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How Many Military Veterans Are There In The United States

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Rates Of Ptsd Among Veterans By War

Why 90% Of Foreign Military Bases Are American

Some research suggests that rates of PTSD differ among veterans who served in different military conflicts. Indeed, there is compelling statistical evidence that military personnel who served in certain wars were somewhat more likely to develop PTSD symptoms.

  • Vietnam War Veterans: The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, conducted from 1986 to 1988, found that 15.2% of men and 8.1% of women who served in Vietnam met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Additionally, the estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 30.9% among men who served in Vietnam and 26.9% among women. In a more recent study, researchers also found that PTSD was more prevalent among Vietnam veterans who had served in the theater of combat.
  • Gulf War Veterans: In a study of over 11,000 Gulf War veterans conducted from 1995 to 1997, researcher Han K. Kang and his colleagues found that 12.1% had PTSD at the time they were surveyed.
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans: In a 2008 study, researchers at the RAND Corporation analyzed the psychological health of 1,938 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . OEF commenced in Afghanistan in 2001, whereas OIF launched in 2003. Among these veterans, 13.8% met criteria for PTSD at the time they were assessed.

Sexual Assault In The Military

Sexual misconduct is disturbingly common within the United States military. In fact, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs coined the term military sexual trauma to describe all forms of sexual assault or harassment experienced during military service. Survivors of these acts of sexual aggression often experience PTSD, as do survivors of sexual assault in civilian life.

Statistics pertaining to sexual assault in the military are alarming, including the following data points:

  • Twenty-three percent of female veterans reported sexual assault while serving in the military.
  • 55 percent of female veterans and 38% of male veterans experienced sexual harassment while serving in the military.
  • Though stereotypes suggest survivors of sexual assault are predominantly female, more than half of veterans with military sexual trauma are men.

Trauma stemming from sexual harassment and assault can be no less devastating to veterans than experiences of combat, and prevention is a stated priority for U.S. Department of Defence. Additionally, VA health care facilities often offer services specifically designed for veterans who were sexually assaulted while serving.

Coping Methods For Managing Ptsd Symptoms

Beyond formal mental health care approaches, several self-help methods may prove valuable in managing PTSD symptoms. These practices are widely recommended by mental health experts as solutions that veterans can utilize in their spare time or when exposed to particular stressors. These techniques may be suggested as a complement to ongoing mental health treatment.

  • Physical activity: Exercise can help relieve stress and elevate ones mood.
  • Aromatherapy: Certain smells, such as orange essential oil, may mitigate negative emotions associated with PTSD.
  • Mindfulness practices: From formal meditation to simply noticing ones senses, practicing being present can reduce trauma reactivity.
  • Deep breathing:This seemingly simple technique can be surprisingly effective, and is available anytime, anywhere.

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Employment Situation Of Women Veterans Dol Veterans Employment & Training Service 2021

Id like to show you some comparisons by gender and veteran status, using the Current Population Survey, Annual Averages. I use annual averages because the monthly sample size of women veterans is small and volatile. Well start out looking at demographics and why I think these are so important to understand, and then well go into some comparisons of labor force participation, unemployment, and a few other things in both 2019 and 2020. – Nancy A. Glowacki, DM, Advisor, Women Veterans

Key points include:

  • Among Gulf War II veterans, 47% of women and 39% of men are under 35 years old.
  • Among Blacks or African Americans, veterans have lower unemployment rates than non-veterans.
  • Slack work conditions increased significantly in 2020 as the reason cited for working less than 35 hours a week among women veterans, male veterans, women non-veterans, and male non-veterans.

Census Bureau Releases New Report On Veterans

 How Many Veterans Are Suffering From Ptsd

A new report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau shows almost one-half of veterans received some sort of military service-related cash or noncash benefit in 2017. In that year, there were over 19.9 million veterans, which represented 6.2% of the overall population in the United States. The report, Benefits Received by Veterans and Their Survivors, discusses the benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs provides, in conjunction with other federal government programs, to those who leave military service.

This report uses data from the 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation , a nationally representative panel survey that collects information on the short-term dynamics of employment, income, household composition, and eligibility and participation in government assistance programs in calendar year 2017.

Highlights from the report:

SIPP is a leading source of information on topics related to economic well-being, family dynamics, education, wealth and assets, health insurance, child care and food security. Each SIPP panel follows individuals for several years, providing monthly data that measure changes in household and family composition and economic circumstances over time. Visit the SIPP Website for more information.

No news release associated with this product. Tip sheet only.

