美国的职责 战士和退伍军人护理新方法的必要性[20101110].pdf

Americas DutyThe Imperative of a New Approach to Warrior and Veteran CareN O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 P O l i c y B R i E fBy Nancy BerglassAmericas failure to prepare for and adequately address the impact of war upon service members and veterans is one of the most significant challenges of the post-September 11 era.Nearly a decade into two wars,the strain on the all-volunteer force is manifesting itself in troubling ways.Rates of depression,brain injury and suicide among warriors and veterans are high and increasing.Military use of psychiatric medications has increased 76 percent since the beginning of Operation Enduring freedom(OEf),with 17 percent of the current active duty force on anti-depressants.1 from 2005 to 2009 alone,service members took their own lives at an average rate of one every 36 hours.2 Reliable scientific studies report that post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)3 and traumatic brain injury(TBi)afflict up to 35 percent of all troops.4 Addressing the deployment-related needs of those who have served is not only the moral thing to do,it is also strategically wise for the nation.The strength and viability of an all-volunteer force is undermined when the health and well-b