with many focused on the new administration in Washington, D.C. </p>
<p>President Joe Biden’s recently released plan to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958626092/on-immigration-biden-goes-big-in-opening-bid-to-congress">reform the U.S. immigration system</a> promises a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants and Dreamers in the U.S. But it makes no mention of reuniting with U.S. family members the <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2017/table39">millions more</a> who were <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272366587_Paradoxes_of_Family_Immigration_Policy_Separation_Reorganization_and_Reunification_of_Families_under_Current_Immigration_Laws">deported or voluntarily returned to their country of origin</a>, such as deported veterans.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385948/original/file-20210223-14-19d3vqz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ocon’s Army uniform, with medals and ribbons.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ivan Ocon</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Immigrant veterans hoping Biden will consider their plight have found a congressional ally in <a href="https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/21.01.20%20-%20Sen.%20Duckworth%20Letter%20to%20President-elect%20Biden%20-%20EO%20on%20Immigrant%20Servicemembers,%20Veterans%20and%20Military%20Family%20Members%20-%20Final.pdf">Sen. Tammy Duckworth</a>. On Jan. 20, Duckworth asked Biden for a series of executive actions that would stop the deportation of veterans and begin the repatriation process. </p>
<p>The Biden administration responded by announcing a <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/02/09/biden-review-deportations-of-veterans-military-family-occurred-under-trump.html">review of veteran deportations under the Trump administration</a> – a time frame deported veteran advocates say is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/repatriateourpatriots/posts/1664875857029262">too narrow</a>. Several hundred veterans deported before 2017 – among them Ocon – are living in banishment. </p>
<p>Deported veterans are also allying with other immigrant communities to push the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5383">New Way Forward Act</a>, a bill that would redefine categories of deportable crimes and allow judges to take military service into consideration before issuing a removal order. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=780&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=780&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=780&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/383525/original/file-20210210-15-1polq70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some of the deported immigrants featured in the Leave No One Behind Mural Project.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The bill, which was reintroduced by Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois on Jan. 26, could make 50% to 60% of deported veterans eligible to return home, veteran advocate Robert Vivar told me. </p>
<p>On Presidents Day, Garcia joined deported veterans and their coalition at a virtual press conference unveiling the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPVhmMICq07ZnVd4Q9jTlA">Leave No One Behind Mural Project</a>.” </p>
<p>This arts initiative will create murals in cities across the U.S. depicting the stories of the immigrants who remain excluded <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958626092/on-immigration-biden-goes-big-in-opening-bid-to-congress">from Biden’s proposed immigration reforms</a>, starting in March and unveiling a new mural every few weeks through the end of Biden’s 100 days. </p>
<p>Ocon is part of the mural project. He sees art and lobbying as “fighting the same battle” for deported veterans, “but on different fronts.”</p>
<p>[<em>Get our most insightful politics and election stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/politics-weekly-74/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=politics-most">Sign up for The Conversation’s Politics Weekly</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154320/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Martinez-Medina is affiliated with Repatriate Our Patriots, an advocacy organization that supports deported veterans, and is Co-Editor for Desolate Zine.</span></em></p>At least 92 US military veterans were deported between 2013 and 2018. These deportees are not currently included in Biden’s effort to reunite families as part of his new immigration reform plan.Jennifer Martinez-Medina, PhD Candidate/Political Science Instructor, Portland State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1552642021-02-18T16:55:11Z2021-02-18T16:55:11ZGulf War Illness: depleted uranium ruled out as a cause of mystery condition – new study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385060/original/file-20210218-18-128hvod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C4%2C2977%2C1998&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oil well fires burning outside of Kuwait.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/oil-well-fires-rage-outside-kuwait-244390672">Everett Collection/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Gulf War. A United Nations coalition of about 700,000 troops led by the United States liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in the first half of 1991. But after the war ended, around 25% of those who served developed Gulf War Illness – also referred to as Gulf War Syndrome – a chronic condition whose cause remains unproven and debated. Symptoms include fatigue, night sweats, memory and concentration problems, diarrhoea, sexual dysfunction and chronic body pain. </p>
<p>Many of these symptoms are telltale signs of a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30453127">brain problem resulting from impaired transmission of nerve signals</a>. Theories of the illness’s causes include the trauma of war and exposure to unusual substances – such as pesticides used to control insects, dust from depleted uranium munitions, downwind smoke from burning oil wells, low-level nerve gas, and medication taken to protect against nerve gas. Many of these conditions were unique to the 1991 war. But our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82535-3">latest research</a> is likely to rule out one of these causes. </p>
<p>During the war, weapons made of <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/depleted-uranium/en/index.htm">depleted uranium</a> metal were used to destroy Iraqi tanks. The toxic dust released from them was thought to have contributed to Gulf War Illness. But our study shows that depleted uranium played no role in the illness. This now narrows the illness’s cause to sarin nerve gas dispersed during the conflict, possibly compounded by pesticide exposure.</p>
<h2>Depleted uranium</h2>
<p>Depleted uranium is uranium (a heavy metal) from which the radioactive <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/isotope">isotope</a> used in bombs and nuclear fuel has largely been removed. It’s been made into projectiles fired to destroy armoured vehicles. </p>
<p>Explosions from these projectiles generate fine oxidised uranium dust that can be inhaled and trapped deep in the lungs. Inhaled uranium dust will slowly dissolve into the bloodstream and deposit into bone and kidney. Absorption of large doses could cause damage to the kidneys, lungs or bones.</p>
<p>Any medically significant amount of inhaled depleted uranium will, over many years, be gradually excreted from the body in urine. If inhalation has been significant, it will be detectable in urine <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17976690/">many decades later</a>. These levels can be calculated using models of human metabolism.</p>
<p>To see if depleted uranium was a cause of Gulf War Illness, we used a tool called a mass spectrometer to measure the uranium isotopes from chemically processed urine samples. The mass spectrometer is an instrument which extracts uranium ions from the samples, accelerates them in a vacuum, separates the different isotopes of uranium using a magnetic field, and then quantifies each isotope. By measuring the uranium concentration, the excretion of depleted uranium per day can then be calculated. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two pieces of uranium mineral." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384986/original/file-20210218-26-1dm8m7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The depleted uranium used in projectiles is derived from the heavy metal, uranium.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/uranium-mineral-isolated-on-black-background-1625532211">RHJPhtotoandilustration/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>In order to precisely measure this isotope ratio and therefore quantify the excretion of depleted uranium, we had to separate and purify uranium from everything else in the urine sample. This was so the mass spectrometer would deliver both accurate and precise results. </p>
<p>Our method was more than ten times more sensitive than any <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702412/">test previously done</a> on US troops that served in the Gulf War. The sensitivity could identify even very low levels of inhaled depleted uranium exposure during the conflict. We then applied this method to the urine samples of 106 veterans with Gulf War Illness and a control group of 48 veterans without the illness. </p>
<p>The mass spectrometry found no depleted uranium in any sample in either the control group or from soldiers with Gulf War Illness. This showed that these veterans could not have inhaled more than 0.1 milligrams of depleted uranium, so not enough to cause any illness.</p>
<p>Since the veterans tested were representative of those all over the US, our findings remove depleted uranium from the list of possible causes of Gulf War Illness. This is the most robust result in the last 25 years on the relationship between depleted uranium and Gulf War Illness. </p>
<h2>Sarin nerve gas</h2>
<p>This isn’t to say radioactive substances in the environment – especially those used in warfare – have not been a cause for concern. Courts have even ruled that exposure to depleted uranium has contributed to the death of soldiers <a href="https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2018/02/07/depleted-uranium-caused-italy-soldiers-cancer-probe_3bfc785c-4e95-4bd1-975a-79fb167a9188.html">in Italy</a> and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/6168039/Soldier-died-from-exposure-depleted-uranium-during-Gulf-War.html">in the United Kingdom</a>. </p>
<p>Considering our results, however, it seems less likely that dust from depleted uranium explosions caused harm to soldiers during the Gulf War. But no robust health studies have looked at the effect on civilians exposed to pollution from factories that processed depleted uranium. As a result, the general health risk of substantial inhalation of depleted uranium is still not clearly known. </p>
<p>Eliminating depleted uranium as a possible culprit may bring us one step closer to uncovering the cause. Previous medical studies on Gulf War Illness have documented a problem with the brain’s nerve signal transmission system. This problem is consistent with the effects of low-level exposure to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32247728/">sarin</a> nerve gas, possibly compounded by exposure to pesticides. Given our study’s findings, this appears to be the most likely cause.</p>
<p>Nerve gas was accidentally released into the environment when the US bombed chemical weapons storage facilities in Iraq in late January 1991. Nerve gas alarms frequently sounded in coalition military positions and this <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/345124">indicates widespread</a> <a href="https://www.karger.com/article/fulltext/345123">exposure to troops</a>. </p>