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Women Veterans Report: The Past Present And Future Of Women Veterans Department Of Veterans Affairs National Center For Veterans Analysis And Statistics February 2017

Since the time of the All-Volunteer Force, the number of women serving in the military has grown. Ultimately, these women make the transition from Service member to veteran. In 2015, women comprised 9.4 percent of the total veteran population in the United States. By 2043, women are projected to make up 16.3 percent of all living veterans. This report summarizes the history of women in the military and as veterans, profiles the characteristics of women veterans in 2015, illustrates how women veterans in 2015 used some of the major benefits and services that are offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs , and discusses the future of women veterans in relation to VA. The goal of this report is to communicate an understanding of who our women veterans are, how their military service affects their post-military lives, and how they can be better served based on these insights.

Key points include:

United States Armed Forces

United States Armed Forces
Emblems of the U.S. Armed Forces’ service branches
Founded 14 June 1775 247 years ago
Service branches
17 with parental consent, 18 for voluntary service.
Conscription
17 million, age 1825
Reaching military

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, , Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security , both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.

The U.S. Armed Forces are one of the largest military forces in terms of personnel. They draw their personnel from a large pool of professional volunteers. Although military conscription has been used in the past, it has not been used in the U.S. since 1973. The Selective Service System retains the power to conscript males, and requires that all male citizens and residents residing in the U.S. between the ages of 1825 register with the service.

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Veterans With Ptsd: Associated Health Risks

While the symptoms of PTSD can prove overwhelming in their own right, the condition is closely linked to other health risks in epidemiological research. Veterans who experience PTSD are at elevated risk for several related physical and psychological challenges. In some cases, the connection between these health problems is well understood in others, the basis of the relationship requires further exploration.

Some of the health problems linked to PTSD, either in research pertaining specifically to veterans or among individuals with PTSD more generally, are as follows:

Ptsd Time Frame: How Symptoms Develop And Last

The Next War: How The U.S. Armed Forces Are Evolving | Meet The Press

In the days immediately following a traumatic event, people often experience symptoms similar to those described above. However, PTSD involves the sustained presence of these mental health problems over a longer period.

In order to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, veterans symptoms must last for at least one month often, they persist for years. Additionally, symptoms do not necessarily begin immediately following the trauma. While most individuals with PTSD experience symptoms within three months of the traumatic events in question, symptoms can also appear post-deployment. For veterans with PTSD, symptoms may emerge weeks or months after a period of combat or active-duty service.

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Top 12 Veteran Reported Reasons Why They Do Not Have The Va Disability Benefits Deserved By Law

We asked 1,012 Disabled Veterans with a VA disability rating of 0% or higher about the primary reasons why they are stuck, frustrated, and underrated by the VA.

Of the Top 5 reported reasons, Mindset was the #1 overall reason, meaning Veterans mistakenly believe they dont deserve VA benefits, or that if they get benefits it will negatively impact other Veterans who need them more.

The other Top 4 reported reasons have to do with Lack of Education about the VA claim process, meaning, Veterans dont know what they dont know.

  • I didnt think I deserved VA disability benefits because other Veterans are worse off than me .
  • I didnt know I could file for a VA disability increase or add secondary claims, so I didnt even try .
  • I wish I knew back then that I should have went to the clinic and documented my injuries. A lot easier to prove your case.
  • I tried before and got denied so I quit.
  • I didnt know VA disability compensation benefits existed until I left the military.
  • I filed for an increase and added new disabilities with my VA representative, and they didnt know how to properly file the paperwork.
  • I knew I could file for an increase but didnt know HOW to do it, so I never finished the process.
  • I was scared to tamper with my original rating for fear of a decrease in my VA benefits.

Ptsd Statistics: Prevalence Among Veterans

Though many researchers have sought to understand the prevalence of PTSD among military veterans, their efforts have produced divergent PTSD statistics. Because the field of psychiatry has defined and assessed PTSD in various ways over time, estimates of prevalence vary widely.

In fact, in one recent meta analysis of thirty-two scientific articles, researchers found the estimated incidence of PTSD among veterans ranged from modest figures such as 1.09% to high rates 34.84%. Clearly, determining the true prevalence of PTSD among veterans will require much further research.

However, some high-quality studies may shed some light on the matter:

  • In a 2017 study involving 5,826 United States veterans, 12.9% were diagnosed with PTSD. This is a striking high rate compared to the incidence of PTSD among the general population: Just 6.8% of the U.S. population will experience PTSD at any point in their lives. Across the entire U.S., only about 8 million U.S. adults have PTSD in a given year.
  • In a 2014 study involving 3,157 United States veterans, 87% reported exposure to at least one potentially traumatic event. On average, veterans reported 3.4 potentially traumatic events during their lifetime.

