OPINION — Veterans Day is a time to express our gratitude to the women and men who have proudly served in the military to preserve our freedoms. For many, the holiday can mean a parade or celebration, but for millions of veterans it can be another day struggling with a serious health issue tied to their service.
Each year, approximately 200,000 service members leave active duty. After leaving the service, many veterans face a myriad of health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, other mental health challenges, the effects of traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses due to the physical and mental demands of the career.
Veteran health issues can be complex and are driven by many factors including age, race, gender, if the veteran saw combat or not, the geographic location where the veteran served and the conflict itself.