<p>But given our study doesn’t address whether long-term exposure to ground contamination of depleted uranium affects health, this should be a focus of future research. Repeating this study using the same high-sensitivity measurements in other potentially exposed populations could either highlight problems with depleted uranium contamination or provide reassurance of minimal health risks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155264/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Haley has received funding from the Gulf War Illness Research Program, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, U.S. Department of Defense; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the Perot Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Randall Parrish does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Also known as Gulf War Syndrome, symptoms of the condition include chronic pain, fatigue, and memory problems.Randall Parrish, Research Professor of Isotope Geology, University of PortsmouthRobert Haley, Professor of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical CenterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1485972020-11-10T14:18:31Z2020-11-10T14:18:31ZHow you can help veterans every day<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368014/original/file-20201106-13-s06b4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C1823%2C1260&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. Army veteran Derek Martin gives his son a big hug at a veteran support group cookout on Nov. 7, 2015. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/army-veteran-derek-martin-takes-a-break-from-manning-the-news-photo/1089851856?adppopup=true"> Jon Hatch/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the nation celebrates our <a href="https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S2101&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S2101">17 million living veterans</a>, it is also important to know that the chance these heroes will end their own lives prematurely is <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2022/2022-National-Veteran-Suicide-Prevention-Annual-Report-FINAL-508.pdf">still higher than among civilians</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.03.014">Among veterans with PTSD</a>, suicide is the fourth most common cause of death. Among veterans younger than 35, it’s second. </p>
<p>Over the past decade, suicide rates have also <a href="https://www.dspo.mil/Portals/113/Documents/2021%20ASR/FY21%20ASR.pdf?ver=1F9QARTc2gfXMGIoqum0Mw%3d%3d">risen among members of the military</a>. For most years since 2017, rates for active-duty service members have been above those of civilians. The same is true for National Guard service members since 2015 and for veterans <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2022/2022-National-Veteran-Suicide-Prevention-Annual-Report-FINAL-508.pdf">for the past decade</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://hhs.purdue.edu/directory/shelley-macdermid-wadsworth/">I’m a researcher</a> who studies risk and resilience in military and veteran families. I can tell you that <a href="https://www.dspo.mil/Portals/113/Documents/CY2019%20Suicide%20Report/DoD%20Calendar%20Year%20CY%202019%20Annual%20Suicide%20Report.pdf?ver=YOA4IZVcVA9mzwtsfdO5Ew%3d%3d">the single most common stressor</a> for those who attempt or complete suicide is a serious relationship difficulty with an intimate partner or someone else within the past year. And more than 40% of service members who attempted or completed suicide had been seen within that year by a medical, mental health or social service professional. About one-third communicated a <a href="https://www.pdhealth.mil/sites/default/files/images/docs/TAB_B_2018_DoDSER_Annual_Report-508%20final-9MAR2020.pdf">potential for self-harm</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man driving with a big dog sitting in the back seat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368018/original/file-20201106-23-l502ld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Veteran Chad Brown drives with his service dog, Axe, in Boynton Beach, Fla. on June 19, 2017 to a meeting of Soul River, a group he founded to bring together veterans dealing with PTSD.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/war-veteran-chad-brown-drives-with-his-service-dog-axe-at-news-photo/805920474?adppopup=true">Javier Galeano/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A ‘good catch’</h2>
<p>It’s not only medical professionals who can help a veteran who is dealing with despair and contemplating death by suicide. You can also help.</p>
<p>Some recent studies have suggested that a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-predicting-suicide-is-a-difficult-and-complex-challenge-98052">complex array of factors</a> combine to lead a person to contemplate death by suicide. And many things contribute to the feelings of despair that veterans experience. </p>
<p>In addition to post-traumatic stress disorder, other mental health problems and medical challenges, veterans also face unemployment, bereavement and parenting issues. It is easy to understand how veterans might feel overwhelmed and desperate. </p>
<p>Through my work, I’ve heard firsthand the stories of service members and veterans who had decided to take their own lives but did not. Often I’ve observed that it was a “good catch” that did it: a friend or family member answered a call at an odd hour; noticed the person seemed “off” and asked careful questions; stayed with them while summoning professional help; or checked in with them so they wouldn’t feel isolated. Families, friends, neighbors and colleagues all may have opportunities to make these catches. </p>
<p>Peer support programs may also help. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are effective alone or in combination with clinical treatment for substance use disorders. Results regarding mental health problems such as depression are more mixed, but a consistent finding is that peer support <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000178">can help promote compliance</a> with treatment, communication with clinicians, improved coping and self-care, and increased feelings of hope and self-efficacy. Studies suggest that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000178">peer support can also help people</a> during transition times, particularly when they are leaving military service to return to civilian life.</p>
<p>Veterans themselves are taking action. In the Department of Veterans Affairs, peer facilitators are key to a new “<a href="https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/veteran-resources/Peer-Facilitator-Materials.asp">whole health” approach</a>. American Legion members also offer support aimed at preventing suicide through their <a href="https://www.legion.org/betheone">Be the One campaign</a>.
Across the country, <a href="https://justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court/">veterans treatment courts</a> routinely include mentors to boost the success of clients. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Those with depression and PTSD can find solace in support groups." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365577/original/file-20201026-15-ok3bwc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Support groups can help those with depression and PTSD.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-talking-during-a-support-group-meeting-royalty-free-image/1182151564?adppopup=true">Courtney Hale via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Peer support is out there</h2>
<p>Not all peers have to be veterans. Sometimes the strongest connections are with those who have had different challenges and who also can therefore relate – like a family member’s addiction, or one’s own disability or mental health problem.</p>
<p>Many peer networks can help, including the <a href="https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Family-to-Family">National Alliance on Mental Illness</a>, the <a href="https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/online-communities.html">American Cancer Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.alz.org/help-support/community/support-groups">Alzheimers Association</a>. Even though they may not focus specifically on suicide, they help reduce isolation, increase social connections, and support coping and self-care.</p>
<p>We can all help to prevent death by suicide. And joining a peer support program or training to make ourselves ready aren’t the only ways. Simply being more attentive as a friend, family member, neighbor or colleague can help. </p>
<p>It is normal for a person to feel awkward when talking to someone contemplating death by suicide. Learning is a great way to prepare. For example, “<a href="https://qprinstitute.com/about-qpr">Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)</a>” is evidence-based training that can help anyone recognize early warning signs of suicide, learn ways to offer hope and encouragement, and connect with help.</p>
<p>On this Veterans Day, by all means, let’s thank veterans for their service. But perhaps we could challenge ourselves to go further and do service on behalf of others. Who knows what opportunities might arise to make a good catch? </p>
<p>If you or any of your loved ones are in need of help, call, text or chat the <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/">National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline</a> at 988. Veterans and military members can dial 988 and then press 1 for special operators. </p>
<p><em>This article was updated on November 10, 2022 with more recent hyperlinks.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148597/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth receives or has received funding from the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institutes of Health. She provides scientific guidance for the Military Child Education Coalition and Combined Arms. </span></em></p>The rate of death by suicide is rising among veterans. The most common stressor is a serious relationship difficulty.Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1392512020-05-22T18:37:50Z2020-05-22T18:37:50ZMemorial Day: Why veterans are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337086/original/file-20200522-124851-ztqdu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. war veterans' graves at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/general-view-of-united-states-war-veterans-graves-at-fort-news-photo/1226296422?adppopup=true">Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the nation takes a day to memorialize its military dead, those who are living are facing a deadly risk that has nothing to do with war or conflict: the coronavirus. </p>
<p>Different groups face different degrees of danger from the pandemic, from the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/490715-coronavirus-creates-emergency-in-nursing-homes">elderly who are experiencing deadly outbreaks in nursing homes</a> to <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/7/21211849/coronavirus-black-americans">communities of color with higher infection and death rates</a>. Veterans are among the <a href="https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BWF_WhitePaper-COVID19-5.0-Final.pdf">most hard-hit</a>, with heightened health and economic threats from the pandemic. These veterans face homelessness, lack of health care, delays in receiving financial support and even death.</p>
<p>I have spent the past four years studying veterans with substance use and mental health disorders <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/lapo.12142">who are in the criminal justice system</a>. This work revealed gaps in health care and financial support for veterans,
even though they have the <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199838509.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199838509-e-003">best publicly funded</a> <a href="https://www.rand.org/news/press/2016/07/18.html">benefits</a> in the country.</p>
<p>Here are eight ways the pandemic threatens veterans:</p>
<h2>1. Age and other vulnerabilities</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/Profile_of_Veterans_2017.pdf">In 2017</a>, veterans’ median age was 64, their average age was 58 and 91% were male. The largest group served in the Vietnam era, where <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2018/05/28/the-shocking-health-effects-of-agent-orange-now-a-legacy-of-military-death/#31b9dbbc21c6">2.8 million veterans were exposed to Agent Orange</a>, a chemical defoliant linked to cancer.</p>
