Veterans for Common Sense is the only organization making extensive use of the Freedom of Information Act to compile a regular and comprehensive report of this nature. Our concise report uses primary source data obtained from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to gauge the true costs of the War on Terror. As the wars wind down it is important to realize that the last troop coming home is not the end of our military’s struggles. The human consequences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be felt for decades to come. As a nation we need to understand just what those consequences entail and how we can deal with them, that requires that we confront the cold hard facts. Facts like the ones contained in our impact report. Our veterans deserve our best efforts long after the parades are over,the welcome home banners have come down and the car magnets have faded. Our previous reports have been used in numerous national media outlets including Time Magazine, Bloomberg News and NPR.
To read full report or download PDF: VCS_IAIR_JAN_2012
Please be sure to cite properly if you use this information.
Below is an excerpt from our Impact Report:
Military Deployments to War Zone
- 2,333,972 Total Service Members Deployed
- 1,002,106 Number Deployed Twice or More to War Zone (43{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d})
Military Casualties in War Zone
- 112,019 Total War Zone Casualties
- 6,324 Deaths (5{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d}), Includes 309 War Zone Suicides
- 47,409 Non-Fatal Wounded in Action (42{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d})
- 58,286 Non-Fatal Medical Evacuations Due to Injury or Disease (52{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d})
Veteran Post-Deployment Healthcare Use [iii] [iv]
- 1,526,746 Veterans Eligible for VA Healthcare
- 741,954 Veteran Patients Treated (49{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d} of Veterans Eligible)
- 385,711 Veterans with Mental Health Condition (52{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d} of Patients)
- 223,609 Veterans with Potential PTSD (30{cd9ac3671b356cd86fdb96f1eda7eb3bb1367f54cff58cc36abbd73c33c82e1d} of Patients)
- ~ 9,700 Average New Veteran Patients Each Month
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