When Clay Hunt returned home to Texas after two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the struggle didn’t end. Tormented by flashbacks and post-traumatic stress, he sought medical help from the Department of Veteran Affairs – but faced a pile of paperwork. While waiting for help, he turned his energy towards helping his fellow veterans, raising money for the wounded and appearing in public service announcements for veterans struggling, like him, with the psychological trauma of war.
Hunt took his own life on March 31, 2011. His disability checks arrived five weeks later.
Tragically, Clay’s story is not unique. Every day, 18 veterans of the nation’s armed forces become casualties by their own hands. One thousand more attempt to take their own lives every month. The numbers are as grim for active duty and reserve soldiers: The Army just reported 27 suspected suicides for the month of May, higher than any other month this year.
The psychological toll of war, a flood of returning troops and an overburdened VA healthcare system has proven to be a deadly combination. There are some options for veterans – the IAVA has put into place an online community for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, to ease the transition back to civilian life. It’s not enough.
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