<p>Younger veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to dust storms, oil fires and burn pits <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burn-pit-military-lung-disease-thousands-of-veterans-fear-burn-pits-exposed-them-to-lethal-disease-2019-08-17/">with numerous toxins</a>, and perhaps as a consequence have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/179/11/1273/4159900">high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses</a>. </p>
<p>Age and respiratory illnesses are both risk factors for COVID-19 mortality. As of <a href="https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/Healthcare/COVID19NationalSummary">May 22</a>, there have been 12,979 people under Veterans Administration care with COVID-19, of whom 1,100 have died.</p>
<h2>2. Dangerous residential facilities</h2>
<p>Veterans needing end-of-life care, those with cognitive disabilities or those needing substance use treatment often live in crowded VA or state-funded residential facilities. </p>
<p>State-funded “soldiers’ homes” are notoriously starved for money and staff. The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/us/holyoke-soldiers-home-coronavirus/index.html">horrific situation</a> at the soldiers’ home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where <a href="https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/the-latest-state-reports-89-resident-deaths-at-holyoke-soldiers-home/article_88b3a4d8-791d-11ea-b3b7-f37420fe3e63.html">more than 79 veteran residents have died from a COVID-19 outbreak</a>, illustrates the risk facing the veterans in residential homes. </p>
<h2>3. Benefits unfairly denied</h2>
<p>When a person transitions from active military service to become a veteran, they receive a <a href="https://www.va.gov/records/discharge-documents">Certificate of Discharge or Release</a>. This certificate provides information about the circumstances of the discharge or release. It includes characterizations such as “honorable,” “other than honorable,” “bad conduct” or “dishonorable.” These are crucial distinctions, because that status <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/docs/COD_Factsheet.pdf">determines whether the Veterans Administration will give them benefits</a>. </p>
<p>Research shows that some veterans with discharges that limit their benefits have PTSD symptoms, military sexual trauma or other behaviors related to military stress. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have <a href="https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/wp-content/uploads/Underserved.pdf">disproportionately more</a> of these negative discharges than veterans from other eras, <a href="http://www.legalservicescenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Turn-Away-Report.pdf">for reasons still unclear</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">VA hospitals across the country are short-staffed and don’t have the resources they need to protect their workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-New-York/e8aae7013aaf4a3f95e600a474b325e9/4/0">AP/Kathy Willens</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Veterans Administration frequently <a href="https://today.law.harvard.edu/new-report-from-harvard-law-schools-veterans-legal-clinic-documents-the-vas-systemic-denial-of-health-care-to-veterans-with-bad-paper-discharges/">and perhaps unlawfully</a> denies benefits to veterans with “other than honorable” discharges.</p>
<p>Many veterans have requested upgrades to their discharge status. There is a <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-16-01750-79.pdf">significant backlog of these upgrade requests</a>, and the pandemic will add to it, further delaying access to health care and other benefits. </p>
<h2>4. Diminished access to health care</h2>
<p>Dental surgery, routine visits and elective surgeries at Veterans Administration medical centers have been postponed since mid-March. <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/press-releases/VAOIG-VHAOccupationalStaffingNewsRelease.pdf">VA hospitals are understaffed</a> – just before the pandemic, the VA reported 43,000 staff vacancies out of more than 400,000 health care staff positions. Access to health care will be even more difficult when those medical centers finally reopen because they may have far fewer workers than they need. </p>
<p>As of May 4, 2020, <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/more-than-2250-va-hospital-employees-test-positive-for-coronavirus-nationwide/2291955/">2,250 VA health care workers</a> have tested positive for COVID-19, and thousands of health care workers are under quarantine. The VA is <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2020/03/23/coronavirus-threat-prompts-va-request-for-doctors-nurses-to-come-out-of-retirement/">asking doctors and nurses</a> to come out of retirement to help already understaffed hospitals.</p>
<h2>5. Mental health may get worse</h2>
<p>An average of 20 veterans die by suicide every day. A <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/08/2019-04437/national-roadmap-to-empower-veterans-and-end-suicide">national task force</a> is currently addressing this scourge. </p>
<p>But many outpatient mental health programs are on hold <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/03/20/san-antonio-va-moves-away-from-in-person-mental-health-appointments-for-vets-amid-covid-19-crisis/">or being held virtually</a>. Some residential mental health facilities <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/veterans-in-battle-creek-forced-out-of-transitional-residences-to-prevent-covid-19-spread">have closed</a>. </p>
<p>Under these conditions, the suicide rate for veterans may grow. Suicide hotline calls by veterans were up <a href="https://connectingvets.radio.com/articles/veteran-crisis-line-calls-rise-over-coronavirus-wilkie-says">by 12% on March 22, just a few weeks into the crisis</a>.</p>
<h2>6. Complications for homeless veterans and those in the justice system</h2>
<p>An estimated <a href="http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/">45,000 veterans</a> are homeless on any given night, and <a href="https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-019-0086-9">181,500 veterans</a> are in prison or jail. Thousands more are under court-supervised substance use and mental health treatment in <a href="https://justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court/">veterans treatment courts</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25767963">More than half</a> of veterans involved with the justice system have either mental health problems or substance use disorders. </p>
<p>As residential facilities close to new participants, many veterans eligible to leave prison or jail have nowhere to go. They may stay incarcerated or become homeless. </p>
<p>Courts have <a href="https://www.nadcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Treatment-Courts-COVID-19-Examples-3-26-20.pdf">moved online</a> or ceased formal operations altogether, meaning no veteran charged with a crime can be referred to a treatment court. It is unclear whether those who were already participating in a treatment program will face delays graduating from court-supervised treatments. </p>
<p>Further, some veterans treatment courts still require participants to take <a href="https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/357665-california-s-veterans-treatment-courts-during-the-pandemic">drug tests</a>. With COVID-19 circulating, those participants must put their health at risk to travel to licensed testing facilities.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As veterans’ facilities close to new participants, many veterans eligible to leave prison or jail have nowhere to go and may become homeless, like this Navy veteran in Los Angeles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/travis-stanley-who-said-he-has-been-homeless-for-three-news-photo/1153992307?adppopup=true">Getty/Mario Tama</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>7. Disability benefits delayed</h2>
<p>In the pandemic’s epicenter in New York, <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/documents.nycbar.org/files/2019531-PublicInterestVeteransLawPractitioners.pdf">tens of thousands of veterans</a> should have access to VA benefits because of their low income – but don’t, so far. </p>
<p>The pandemic has exacerbated existing delays in finding veterans in need, filing their paperwork and waiting for decisions. Ryan Foley, an attorney in New York’s Legal Assistance Group, a nonprofit legal services organization, noted in a personal communication that these benefits are worth “tens of millions of dollars to veterans and their families” in the midst of a health and economic disaster. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices.asp">All 56 regional Veterans Administration offices are closed</a> to encourage social distancing. Compensation and disability evaluations, which determine how much money veterans can get, are usually done in person. Now, they must be done electronically, via telehealth services in which the veteran communicates with a health care provider via computer.</p>
<p>But getting telehealth up and running is taking time, adding to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-veterans-appeals-backlog-20151123-story.html">longstanding VA backlog</a>. Currently, more than <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/reports/mmwr_va_claims_backlog.asp">100,000 veterans</a> wait more than 125 days for a decision. (That is what the VA defines as a backlog – anything less than 125 days is not considered a delay on benefit claims.) </p>
<h2>8. Economic catastrophe</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BWF_WhitePaper-COVID19-5.0-Final.pdf">1.2 million veteran employees in the five industries most severely affected</a> by the economic fallout of the coronavirus. </p>
<p>A disproportionately high number of post-9/11 veterans live in some of the hardest-hit communities that depend on these industries. Veterans returning from overseas will face a dire economic landscape, with far fewer opportunities to integrate into civilian life with financial security.</p>
<p>In addition, severely disabled veterans living off of VA benefits were <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/490906-treasury-is-needlessly-requiring-millions-of-veterans-seniors-to">initially required to file a tax return to get stimulus checks</a>. This initial filing requirement delayed benefits for severely disabled veterans by at least a month. <a href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2020/beneficiaries-stimulus-checks.html">The IRS finally changed the requirements</a> after public outcry, given that many older and severely disabled veterans do not have access to computers or the technological skills to file electronically.</p>
<p>There are many social groups to pay attention to, all with their own problems to face during the pandemic. With veterans, many of the problems they face now existed long before the coronavirus arrived on U.S. shores.</p>
<p>But with the challenges posed by the situation today, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble, and it will be harder to answer their needs.</p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/8-ways-veterans-are-particularly-at-risk-from-the-coronavirus-pandemic-135619">a story</a> that originally ran on April 16, 2020.</em> </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139251/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamie Rowen receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>With the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble.Jamie Rowen, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1356192020-04-16T12:19:35Z2020-04-16T12:19:35Z8 ways veterans are particularly at risk from the coronavirus pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328182/original/file-20200415-153330-10hiiuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cleaners enter the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where a coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 40 veterans.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cleaners-enter-the-holyoke-soldiers-home-in-holyoke-ma-on-news-photo/1208729316?adppopup=true">Getty/Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>From the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/490715-coronavirus-creates-emergency-in-nursing-homes">elderly who are facing deadly outbreaks in nursing homes</a> to <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/7/21211849/coronavirus-black-americans">communities of color facing higher infection and death rates</a>, different groups face different challenges from the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>Among the <a href="https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BWF_WhitePaper-COVID19-5.0-Final.pdf">most hard-hit</a> are veterans, who are particularly susceptible to both health and economic threats from the pandemic. These veterans face homelessness, lack of health care, delays in receiving financial support and even death.</p>