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Health Effects Of Military Service And Treatment For Veterans

The effect of active military service can be profound and lasting, and some veterans have found it difficult to adjust to normal life again. Figures from 2009 showed that twice as many veterans were in prison than there were British troops currently in Afghanistan. Homelessness, street-sleeping and relationship breakdown are also commonly reported. Research done by the UK homelessness charity CRISIS and the Ex-Services Action Group both found that a quarter of homeless people had previously served in the armed forces. The Times newspaper reported on 25 September 2009 that in England and Wales the number of “military veterans in jail has more than doubled in six years”. Another Times article of the same date quoted the veterans mental health charity Combat Stress as reporting a 53% increase in referrals from doctors.

Mental And Behavioral Health Issues

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  • Substance Use Disorders: More than 20% of all veterans with PTSD also struggle with substance abuse challenges, referred to clinically as substance use disorders. Among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war, for example, 63% diagnosed with substance abuse problems were also diagnosed with PTSD. The connection may relate to coping: Substance abuse may represent a means to manage distressing thoughts and feelings related to experienced trauma.
  • Other Mental Health Disorders: Among people diagnosed with PTSD, roughly 80% meet diagnostic criteria for at least one other form of mental illness. Veterans are no exception to this troubling pattern. Many military service members with PTSD also experience depression and anxiety among other conditions. Additionally, some research indicates that veterans with PTSD are at increased risk of committing suicide, particularly if they experience combat-related guilt.

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Characteristics Of The Veteran And Social Security Beneficiary Populations

According to the March 2004 Current Population Survey, over 9.4 million military veterans receive old-age, disability, or survivor benefits from Social Security, accounting for almost one-quarter of the adult Social Security beneficiary population .3 Information in this article is not broken out separately by type of Social Security benefit but rather by age group classifications, which allows for comparing younger beneficiaries with older beneficiaries .

Table 1. Characteristics of military veterans and Social Security beneficiaries

Characteristic
4.6
NOTE: The CPS was conducted in March 2004, but the income amounts used to calculate poverty are for calendar year 2003.
a. More than one race can be reported in the CPS. Data include people who identify themselves as black alone or in combination with one or more other races.

Tabulations from the March 2004 CPS indicate that about 39 percent of Social Security beneficiaries are either veterans or reside with family members who are veterans. Because economic well-being is measured on the basis of family income, the economic well-being of the Social Security beneficiary population is strongly influenced by that of the veteran population. Of the 23.1 million veterans, 9.4 million receive Social Security benefits.4

Women Veteran Economic And Employment Characteristics Impac International Llc February 2016

This report profiles the demographic and employment characteristics of women veterans and compares these characteristics to those of male veterans, women non-veterans, and male non-veterans The American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample, the March Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement , and the August CPS Veterans Supplement were used for this report. The data and methodology used for this study parallel other data descriptions of women veterans conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other entities, but there are some differences in the data sources and the samples selected from the data that were required for the study methodology. The profile on women veterans presented in this report is descriptive only and causal analysis would be needed to explain factors that underlie the labor market outcomes of women veterans

Key points include:

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The Changing Face Of Americas Veteran Population

There are around 19 million U.S. veterans as of this year, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, representing less than 10% of the total U.S. adult population. Here are key facts from the VA, the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources about those who have served in the military and how this population is changing.

As U.S. demographics continue to shift, so does the makeup of the American veteran population. Pew Research Center has analyzed some of these changes using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Defense, Center surveys and other news reports. The 2021 and 2046 estimates of the veteran population come from projections published by the VA in 2018.

Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest share of all U.S. veterans, having surpassed Vietnam-era veterans in 2016, according to the VAs 2018 population model estimates. VA estimates for 2021 indicate there are 5.9 million American veterans who served during the Vietnam era and 7.8 million who served in the Gulf War era, which spans from August 1990 through the present. There are also around 240,000 World War II veterans and about 933,000 who served during the Korean conflict, the VA estimates. Some veterans served through multiple eras but are counted only in their earliest era. Roughly three-quarters of veterans in 2021 served during wartime, and 22% served during peacetime.

Us Veterans & Military Families

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Service members involved in physical therapy at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio wait for President Bush to visit, Nov. 8, 2007.

Since 2001, between 1.9 and 3 million service members have served in post-9/11 war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and over half of them have deployed more than once. Many times that number of Americans have borne the costs of war as spouses, parents, children, and friends cope with their loved ones absence, mourn their deaths, or greet the changed person who often returns.

Many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face a life of disability due to the physical and psychological injuries they sustain in the war zones. Over 1.8 million veterans have some degree of officially recognized disability as a result of the wars veterans of the current wars account for more than half of the severely disabled veteran population. Many additional veterans live with physical and emotional scars despite lack of disability status or outstanding claims.

When service members return home injured, it is often their families who provide care even when veterans are housed in military hospitals. The offloading of care for the war wounded onto families and community organizations has been an express part of military planning, and should count among the costs of war.

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