Study Shows VA Has Insufficient Resources for Returning Vets

Johnny is marching home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a nation that remains ill-prepared to quickly greet those suffering from the mental anguish brought on by the often horrific conflicts.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 11 to 20 percent of the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, a severe anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to an event that results in psychological trauma. That compares to 10 percent of the nation's Gulf War Veterans and about 30 percent of those who served in Vietnam. Military personnel who have been on missions that exposed them to horrible and life-threatening experiences can succumb to PTSD.

Veterans for Common Sense, an advocacy group, claims that after a decade of war in Afghanistan and nearly nine years in Iraq, between 100,000 and 300,000 service members are estimated to have fallen victim to PTSD...