<p>I have spent the past four years studying veterans with substance use and mental health disorders <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/lapo.12142">who are in the criminal justice system</a>. This work revealed gaps in health care and financial support for veterans, even though they have the best publicly funded benefits in the country. </p>
<p>Here are the eight ways the pandemic threatens veterans:</p>
<h2>1. Age and other vulnerabilities</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/Profile_of_Veterans_2017.pdf">In 2017</a>, veterans’ median age was 64; their average age was 58 and 91% were male. The largest group served in the Vietnam era, where <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2018/05/28/the-shocking-health-effects-of-agent-orange-now-a-legacy-of-military-death/#31b9dbbc21c6">2.8 million veterans were exposed to Agent Orange</a>.</p>
<p>Younger veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to dust storms, oil fires and burn pits, and perhaps as a consequence have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/179/11/1273/4159900">high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses</a>. </p>
<p>Age and respiratory illnesses are both risk factors for COVID-19 mortality. As of <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/04/13/va-reports-big-increases-in-coronavirus-deaths-employee-cases-over-the-weekend/">April 13</a>, 241 patients in Veterans Administration health care facilities had died of COVID-19 and 4,000 have tested positive.</p>
<h2>2. Dangerous residential facilities</h2>
<p>Veterans needing end-of-life care, those with cognitive disabilities, or those needing substance use treatment often live in crowded VA or state-funded residential facilities. </p>
<p>State-funded “Soldiers’ Homes” are notoriously starved for money and staff. The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/us/holyoke-soldiers-home-coronavirus/index.html">horrific situation</a> at the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where <a href="https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/the-latest-state-reports-40-resident-deaths-at-holyoke-soldiers-home/article_88b3a4d8-791d-11ea-b3b7-f37420fe3e63.html">more than 40 veteran residents have died from a COVID-19 outbreak</a>, illustrates the risk facing the veterans in residential homes. </p>
<h2>3. Benefits unfairly denied</h2>
<p>When a person transitions from active military service to become a veteran, they receive a <a href="https://www.va.gov/records/discharge-documents">Certificate of Discharge or Release</a>. This certificate provides information about the circumstances of the discharge or release. It includes characterizations such as “honorable,” “other than honorable,” “bad conduct” or “dishonorable.” These are crucial distinctions, because that status <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/docs/COD_Factsheet.pdf">determines whether the Veterans Administration will give them benefits</a>. </p>
<p>Research shows that some veterans with discharges that limit their benefits have PTSD symptoms, military sexual trauma or other behaviors related to military stress. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have <a href="https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/wp-content/uploads/Underserved.pdf">disproportionately more</a> of these negative discharges than veterans from other eras, <a href="http://www.legalservicescenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Turn-Away-Report.pdf">for reasons still unclear</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328194/original/file-20200415-153298-1xrzzea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">VA hospitals across the country are short-staffed and don’t have the resources they need to protect their workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-New-York/e8aae7013aaf4a3f95e600a474b325e9/4/0">AP/Kathy Willens</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Veterans Administration frequently <a href="https://today.law.harvard.edu/new-report-from-harvard-law-schools-veterans-legal-clinic-documents-the-vas-systemic-denial-of-health-care-to-veterans-with-bad-paper-discharges/">and perhaps unlawfully</a> denies benefits to veterans with “other than honorable” discharges.</p>
<p>Many veterans have requested upgrades to their discharge status. There is a <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-16-01750-79.pdf">significant backlog of these upgrade requests</a>, and the pandemic will add to it, further delaying access to health care and other benefits. </p>
<h2>4. Diminished access to health care</h2>
<p>Dental surgery, routine visits and elective surgeries at Veterans Administration medical centers have been postponed since mid-March. <a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/press-releases/VAOIG-VHAOccupationalStaffingNewsRelease.pdf">VA hospitals are understaffed</a> – just before the pandemic, the VA reported 43,000 staff vacancies out of more than 400,000 health care staff. Access to health care will be even more difficult when those medical centers finally reopen. </p>
<p>As of Monday, April 13, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/04/13/va-reports-big-increases-in-coronavirus-deaths-employee-cases-over-the-weekend/">1,520 VA health care workers</a> have tested positive for COVID-19, and thousands of health care workers are under quarantine. The VA is <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2020/03/23/coronavirus-threat-prompts-va-request-for-doctors-nurses-to-come-out-of-retirement/">asking doctors and nurses</a> to come out of retirement to help already understaffed hospitals.</p>
<h2>5. Mental health may get worse</h2>
<p>An average of 20 veterans commit suicide every day. A <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/08/2019-04437/national-roadmap-to-empower-veterans-and-end-suicide">national task force</a> is currently addressing this scourge. </p>
<p>But many outpatient mental health programs are on hold <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/03/20/san-antonio-va-moves-away-from-in-person-mental-health-appointments-for-vets-amid-covid-19-crisis/">or being held virtually</a>. Some residential mental health facilities <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/veterans-in-battle-creek-forced-out-of-transitional-residences-to-prevent-covid-19-spread">have closed</a>. </p>
<p>Under these conditions, the suicide rate for veterans may grow. Suicide hotline calls by veterans were up <a href="https://connectingvets.radio.com/articles/veteran-crisis-line-calls-rise-over-coronavirus-wilkie-says">by 12% on March 22, just a few weeks into the crisis</a>. </p>
<h2>6. Complications for homeless veterans and those in the justice system</h2>
<p>An estimated <a href="http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/">45,000 veterans</a> are homeless on any given night, and <a href="https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-019-0086-9">181,500 veterans</a> are in prison or jail. Thousands more are under court-supervised substance use and mental health treatment in <a href="https://justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court/">Veterans Treatment Courts</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25767963">More than half</a> of veterans involved with the justice system have either mental health problems or substance use disorders. </p>
<p>As residential facilities close to new participants, many veterans eligible to leave prison or jail have nowhere to go. They may stay incarcerated or become homeless. </p>
<p>Courts are <a href="https://www.nadcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Treatment-Courts-COVID-19-Examples-3-26-20.pdf">moving online</a> or ceasing operations altogether. It is unclear whether participants will face delays graduating from court-supervised treatments. </p>
<p>Further, some Veterans Treatment Courts still require participants to take drug tests. With COVID-19 circulating, participants must put their health at risk to travel to licensed testing facilities.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328196/original/file-20200415-153330-o2nyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As veterans’ facilities close to new participants, many veterans eligible to leave prison or jail have nowhere to go and may become homeless, like this Navy veteran in Los Angeles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/travis-stanley-who-said-he-has-been-homeless-for-three-news-photo/1153992307?adppopup=true">Getty/Mario Tama</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>7. Disability benefits delayed</h2>
<p>In the pandemic’s epicenter in New York, <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/documents.nycbar.org/files/2019531-PublicInterestVeteransLawPractitioners.pdf">tens of thousands of veterans</a> should have access to VA benefits because of their low income – but don’t, so far. </p>
<p>The pandemic has exacerbated existing delays in finding veterans in need, filing their paperwork and waiting for decisions. Ryan Foley, an attorney in New York’s Legal Assistance Group, a nonprofit legal services organization, noted in a personal communication that these benefits are worth “tens of millions of dollars to veterans and their families” in the midst of a health and economic disaster. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices.asp">All 56 regional Veterans Administration offices are closed</a> to encourage social distancing. Compensation and disability evaluations, which determine how much money veterans can get, are usually done in person. Now, they must be done electronically, via telehealth services in which the veteran communicates with a health care provider via computer.</p>
<p>But getting telehealth up and running is taking time, adding to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-veterans-appeals-backlog-20151123-story.html">longstanding VA backlog</a>. Currently, approximately <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/reports/mmwr_va_claims_backlog.asp">75,000 veterans</a> wait more than 125 days for a decision. (That is what the VA defines as a backlog – anything less than 125 days is not considered a delay on benefit claims.) </p>
<h2>8. Obstacles to getting stimulus checks</h2>
<p>Veterans with the greatest financial need <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/13/coronavirus-why-veterans-could-miss-out-on-stimulus-checks.html">may not automatically receive</a> their stimulus checks. Currently, those living on tax-exempt income from the VA must file a tax return to get a check. </p>
<p>But e-filing a tax return is a <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/us/disabled-veterans-could-get-left-out-of-stimulus-money-lawmakers-warn-1.625198">significant obstacle</a> for many, especially severely disabled veterans who may not have computers or know how to use e-file software.</p>
<p>There are many social groups to pay attention to, all with their own problems to face during the pandemic. With veterans, many of the problems they face now existed long before the coronavirus arrived on U.S. shores. </p>
