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Just before the Memorial Day weekend, the US military asked its followers on Twitter how to serve in the army had an impact on their lives.
The tweet was part of a thread that included Pfc videos. Nathan Spencer, a scout from the 1st Army Infantry Division, tells how the army has had a positive influence on his life.
The call drew nearly 10,000 responses, some of which echo Spencer's remarks expressing the pride of his service. However, many of the responses highlight the problems faced by those who serve, including post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide among veterans, and lifelong health issues.
"I am a Navy veterinarian, I was a happy person before serving.Now I am broken, I can not even work 30 days because of anxiety and depression", declared a tweet. "I suffer constantly every day."
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 20 million veterans in the United States, but less than half of them enjoy social benefits or services.
About 30% of Vietnamese veterans, 12% of Gulf War veterans and 11% to 20% of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans live with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the VA.
In addition to the stress of combat, VA cites military sexual assault as one of the possible causes of PTSD. Among veterans who use VA care, 23% of women reported sexual assault in the military.
Veterans are 1.5 times more likely than non-veterans to commit suicide, according to a report released by the VA last year. According to the report, more than 6,000 veterans committed suicide each year from 2008 to 2016.
President Donald Trump, calling veteran suicide a "tragedy of staggering proportions", signed a decree in March creating a Cabinet-level working group to coordinate and align the federal government's efforts to help stem the crisis among former service members.
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The task force, led by VA Secretary General Robert Wilkie, aims to create a national plan to more effectively reduce the number of veterans suicides after many programs and the billions of dollars allocated to solve the problem in recent years have had minimal impact.
The army responded to the growing thread with a series of tweets on Saturday direct people who need help to the Veterans Help Line at 1-800-273-8255 and veteranscrisisline.net.
"Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread to share your story," reads in the tweet. "Your stories are real, they matter and can help others in similar situations. The Army is committed to the health, safety and well-being of our soldiers. "
"By paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice this weekend remembering their services, we are also aware that we must take care of those who come home with scars that we can not see. " the tweets continued.
Veterans who need help can call the VA Emergency Help Line at 800-273-8255 and select option 1. They can also send an SMS to 838255 or chat online with counselors.
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Contribution: Donovan Slack, United States TODAY & # 39; HUI
Follow N & # 39; dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/26/army-tweet-attracts-thousands-heartbreaking-responses-vets/1245617001/
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