National Veterans Foundation: A Collection of Troop Stats

Some statistics to share with you, taken from the National Veterans Foundation website. Figures from a wide range of sources offer a broad overview of the modern combat veteran's experience on and off the battlefield.

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In October of 2005, the VA reported that more than 430,000 U.S. Soldiers have discharged from the military following service in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 101,000 of have sought help for medical or mental health issues from the VA to date.

• A 2003 New England Journal of Medicine Study found that 15-17 percent of US Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans were suffering from PTSD, and more than 60% of those showing symptoms were unlikely to seek help due to fears of stigmatization or loss of career advancement opportunities.
• In November of 2005, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that for the first three quarters of 2005, nearly 15 percent of veterans aged 20-24 are jobless -- three times the national average
• In 2005, the VA reported that 18% of Afghanistan Veterans, and 20% of Iraq Veterans were suffering from some type of service connected psychological disorder.
• A 2004 US Army Mental Health Advisory Team Study showed that more than half of all soldiers in Iraq described their unit morale as low, with the National Guard and Reserve forces struggling the most.
• The VA has seen a tenfold increase in PTSD cases in the last year. According to the VA, more than 23,889 Vets of Iraq and Afganistan have sought help for Mental Health Disorders.
• According to the Pentagon, since March 2003, 40 US Soldiers and 9 Marines had committed suicide in Iraq. At least 20 soldiers and 23 Marines have committed suicide since returning home.
• The Miles Foundation reports that calls to their Domestic Violence Hotline for Military Spouses has increased from 50 to 500 per month since the start of the Iraq War.
• According to U.S. Army data, the number of active-duty soldiers getting divorced has been rising sharply with the deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. The trend is severest among officers. Last year, 3,325 army officers’ marriages ended in divorce -- up 78% from 2003 the year of the Iraq invasion, and more than 3½ times the number in 2000, before the Afghan operation. For enlisted personnel, the 7,152 divorces last year were 28% more than 2003 and up 53% from 2000 (USA Today, june 8, 2005).

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