<p>But with the challenges posed by the situation today, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble, and it will be harder to answer their needs.</p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklysmart">You can get our highlights each weekend</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135619/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamie Rowen receives funding from the National Science Foundation.</span></em></p>With the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble.Jamie Rowen, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1296172020-02-04T13:32:58Z2020-02-04T13:32:58ZThe Iraq War has cost the US nearly $2 trillion<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310550/original/file-20200116-181598-1vq9ftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C49%2C5406%2C2916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Packed and ready to leave? Perhaps not quite yet.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/this-handout-picture-released-by-the-us-army-shows-u-s-army-news-photo/1191159403?adppopup=true">Capt. Robyn Haake/US Army/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s note: The <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/">Costs of Wars project</a> was started in 2011 to assess the long-term consequences of the post-9/11 wars. Project co-director <a href="https://www.bu.edu/polisci/people/faculty/crawford/">Neta C. Crawford</a>, professor and chair of political science at Boston University, explains the major implications of the Iraq War for the federal budget.</em></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312721/original/file-20200130-41476-3w82x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Even if the U.S. administration <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/06/pentagon-says-no-decision-iraq-withdrawal-after-qasem-soleimani-backlash/2827126001/">decided to leave</a> — or <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/01/05/iraq-parliament-calls-for-expulsion-military/UrIXb0TChbusBl08SV1CkI/story.html">was evicted from</a> — Iraq immediately, the bill of war to the U.S. to date would be an estimated US$1,922 billion in current dollars.</p>
<p>This figure includes not only funding appropriated to the Pentagon explicitly for the war, but spending on Iraq by the State Department, the care of Iraq War veterans and interest on debt incurred to fund 16 years of U.S. military involvement in the country.</p>
<p>Since 2003, the Department of Defense has received about $838 billion in “emergency” and “overseas contingency operation” <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2020/fy2020_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf">funding</a> for operations in Iraq through fiscal year 2019. This includes, from 2014 on, money dedicated to the <a href="https://www.inherentresolve.mil/">fight against the Islamic State group</a>, also known as ISIS or IS, in a region including both Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>The Pentagon “base” budget — money needed to keep the department running on an ongoing basis — has also ballooned while the U.S. has been at war. War-related <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2018-10/54219-oco_spending.pdf">increases to the base budget</a> include heightened security at bases, enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, increased military pay, and the healthcare costs of soldiers. I estimate nearly $800 billion in such increases since 9/11, with Iraq’s share about $382 billion.</p>
<p>Add to this approximately $59 billion spent by the State Department and USAID on <a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2013/sigir-learning-from-iraq.pdf">Iraq</a> and <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2019/Aug/09/2002169448/-1/-1/1/Q3FY2019_LEADIG_OIR_REPORT.PDF">Syria</a> for democracy promotion, reconstruction, training, and removing unexploded bombs.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, about 4.1 million post-9/11 war veterans are receiving <a href="https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/fy2020VAbudgetVolumeIImedicalProgramsAndInformationTechnology.pdf">medical care</a> and <a href="https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/fy2020VAbudgetvolumeIIIbenefitsBurialProgramsAndDeptmentalAdministration.pdf">disability and other compensation</a>. Roughly half the spending for those veterans is Iraq related, with the total nearing $199 billion.</p>
<p>And since there have been no Iraq War taxes and very few <a href="https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ebonds/res_e_bonds_eepatriotbond.htm">war bonds</a> issued to finance the post-9/11 wars, we should add another $444 billion in <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2020/Peltier%202020%20-%20The%20Cost%20of%20Debt-financed%20War.pdf">interest</a> on borrowing to pay for Pentagon and State Department spending. </p>
<p>Department of Defense spending on Iraq has tailed off in the past decade <a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2018/Crawford_Costs%20of%20War%20Estimates%20Through%20FY2019.pdf">after peaking at around $140 billion</a> in 2008. </p>
<p>In December 2019, Congress <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/national-defense-authorization-act-fiscal-year-2020">appropriated</a> about <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/21/trump-signs-738-billion-defense-bill.html">$70 billion for the post-9/11 wars</a> as part of the $738 billion National Defense Authorization Act.</p>
<p>The Pentagon originally <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2020/fy2020_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf">requested</a> less than $10 billion of that amount for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>But that budget may already be blown. Earlier this month, the US sent <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/u-s-sending-thousands-more-troops-mideast-after-baghdad-attack-n1110081">more troops</a> into a war zone that was supposed to be winding down.</p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129617/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neta C. Crawford receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. </span></em></p>The Pentagon has spent more than $800 billion on military operations in Iraq. But that doesn’t include money needed to care for veterans, rebuild the country or pay interest on war debt.Neta C. Crawford, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1290592020-01-29T13:19:35Z2020-01-29T13:19:35ZTeaching kids how to make guitars can get them hooked on engineering<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311844/original/file-20200124-81395-m5sci7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You can't make a guitar without some STEM know-how.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/httpwwwjcmagic69comphotos/">James Cordero</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p>
<p><strong>The Big Idea:</strong></p>
<p>I’m part of a <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1700531">team of professors and high school teachers around the country</a> that encourages high schools to teach kids to build guitars as a way of making science, technology, engineering and math subjects, collectively known as STEM, more interesting. The <a href="http://guitarbuilding.org">STEM Guitar project</a> brings high school teachers to weeklong workshops where they learn to make guitars so they can introduce the process to their students. They leave with their own guitars and all the teaching materials they need.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1234&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1234&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1234&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311642/original/file-20200123-162204-1uovi0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dipping guitar bodies in paint floating on water coats them with a swirled pattern.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://guitarbuilding.org">Mark French/Purdue University</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the past decade, <a href="http://guitarbuilding.org/videos/">we’ve taught</a> more than 450 teachers from nearly every state who have, in turn, gotten more than 20,000 students to make guitars. The program is particularly active in California and Washington state.</p>
<p><strong>Why it matters:</strong></p>
<p>The demand among <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/arthurherman/2018/09/10/americas-high-tech-stem-crisis/#433f9facf0a2">employers for workers with technical skills</a> is large everywhere, including in the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/06/how-switching-careers-to-tech-could-solve-the-us-talent-shortage.html">United States</a>. Estimates vary, but <a href="https://www.aip.org/fyi/2019/panel-warns-us-faces-stem-workforce-supply-challenges">experts are concerned</a> that there could be a <a href="https://innovationatwork.ieee.org/stem-talent-shortage/">shortage of millions of these workers</a>. However, <a href="https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/2188-building-americas-future-stem-education/for-students/blog/news.php">traditional teaching methods are not working</a> for many high school students, partly because many don’t see how they might use this knowledge as adults. Unlike science and math, <a href="https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing-overview/frequently-asked-questions-about-state-testing">engineering and technology skills</a> aren’t typically included in the standardized tests used to evaluate students and their teachers. Because the stakes are high, schools generally make the subjects that are tested their highest priority.</p>
<p>When kids make guitars, they learn the math and science, but also the importance of mechanical precision, the design process and basic manufacturing skills, which are central to what engineers do.</p>
<p>For example, as they go through the different steps of building a guitar, they learn about the underlying physics. Electric guitars all have <a href="https://www.seymourduncan.com/support-pickups-101/getting-started">pickups</a>, small devices that use something called electromagnetic induction to make sound, so they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06iVABPYg9A">learn something about physics</a> in these classes. And those little metal wires that go across the neck of a guitar, <a href="https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/guitar/how-guitar-strings-and-frets-work/">the frets</a>, have to be arranged in a specific way. The way you figure out that arrangement requires algebra. </p>
<p><strong>How I do my work:</strong></p>
<p>We created a curriculum that teachers learn to deliver through five days of training in workshops held around the country. We supply teaching materials, a textbook and guitar kits that high school teachers can then use in their classes. Since the workshops run all day for a week, we hold them during the summer.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311638/original/file-20200123-162221-19f6f1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers get kits like this one for their students to transform into their own DIY guitars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/httpwwwjcmagic69comphotos/">James Cordero</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The teachers learn to make electric guitars from wood, following one of a few standard designs. Most electric guitars have solid wood structures and make music using electromagnetic pickups connected to amplifiers. Initially all students learned to make electric guitars. More recently, we have helped them learn to make acoustic guitars. These use the vibrations of their light wood structures to radiate sound directly and don’t need electronics. However, their construction and the underlying physics are more complicated.</p>
<p>We don’t have time to teach anyone how to play their instruments, though impromptu jam sessions often break out. Teachers can also point students toward some good online lessons we suggest.</p>
<p>Our project has also started working directly with veterans. Some vets need help in transitioning to life after the military. Some want to learn marketable skills and some just need the experience of succeeding at something challenging and interesting. We’ve just started this work, but veterans and the people supporting them have been enthusiastic so far. We are very pleased to have found a way to help them out.</p>
<p><strong>What still isn’t known:</strong></p>
