The flag of the United States Forces-Iraq has been ceremoniously lowered in Baghdad and stored away, and the Iraq War declared officially ended.
Yet while the last U.S. troops may be heading home, it would be a mistake and an illusion to think this war is over for veterans and their families.
Just as it was sometimes too easy for Americans to tune out the reality of the Iraq War, fought by an all-volunteer force enduring multiple deployments in a distant land, it will now be tempting to turn the page, even with U.S. troops continuing to fight in Afghanistan.
This warís casualties continue in many forms, including:
Wounded warriors: More than 32,000 U.S. service members sustained injuries in Iraq. Among them are soldiers who suffered traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs or other grievous injuries. Because of improved medical treatment, soldiers survive wounds that would previously have proved fatal. But successful recovery depends on access to therapeutic resources as well as solid support networks.
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: More than 200,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD and related maladies, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. That number has swelled in recent years, due to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as the VAís focus on getting more veterans into treatment. Even so, experts fear many veterans who need treatment arenít getting it.
Veterans who attempt suicide: The suicide rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans has been described as an epidemic. The Pentagon reported earlier this year that the rate of hospitalizations for soldiers who reported having suicidal thoughts leapt 7,000 percent in the last five years. VA records show that at least 254 Iraq and Afghan era veterans killed themselves from 2002-2006.
Unemployed veterans: The jobless rate for unemployed veterans is significantly higher than for the general population. For instance, in April, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans had an unemployment rate of 14.7 percent, according to federal assessments, roughly a third above the national average. As President Obama noted Wednesday at Fort Bragg, helping returning vets find jobs needs to be a priority.
Homeless veterans: The most recent national homeless assessment report showed a 12 percent decline in homeless veterans compared to the previous year. Yet it found that at least 67,500 veterans are homeless in America on any given night ó and some think the numbers are substantially higher.
While the country may no longer be fighting in Iraq, itís important that we continue to fight on behalf of our veterans who need medical care, employment assistance, counseling to combat lingering psychological demons and other forms of support. For them, the war goes on.