Unemployment among Iraqi & Afganistan War Veterans of Today

EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF GULF WAR-ERA VETERANS

THE IMPACT OF PTSD

EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF GULF WAR-ERA VETERANS

THE IMPACT OF PTSD

Chris K . Hegwood

University of Kentucky S .NO HEADING PAGE NO

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 LITERATURE REVIEW : 4

3 METHODOLOGY 4

4 DEFINITION OF TERMS 5

5 HEALTH EFFECTS 6

6 PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS 11

7 EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS 12

8 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 19

9 CONCLUSION 20

10 REFERENCE 21

TABLE 1 . EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF PERSONS 18 YEARS AND OVER BY VETERAN

STATUS , AUGUST 2005 , NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED 13

TABLE 2 . EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF VETERANS WITH MULTIPLE WARTIME PERIODS OF SERVICE BY SELECTED COMBINATIONS OF PERIODS , AUGUST 2005 13

TABLE 3 : DESCRIBING THE POPULATION OF INTEREST - SAMPLE SIZES 15

TABLE 4 : LOOKING AT OUTCOMES : DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIVITIES BY WEEKS AFTER EXIT FROM MILITARY 16

TABLE 5 . EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF VETERANS 18 YEARS AND OVER BY YEAR OF DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMED FORCES , PRESENCE OF SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY , AND REPORTED DISABILITY RATING , AUGUST 2005 , NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED . 17

CHART 1 : GALLUP POLL ON MISTAKE TO SEND TROOPS TO VIETNAM /IRAQ (2005 11

CHART 2 : UNEMPLOYMENT RATES , PERSONS 18 YEARS AND OVER , GULF WAR-ERA VETERANS AND NONVETERANS , SELECTED AGE GROUPS , AUGUST 2005 (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ) 14 1 . INTRODUCTION

Much has been said and reported about the conflict in Iraq , and the general opinion is that the US government is once again interfering in events that would put American lives at risk needlessly . The horrors of Vietnam war is till fresh in the minds of those who had been direct or indirect witness to the devastation and wreckage it brought to both sides of the conflict . Many of these people are now in their 50s and mid 60s and they are the ones who are most strongly against it . The effect on Vietnam War veterans are so well known they have been the subject of films such as Born on the Fourth of July

There is much parallel between the Vietnam War (1961-1975 ) and the more recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts . Public opinion polls showed that the majority of Americans felt it was a mistake to send troops into these wars (Joyner , 2005 ) Aside from the casualties of war , those veterans repatriated after their tour of duty have had difficulty in going back to civilian life . Most apparent had been the adverse effects on health and possibly employment

It has been confirmed that these armed conflicts brought about a substantial economic drain in the US , and this has resulted in some strain on the social services that should have been earmarked for veterans in general , particularly on health services . This is significant because it has been recognized that posttraumatic stress dis (PTSD ) has had a profound impact on veterans in the prevention of their resumption of civilian life , including that of employment

Such an impact was observed in veterans of the Vietnam War era and led to legislation designed to provide equal opportunities for employment for this sector of the population . This intends...