<p>We don’t know how many schools are willing to try this unusual approach. Also, we’re excited that teachers are reporting their students are more engaged and some students even state they want to come to school so they can work on guitars. However, we don’t know how learning STEM by making guitars affects most people later on. While gathering this information would be difficult, it would help us refine our approach to make it more effective.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=549&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=549&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311843/original/file-20200124-81411-8m1sv5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=549&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students work together when they build guitars in class, reinforcing what they learn.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/httpwwwjcmagic69comphotos/">James Cordero</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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</figure>
<p><strong>What’s next:</strong></p>
<p>We are developing classes that will teach teens to make guitars with <a href="https://www.shopbottools.com/applications/musicalinstruments/">computer-controlled machines</a> similar to the ones used by musical instrument and other manufacturers. Students will learn how to make their own parts and they can follow our designs or invent their own. At its best, engineering is fundamentally a creative process. So it’s important for students to move beyond manufacturing our designs to design their own instruments.</p>
<p>[ <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=expertise">Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.</a></em> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129059/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark French receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>More than 20,000 American high school students have made their own guitars in school over the past decade. Many of them have wound up more into learning about STEM disciplines.Mark French, Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1281292019-12-03T18:36:34Z2019-12-03T18:36:34Z‘Life just went to crap’: why army veterans are twice as likely to end up in prison<p>The question of whether Australia does enough to support its ex-service personnel is growing in urgency, with Labor leader Anthony Albanese this week <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/we-must-do-better-labor-backs-royal-commission-into-veteran-deaths">adding his voice</a> to those calling for a royal commission into veteran suicides. </p>
<p>The numbers are alarming – between 2001 and 2017, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/veterans/national-veteran-suicide-monitoring/contents/summary">419 serving and ex-serving</a> Australian Defence Force personnel died by suicide. But while the suicide rate for men still serving was 48% lower than in the equivalent general population, the rate is 18% higher for those who had left the military. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1201601917404827649"}"></div></p>
<p>For women it’s a similar story, where the suicide rate for ex-serving women is higher than Australian women generally. However, the small numbers of ex-service women who have been studied means the data are limited. </p>
<p>But there’s another issue afflicting ex-military men that’s not often discussed: they are imprisoned twice as often as men in the general Australian population. This is according to the first known Australian prison audit to identify incarcerated ex-service members, conducted in South Australia last year. </p>
<p>In fact, these findings support <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d3898.extract">research from England</a>, which identifies ex-service men as the largest incarcerated occupational group. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/enough-inquiries-that-go-nowhere-its-time-for-a-royal-commission-into-veteran-suicide-119599">Enough inquiries that go nowhere – it's time for a royal commission into veteran suicide</a>
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<p>The high rate of imprisonment, along with the spike in the suicide rate of ex-members, reflects the challenges some service people face transitioning from military service back to civilian life, and the critical lack of available transition planning and support.</p>
<h2>Why do some veterans turn to crime?</h2>
<p>When a United States ex-Marine fatally shot 12 people in California in 2018, President Donald Trump promoted a widespread, oversimplified connection between military service and criminal offending. He <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-rankles-veterans-with-comments-about-ptsd-and-california-shooter/2018/11/09/2c4ab5ba-e463-11e8-a1c9-6afe99dddd92_story.html">said</a> the shooter </p>
<blockquote>
<p>was in the war. He saw some pretty bad things […] they come back, they’re never the same.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We have so far interviewed 13 former service men for our ongoing research, trying to explain the findings of the South Australia audit. And we found the connection between military service and criminal offending is more complex than Trump suggests.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/veterans-have-poorer-mental-health-than-australians-overall-we-could-be-serving-them-better-119525">Veterans have poorer mental health than Australians overall. We could be serving them better</a>
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<p>The combination of childhood trauma, military training, social exclusion and mental health issues on discharge created the perfect cocktail of risk factors leading to crime. </p>
<p>For many, joining the service was a way to find respect, discipline and camaraderie. In fact, most interviewees found military service effective at controlling the effects of childhood trauma. One man we interviewed said he</p>
<blockquote>
<p>could see me life going to the shit, that’s when I went and signed up for the army […] The discipline appealed to me. To me I was like yearning for it because I was going down the bad road real quick.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another explained that joining the military was the</p>
<blockquote>
<p>BEST thing I ever did. LOVED it. Well they gave me discipline, they showed me true friendships and it let me work my issues out […] I loved putting my uniform on and the respect that I could show other people, whereas before I’d rather hit them.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Leaving the military can aggravate past trauma</h2>
<p>However, all men complained military discharge was a complete, “sudden cut”. This sudden departure from the service, combined with the rigorous military training, can aggravate previous trauma. As one ex-service member put it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the military is a fantastic thing […] but the moment that you’re not there […] it magnifies everything else and it’s just like a ticking time bomb.</p>
<p>I mean you’re trained to shoot people.</p>
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<p>Another reflected that when he left the army, he lost the routine that kept his past traumas at bay. </p>
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<p>I was working myself to the bone just to stop thinking about it. Then when I got out issues were coming back, coming back. I’ve lost my structure […] and life just went to crap.</p>
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<p>Every man we interviewed had been diagnosed with some combination of post traumatic stress, multiple personality disorder, anti-social personality disorder, bipolar, depression, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or alcohol and other drug dependence. </p>
<p>They arose from various combinations of pre-service and service-related trauma. </p>
<p>All interviewees lacked support from the Australian Defence Force or government veteran services. One explained how he found it difficult to manage post traumatic stress since his usual strategies were “getting very thin”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-shell-shock-to-ptsd-proof-of-wars-traumatic-history-37858">From shell shock to PTSD: proof of war's traumatic history</a>
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</em>
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<p>And the lack of support for their mental health issues worsened when they were incarcerated because they said the Department of Veterans Affairs cut ties, and “no-one inside the prison system is going to pay for psychological help”. </p>
<h2>Maintaining identity</h2>
<p>For some men, joining criminal organisations was a deliberate way to find a sense of belonging and the “brotherhood” they missed from the defence force. One man reflected:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I found a lot of Australian soldiers that are lost. You think you’re a civilian but you’re not, you never will be […] even three years’ service in the army will change you forever. And the Australian government doesn’t do enough. </p>
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<p>Ex-service men in prison are a significant, vulnerable part of that community. The Australian Defence Force and government veteran agencies need to urgently reform transition support services because current discharge processes are costing lives.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-800-defence-veterans-homeless-in-australia-thats-more-than-we-thought-123695">5,800 defence veterans homeless in Australia – that's more than we thought</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2017.1370640">English research</a> has found peer support helps service men transition into civilian life, but the men we interviewed did not receive peer support until they were in prison. </p>
<p>Then, it was through a <a href="https://xmrc.com.au/">welfare organisation</a> and Correctional Services, not defence agencies.</p>
<p>One man told us that after his discharge </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I actually went back and asked if I could mow the lawns for free, just so I could be around them still. They wouldn’t allow it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If ex-service men could maintain contact with the Australian Defence Force through peer support and informal networks, their identity and sense of purpose could be maintained to reduce the risk factors for offending and re-offending.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>If you or anyone you know needs help or is having suicidal thoughts, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or beyondblue on 1300 22 46 36.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128129/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s time veterans were given the support they need to transition back to civilian life.Kellie Toole, Lecturer in Law, University of AdelaideElaine Waddell, Dr of Public Health, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1195252019-11-20T19:16:25Z2019-11-20T19:16:25ZVeterans have poorer mental health than Australians overall. We could be serving them better<p>A career in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), or the armed forces in any country, can be rewarding, but also demanding. Challenges include the rigorous training, frequent moves, and maintaining social connections. </p>
<p>Beyond this, military personnel may be exposed to trauma during combat, peace-keeping missions, border protection, disaster and humanitarian relief, and training accidents.</p>
<p>They may be confronted not only with threats to their own lives or safety, but also with the suffering or death of others, which can have a significant emotional and <a href="http://www.defence.gov.au/Health/DMH/Docs/MHPWSReport-FullReport.pdf">psychological impact</a>.</p>
<p>So it’s not surprising we see <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/health-studies/mental-health-prevalence-report">higher rates of mental illness</a> among veterans compared to the overall Australian population.</p>
<p>The rates of suicide are also concerning, particularly among younger veterans. Between 2001 and 2016, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/veterans/national-veteran-suicide-monitoring/contents/summary">373 Australian veterans</a> took their lives. Male veterans under 30 had a suicide rate more than twice the national average for men the same age. These figures have led to considerable community concern, including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/plea-to-pm-for-royal-commission-into-veterans-suicide/11678984">calls for a royal commission</a> into veteran suicide.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1194084664895393792"}"></div></p>
