The Ongoing Sacrifice: Exploring PTSD This Independence Day

The Ongoing Sacrifice: Exploring PTSD This Independence Day
Huffington Post
Jane Mosbacher Morris
Director of Humanitarian Action
McCain Institute for International Leadership
Posted: 07/03/2013

As a kid, I used to count down the days until the Fourth of July. The holiday meant that I got to don my favorite red, white and blue swimsuit, eat endless amounts of BBQ and spend time with my family and friends. As I've gotten older, however, I've tried to reflect less on the festivities and more on the true meaning of Independence Day and all that it represents. In anticipation of this year's holiday, my mission was to learn more about the ongoing needs of those who have made and kept America free -- our veterans.

I decided to reach out to William Roby, Board Chair of the veterans' organization USA Cares, to teach me about the challenges that post-9/11 veterans are facing, particularly with regards to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Morris: First, tell me about USA Cares. What is the mission of the organization?

Roby: USA Cares' official mission is to help bear the burdens of service by providing post-9/11 military families with financial and advocacy support in their time of need.

M: Tell me more about what that means and what that looks like on a day-to-day basis.

R: Let's say that a reservist normally makes $60,000 a year in her civilian job. If she was called to active duty after 9/11 and remained on active duty for seven years, she may only be making $30,000 a year, as a solider. That means that she has been sacrificing half of the income that she normally contributes to her family. Accordingly, her family may be in financial trouble (underwater on the mortgage, owing car loans etc.).

Or, let's take a veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment may be free, but he may need to miss a couple of months of work in order to get that treatment. This often discourages a veteran from seeking treatment because he and his family cannot afford to lose those three months of salary.

This is where USA Cares comes in -- providing emergency financial assistance to veterans and their families in appreciation for their service and sacrifice. The organization relies solely on donations, meaning that it never charges fees or accepts repayment from veterans, so veterans don't have to worry about paying it back.
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