By our estimates, over half of the service members who have served in combat since 9/11 now have or will have critical health needs as a direct result of being deployed to a combat zone. While the statistics are alarming, the aftermath of war and health battles being waged upon return have remained the same for generations.

Ours is the generation that will make a difference in the care of our returning warriors.

Since September 11, 2001, more than 2.7 million service members have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

From September 11, 2001 to June 2019, the Department of Defense states there have been over 52,000 men and women wounded in action.

As staggering as this number is, it does not include the following statistics as reported by the Department of Defense and/or US Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Over 422,000 service members who sought care at a VA/VSA facility with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS)
• Over 120,000 service members have been diagnosed by a VA/VHS facility with PTS Disorder
• Over 380,000 service members with Traumatic Brain Injury

Within the high number of combat injured veterans, over 40% live in rural areas. Rural veterans are a specifically identified sector that research demonstrates has a high level of need. The VA has 160-odd medical centers and about 1,000 community-based outpatient clinics, but many vets must still travel long distances to get care.

This is why we do what we do. Our mission is to reach out to these service members—from coast-to-coast, in cities and rural areas, in any stage of their career or as a veteran—to provide them with resources, tools and knowledge to move forward with their lives in a productive and positive manner.

 

How You Can Help

The Warrior Support Team website is packed with reources and tools; the Warrior Reintegration Bag is packed with books and knowledge. To get these to our warriors we need your help:

• spread the word about this program and website.
• tell us about a warrior in need.
• make a donation.

Click here to read more on how you can help...