<p>Whether or not this eventuates, we should be targeting veterans with a high level of care that better reflects their unique set of needs.</p>
<h2>Transitioning back into civilian life</h2>
<p>Recent research has highlighted <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/social-research/transition-and-wellbeing-research">one of the most challenging periods for military personnel</a> can be transitioning back to civilian life.</p>
<p>Major lifestyle changes can be stressful for anyone, but leaving the ADF can feel like more than leaving a job. It will likely represent a change in a person’s way of life across the board.</p>
<p>While many transitioning personnel may initially experience some uncertainty and a sense of losing some part of themselves, most make the adjustment successfully. For others, the problems may not go away and for some, may become worse, unless they receive help.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-shell-shock-to-ptsd-proof-of-wars-traumatic-history-37858">From shell shock to PTSD: proof of war's traumatic history</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A comprehensive study commissioned by the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and Defence in 2015 found ADF members who had discharged or transitioned to the Reserves were <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/social-research/transition-and-wellbeing-research">at greater risk</a> of experiencing mental health issues compared to both those who were still serving and the broader Australian community.</p>
<p>For example, in the previous 12 months, 17.7% of transitioned ADF personnel had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to 8.7% still serving in the ADF full-time, and 5.2% in the Australian community.</p>
<p>Other common mental health conditions in transitioned ADF personnel include depression (11.2%), and anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (5.4%), agoraphobia (11.9%) and social phobia (11%), all estimated to be higher than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4326.0Main+Features32007?OpenDocument">rates in the general population</a>.</p>
<p>Rates of suicidality (thinking about, planning or attempting suicide) were more than double for those who had transitioned out of full-time ADF service compared to those still serving in the ADF full-time (21.7% versus 8.8%), and <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4326.0Main+Features32007?OpenDocument">ten times greater</a> than the Australian community.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mindfulness-therapy-alleviates-soldiers-ptsd-but-only-in-the-short-term-45494">Mindfulness therapy alleviates soldiers' PTSD, but only in the short term</a>
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<h2>Seeking and receiving help</h2>
<p>About 75% of veterans who reported they had mental health concerns in the DVA study had sought and received assistance at some point from a GP or mental health professional. These rates are much higher than in the general community and auger well for the <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/health-studies/pathways-care-report">preparedness of veterans to seek care</a>. </p>
<p>However, as is the case in the Australian community and internationally, there is an under-engagement with evidence-based treatment and practice. Only <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/social-research/transition-and-wellbeing-research">about 25%</a> of help-seeking veterans were estimated to be receiving evidence-based care, such as cognitive behavioural therapy. This may be because veterans don’t stay engaged in health services for long enough to receive evidence-based treatments. </p>
<p>So while the help-seeking and care delivery for veterans is on par with, and in some ways exceeds, that of the general community, there’s room for improvement to ensure veterans remain engaged with services and receive the treatment they need. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302355/original/file-20191119-12518-c8mdwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">About three-quarters of veterans with mental health concerns will seek help.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What could we be doing better?</h2>
<p>Coming from a health system in the armed forces where health care is organised for them, veterans may have heightened expectations about the level of coordinated and integrated practice.</p>
<p>So first, we need improved integration and coordination of services, including development of outreach capabilities which more proactively engage with veterans and their families and connect them to appropriate services. Outreach can be led by health professionals or intersect with existing peer support networks. </p>
<p>Second, we need to enhance the knowledge and skills among health professionals in the various services to which veterans are reaching out. Importantly, services and treatments should be delivered with appropriate “military cultural awareness”. </p>
<p>This means practitioners demonstrating they understand the types of experiences veterans may have been exposed to, and the potential lasting impacts of these experiences. Veterans are likely to be more engaged in services if they feel well understood.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-some-veterans-feel-alienated-on-campus-and-how-universities-can-help-100603">Why some veterans feel alienated on campus and how universities can help</a>
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<p>Parallel to this, we need to be aware of the needs of, and actively support, the families who often bear the brunt of the mental health problems experienced by the veterans. <a href="https://www.openarms.gov.au">Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling</a>, a free national counselling service, plays a large role in provision of this support. </p>
<p>Ultimately we need to continue to focus on innovations in the prevention of and early interventions for mental health problems among veterans, including suicidality. In doing so we must maintain a focus on well-being outcomes more broadly and not just on symptoms and conditions, ensuring our goal remains assisting veterans in living a meaningful and satisfying life in all its domains.</p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you or you’re concerned about someone you know, call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119525/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Sadler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Veterans are at higher risk of mental illness than the rest of the Australian population. Many of them are seeking help, but the way care is provided to this group must consider their unique needs.Nicole Sadler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1264672019-11-06T14:31:45Z2019-11-06T14:31:45ZPeace advocates have long been found among veterans who fought in America’s wars<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300321/original/file-20191105-88382-1rfifnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Veterans for Peace gather for a Veterans Day ceremony at the Minnesota State Capitol mall, Nov. 11, 2014, in St. Paul. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Veterans-Day/068a591d742d4f93a7b4f6a1bb5e58e1/39/0">AP/Jim Mone</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If President Donald Trump had gotten his way, the nation would have celebrated the centennial of the World War I armistice last year on Nov. 11 with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/planning-trump-s-military-parade-finally-getting-underway-n887431">a massive military parade in Washington, D.C.</a> </p>
<p>But that didn’t happen. When the Pentagon announced the president’s decision to cancel the parade, they blamed local politicians for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/us/politics/trump-military-parade.html">driving up the cost of the proposed event</a>. </p>
<p>There may have been other reasons.</p>
<p>Veterans were especially outspoken in their opposition. Retired generals and admirals feared such a demonstration would embarrass the U.S., placing the nation in the company of <a href="http://time.com/5137317/donald-trump-military-parade-officers/">small-time authoritarian regimes</a> that regularly parade their tanks and missiles as demonstrations of their military might. And some veterans’ organizations opposed the parade because they saw it as a celebration of militarism and war. </p>
<p>The advocacy group Veterans for Peace joined a coalition of 187 organizations that sought to <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/files/6315/3444/0593/Sign_on_Statement_Against_Military_Parade.pdf">“Stop the Military Parade; Reclaim Armistice Day</a>.” </p>
<p>Veterans of past wars, as I document in my book <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/guys-like-me/9781978802810">“Guys Like Me: Five Wars, Five Veterans for Peace,”</a> have long been at the forefront of peace advocacy in the United States. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243996/original/file-20181105-74751-11ddsge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trump was inspired to have a U.S. military parade after watching this French one in 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trump-US-France/35424f89195b4bcbb002a6d4df627ecd/14/0">AP/Carolyn Kaster</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Politicians’ betrayal?</h2>
<p>There is a deep history to veterans’ peace advocacy.</p>
<p>As a young boy, I got my first hint of veterans’ aversion to war from my grandfather, a World War I Army veteran. Just the mention of Veterans Day could trigger a burst of anger that “the damned politicians” had betrayed veterans of “The Great War.”</p>
<p>In 1954 Armistice Day was renamed as Veterans Day. In previous years, citizens in the U.S. and around the world celebrated the <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-i-ends">11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918</a> not simply as the moment that war ended, but also as the dawning of a lasting peace. </p>
<p>“They told us it was ‘The War to End All Wars,’” my grandfather said to me. “And we believed that.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244000/original/file-20181105-74766-1ni450c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The New York Tribune on Nov. 11, 1918.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1918-11-11/ed-1/seq-1/#words=over+end+surrendered+Over+war+ENDED+War+armistice+SURRENDERED+End+surrender+WAR+Armistice">Library of Congress</a></span>
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<h2>Veterans for peace</h2>
<p>What my grandfather spoke about so forcefully was not an idle dream. In fact, a mass movement for peace had pressed the U.S. government, in 1928, to sign the <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg">Kellogg-Briand Pact</a>, an international <a href="http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/kbpact.asp">“Treaty for the Renunciation of War,”</a> sponsored by the United States and France and subsequently <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Internationalists/Oona-A-Hathaway/9781501109867">signed by most of the nations of the world</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg">A State Department historian described the agreement</a> this way: “In the final version of the pact, they agreed upon two clauses: the first outlawed war as an instrument of national policy and the second called upon signatories to settle their disputes by peaceful means.” </p>
<p>The pact did not end war, of course. Within a decade, another global war would erupt. But at the time, the pact articulated the sentiments of ordinary citizens, including World War I veterans and organizations like the <a href="https://www.vfw.org/">Veterans of Foreign Wars</a>, who during the late 1930s <a href="http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0006061/ortiz_s.pdf#page=201">opposed U.S. entry into the deepening European conflicts</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp">In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law</a> changing the name of the holiday to Veterans Day, to include veterans of World War II and Korea. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244003/original/file-20181105-74754-1jq7qe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Eisenhower on June 1, 1954, signing the legislation that changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:72-901-1_HR7786_Veterans_Day_June_1_1954.jpg#/media/File:72-901-1_HR7786_Veterans_Day_June_1_1954.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span>
