NMI: Costs of war: Those who did their duty deserve proper care
By Kate Nelson 11/11/08 5:00 AM
There is something to be said for those who answer their nation’s call to service. And there is something else altogether to be said for a nation’s duty to serve those veterans upon their return.
On that count, state Department of Veterans Services Deputy Secretary Lou Helwig has some good news, some dangerously stretched budgets and some advice for a nation that needs to prepare for health care costs that could, long-term, outstrip the tallies of both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
“We really haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg yet,” Helwig said of the 26,000 New Mexicans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “The most apparent issue is the prostheses they’re wearing, but that’s not the main issue.”
The larger issues are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
“The average veteran has had seven concussions,” Helwig said. “And many are much more than a concussion. With these IEDs (improvised explosive devices), you can get a mild concussion being a mile away.”
Read the rest here.
(Picture by buggs on flickr.com)
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