A Pentagon report that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed that 17 percent of soldiers return home with signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or other situations that involve relating to nonveterans. The study of 88,000 veterans showed that percentage to nearly double six months later.
"Some of them come through, and they don’t start realizing that they have changed because of some situation, or until they have been home for a number of months," Bayer said. "It’s something the government is very aware of."
In Wisconsin, the problem may be even worse because, Bayer said, most new veterans are with the National Guard, a specific high-risk group according to the study.
About 42 percent of Guard members and reserves were identified as needing mental health treatment.
Depression hits home for veterans
BY ROGER ANDERSON
Journal Times
Saturday, December 29, 2007 11:00 PM CST
Quinn Copeland never thought the day his platoon gathered to take its first picture would turn out to be one of the roughest days of his life. He also didn’t expect to find himself living on unemployment six years after enlisting in the Army.
Between Sept. 11, 2001 (when the picture was taken) and today, Copeland has drilled at multiple bases, trained in Kuwait and served in Iraq.
He’s also earned a bachelor’s degree and found himself without a job, a scenario thousands of U.S. veterans face every day.
Steven Bardouche applied to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside six months before he finished his four years of active duty with the Marine Corps. Having finished his first semester, he says he’s among only two of about 30 close friends who served with him who are now going to school.
Both men agree that the transition back to civilian life has been a difficult journey. And while they count on the future being brighter, the present is one of questions.
"I expect it to be easier, but I don’t really know," Bardouche said. "I don’t know if it’s going to be a light bulb, or how it’s going to change."
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