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<h2>‘Guys like me’</h2>
<p>For my grandfather, the name change symbolically punctuated the repudiation of the dream of lasting peace. Hope evaporated, replaced with the ugly reality that politicians would continue to find reasons to send American boys – “guys like me,” as he put it – to fight and die in wars.</p>
<p>World War I, like subsequent wars, incubated a generation of veterans committed to preventing such future horrors for their sons. </p>
<p>From working-class Army combat veterans like my grandfather to retired generals like <a href="https://fas.org/man/smedley.htm">Smedley Butler</a> – who wrote and delivered public speeches arguing that “war is a racket,” benefiting only the economic <a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Racket-Antiwar-Americas-Decorated/dp/0922915865">interests of ruling-class industrialists</a> – World War I veterans spoke out to prevent future wars. And veterans of subsequent wars continue speaking out today.</p>
<p>There have been six U.S. presidents since my grandfather’s death in early 1981 – Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump – and each <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42738.pdf">committed U.S. military forces to overt or covert wars</a> around the world. </p>
<p>Most of these wars, large or small, have been met with opposition from veterans’ peace groups. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Vietnam Veterans Against the War was a <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814751473/">powerful force in the popular opposition to the American war in Vietnam</a>. And <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/">Veterans for Peace</a>, along with <a href="https://aboutfaceveterans.org">About Face: Veterans Against the War</a>, remain outspoken against America’s militarism and participation in wars in the Middle East and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Were he alive today, I believe my grandfather would surely express indignation that American leaders continue to send the young to fight and die in wars throughout the world. </p>
<p>Still, I like to imagine my grandfather smiling had he lived to witness some of the activities that will take place this November 11: Once again, Veterans for Peace will join other peace organizations in Washington, D.C. and in cities around the U.S. and the world, marching behind banners that read <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/our-work/armistice-day">“Observe Armistice Day, Wage Peace</a>!”</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/veterans-have-fought-in-wars-and-fought-against-them-99966">an article</a> originally published on Nov. 8, 2018.</em></p>
<p>[ <em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126467/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Messner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Veterans of past wars have long been at the forefront of peace advocacy in the United States.Michael Messner, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1236952019-09-29T19:55:38Z2019-09-29T19:55:38Z5,800 defence veterans homeless in Australia – that’s more than we thought<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294493/original/file-20190927-185383-3rgbak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5176%2C2778&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">About 5.6% of Australian defence veterans could end up homeless.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tk_five_0/5197734427/">Flickr/Michael Dawes</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The number of homeless defence veterans in Australia is far bigger than previously thought, according to a new study.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/homelessness-amongst-australian-veterans-summary">research</a> puts the figure at almost 5,800 veterans experiencing homelessness in a 12 month period.</p>
<p>Veterans are also more likely to be homeless than other people in the Australian community.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-all-slept-in-the-car-five-of-us-young-refugees-talk-about-being-homeless-in-australia-121559">'We all slept in the car, five of us'. Young refugees talk about being homeless in Australia</a>
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<p>We found the homelessness rate for veterans who recently left the ADF was 5.3% – significantly higher than the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4159.0Explanatory%20Notes12014?OpenDocument">1.9% for the general population</a>.</p>
<h2>A lack of data</h2>
<p>Before the release of this estimate, an accurate number of homeless veterans in Australia was not known, and estimates varied widely. That is because there is limited national data available to count homeless veterans.</p>
<p>Prevalence rates are typically calculated by dividing the number of people with a specific characteristic (such as not having a secure home) by the total number of people in the population of interest (such as veterans).</p>
<p>This method is not possible in Australia as there is no data set that defines the veteran population. We do not even know how many veterans there are in Australia, because reliable data of serving personnel is only available from 2001.</p>
<p>One previous attempt at determining prevalence of homelessness among veterans was the Veterans at Risk report in 2009, funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). This relied on census data (which does not identify veterans) and produced an estimate of around 3,000 homeless veterans. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/ADF_Mental_Health/Report">attempt</a> was made by DVA in 2016. No information was provided on how it estimated there to be around 200-300 homeless veterans throughout Australia.</p>
<p>This knowledge gap was a concern for government policymakers as well as veteran advocates who have been calling for further research and an increased service response for years. </p>
<p>Without a baseline count, they are unable to determine whether veteran homelessness is increasing, plan an appropriate service and policy response, or assess the effectiveness of any interventions.</p>
<p>It is therefore vital to establish a more robust estimate.</p>
<h2>How we came up with our estimate</h2>
<p>Our estimate is obtained from survey data representative of all veterans who left regular Australian Defence Force (ADF) service between 2010 and 2014.</p>
<p>The survey was done as part of the DVA and Defence Department-funded <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/social-research/transition-and-wellbeing-research">Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme</a>. This is the most comprehensive study in Australia that examines the impact of military service on the mental, physical and social health of serving and ex-serving personnel.</p>
<p>The survey was completed by 4,326 men and women who left the ADF in the five-year time period. The results were weighted to represent the entire population of Australian Defence Force personnel that left between 2010 and 2014.</p>
<p>We used the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ definition of homelessness. This classifies as homeless anyone who is sleeping rough, couch-surfing, or living in emergency or temporary accommodation such as shelters.</p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/health%20and%20wellbeing/research_dev/socialresearch/homelessness-aus-vet-its-correlates-adf.pdf">found</a> around 5.3% of these veterans reported they had been homeless within the past 12 months. </p>
<p>To calculate the prevalence of homelessness we extrapolated this proportion to the total population of veterans who enlisted after January 1, 2001, and were discharged sometime between 2001 and 2018.</p>
<p>The veteran population total is 108,825, so taking 5.3% of this figure gives us an estimate of 5,767 of veterans who were homeless within a 12-month period.</p>
<p>This extrapolation reasonably assumes the homelessness rate is similar between veterans who transitioned from Regular ADF service between 2010 and 2014 and the total population of veterans (2001-18).</p>
<p>Both groups fall within the cohort described as contemporary veterans by the DVA. These veterans have seen military operations from 1999 onward and often share features of recent service, such as the impact of multiple deployments in smaller contingents and the use of new technologies.</p>
<p>While the 12-month homelessness rate for veterans (5.3%) and the general Australian population aged over 15 (1.9%) were calculated using different techniques, the comparison shows veterans are overrepresented in the Australian homeless population.</p>
<h2>The best estimate, so far</h2>
<p>We believe our method provides the best estimate to date of homelessness among veterans in Australia, but it is still likely to be an underest.</p>
<p>Homeless veterans are an extremely hard group to reach. It is likely that many potential survey participants who were homeless at the time the survey was conducted, did not complete the survey.</p>
<p>Our estimate also excludes all those who served in the ADF prior to January 1, 2001. Older veterans such as those who served in Vietnam do experience homelessness in Australia, but the prevalence among this group is unknown.</p>
<p>As part of our research, eight of the 29 homeless veterans we interviewed were aged over 55, with the oldest being 74. US <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15457118" title="Perceived relationship between military service and homelessness among homeless veterans with mental illness">research</a> says there is often a long time lag between transition from military service and becoming homeless.</p>
<h2>Lest we forget</h2>
<p>Our research puts a new number on the problem. We still do not know whether veteran homelessness is increasing over time, but the broader context of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/2049.0Media%20Release12016">homelessness increasing throughout Australia</a> suggests this may be the case.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/homelessness-soars-in-our-biggest-cities-driven-by-rising-inequality-since-2001-117833">Homelessness soars in our biggest cities, driven by rising inequality since 2001</a>
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<p>As <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/remembrance-day">Remembrance Day</a> approaches, and Australians prepare to thank our military men and women for their service, we suggest that attention should also turn to addressing this national shame.</p>
<p>Our research also identifies ways that service responses can be improved. It will require a great deal of will and significant funding to address what has until now been an underestimated problem.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123695/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article is based on findings from the Homelessness Amongst Australian Veterans research project. The project was funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) and governed by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ellie Lawrence-Wood has received research contract funding from the Australian Government Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ilan Katz receives funding from AHURI and Department of Veterans Affairs. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Miranda Van Hooff has received contract research funding from the Australian Government Department's of Defence and Veteran's Affairs. </span></em></p>Researchers say the new figure should be used to improve services aimed at tackling the homeless problem in Australia’s defence veterans.Fiona Hilferty, Senior Research Fellow, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW SydneyEllie Lawrence-Wood, Senior Research Fellow in Traumatic Stress Studies, University of AdelaideIlan Katz, Professor of Social Policy, UNSW SydneyMiranda Van Hooff, Director of Research Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.