With over 14 million Americans currently caring for a veteran or military service member in the United States, the 6th Annual Veterans Day Special Edition of The Ripon Forum examines the challenges facing these hidden heroes and what policymakers can do to support them.
“Thirty-five percent of military and veteran caregiving households have incomes below 130 percent of the federal poverty line,” writes Steve Schwab, the CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which recently commissioned a study about the needs of caregivers and the critical role they play. “Of those caring for someone 60 or younger, 40 percent are food insecure.”
“We cannot say we are a nation that stands with those who serve if their families are skipping meals to afford their care … Just as America has come together around veterans, we must rally behind their caregivers, too. If we continue to leave them unsupported, we will be failing millions of Americans providing an invaluable service to the nation and cutting the greatest lifeline service members and veterans have to quality care.”
U.S. Reps. Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan agree. The Co-Chairs of the Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Military Quality of Life Panel, the two lawmakers are leading an effort to make sure our troops have the resources they need off the battlefield to take care of their families and themselves. “Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs,” Bacon and Houlahan write.
Two years after Congress passed The PACT Act, which provided expanded benefits and care to veterans exposed to toxic substances, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is leading an effort targeting abuse in the way the program is being implemented. “In May, VA’s Inspector General reported that department leaders had abused authority Congress provided in the PACT Act to unlawfully divert $10.8 million to pay excessive bonuses to some of VA’s highest paid senior executives,” Moran writes. “VA leaders must take responsibility to rebuild the integrity and trust they lost and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”
In another essay for this Special Edition, U.S. Sen. John Boozman provides an update on the longtime effort he has led on Capitol Hill to reduce the number of veteran suicides. “According to the latest VA report,” Boozman writes, “17 veterans take their own life each day, on average. This trend has remained stubbornly high for years … Those at risk should always have support and never be without hope. We are actively pursuing solutions to supply both abundantly.”
Eric Eversole is leading an effort off the Hill to help veterans transition to jobs in the private sector. “One-third of veterans are underemployed and underutilizing their military-related skills,” writes Eversole, who heads up the Hiring Our Heroes initiative at the U.S. Chamber. Eversole believes the Pentagon’s SkillBridge program is critical to helping troops make the leap to private life, and that eligibility for the program should be expanded. “Not only will this help guarantee the long-term economic opportunity that our veterans deserve,” he writes, “but it also will ensure that we are able to recruit the next generation of all volunteers.”
According to University of Cincinnati Professor Daniel Peat, veterans who do land on both feet in the workplace often find other challenges, as well. “Our research reveals that many military veterans face conflicting social perceptions,” Peat writes. “On one hand, they are often stigmatized, perceived as prone to violence or struggling with mental health issues like PTSD…Simultaneously, veterans experience social aggrandizement, where they are glorified as heroes simply for having served.”
At a time when natural disasters are occurring with greater strength and frequency, Art delaCruz is leading Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization of veterans committed to helping communities recover after disasters occur. “In 2024 alone, our volunteers have already aided more than 2.9 million individuals and numerous communities,” writes delaCruz, a former TOPGUN pilot who serves as the organization’s CEO. “I had the chance to observe the havoc brought by Hurricane Helene up close. The destructive scenes were immense, but the determination and resilience of our volunteers were incredibly moving.”
As America marks another Veterans Day, U.S. Reps. Scott Franklin, Mike Carey, and Morgan Luttrell write about their own military service and what the holiday means to them. American Enterprise Institute scholar Elaine McCusker and former Defense Commissary Agency CEO Bill Moore square off in a debate over military commissaries and whether they should be privatized. And in the latest Ripon Profile, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales looks back on his own time in uniform and how his service in the Navy has shaped his career.
We hope you enjoy this 6th Annual Veterans Day Special Edition of The Ripon Forum, and encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.
Lou Zickar
Editor of The Ripon Forum
louzickar@riponsociety.org