Saturday, November 11, 2017
Abraham Lincoln included those words
in his second inaugural address and they guide us still today as we strive to
care for veterans and their families. The sacrifices those in uniform make are
many and it's an honor as a country, a state, and individuals to care for those
who have borne the battle.
Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom have been supported by over two million deployments,
with 40% of deployed members serving on multiple deployments. National Guard
and Reserve units have played a huge role in these conflicts, with longer and more frequent deployments than during World
War II. Indiana members have been those deployed and are represented
in all branches of active military. Today, Veterans Day, we recognize the
enormous sacrifices made by those who served in uniform and examine the climate
for veterans and their families in Indiana and across the nation. Who are our
veterans and how are they faring?
Who are Indiana Veterans?
For use in state programs for
veterans, Indiana defines “Hoosier veteran” or veteran as someone who (1) is
a resident of Indiana; (2) served in a reserve component of the armed forces of
the United States or the Indiana National Guard; and (3) completed any required
military occupational specialty training and was not discharged or separated
from the armed forces or the Indiana National Guard under dishonorable or other
than honorable conditions.
However, the Federal government
defines veteran differently. A “veteran”
is a person who served in the active military, naval or air service,
and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. This
definition often leaves out Guard and Reserve members who
have served for years, even retiring from service, without the requisite 180
consecutive days as active duty. While Indiana has taken steps to include Guard
members, those individuals may not be eligible for many Department of Veteran’s
Affairs (VA) benefits including health care and mental health resources.
How are they faring?
 |
|
Figure 1, IIWF analysis of ACS Census data
|
Age - According to the American Community Survey (ACS)1,
almost three quarters of veterans in Indiana are 55 and older (see Figure 1).
These veterans may be dealing with service related trauma or disability, but
are also facing the challenges of aging. Veterans 65 and older may be eligible for certain VA benefits to
address the variety of health risks and financial challenges.
Younger veterans have challenges all
their own, including trauma and fatigue from recent deployments and service,
but also reintegration, navigating the VA to get their GI Benefits,
and transitioning into the civilian workforce. The ability to overcome these
challenges depends on the resources veterans have, whether from family,
community organizations, or help from the military and veterans’
organizations.
 |
|
Figure 2, IIWF analysis of ACS Census data
|
Education - The GI Bill is a godsend, and the
Department of Defense knows it. It is a way to honor time in uniform, but
mainly it is a way to recruit and reenlist members who know it
will be there for them or their family members when they get out. Military
members may join after high school or a year of college knowing if they serve
long enough, they can finish their degree or go to school after their
enlistment. Most of Indiana’s veterans have a high school degree or some
college.
 |
|
Figure 3, IIWF analysis of ACS Census data
|
An interesting trend is the increase
in the percentage of Indiana veterans with some college/associate’s degree or a
bachelor’s degree. Over the past decade, veterans have been seeking higher
education or those with higher education have decided to settle here.
A review of post-secondary education in Indiana was
done to determine how effective institutions were at incorporating veteran and
service members into their campuses. The study looked at things like awarding
credit for experience or military courses, tuition reimbursement and coursework
extension if a member needs to leave mid-semester, and the availability of a
student veterans’ organization or designated office for military members and
veteran and found that Indiana has much room for improvement. Only one-third of
the 77 institutions who responded to the study offered all the supports
identified by the researchers. Veterans and military members are typically
non-traditional students and need specific supports; if institutions can meet
those needs, they will have a more robust student body and provide Indiana the
skilled workforce it needs to meet job demands.
Income and Poverty - The United States spends more on the military than
China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, the UK, Japan, and Germany
combined, yet there are still military families and veterans who struggle with
hunger, homelessness, and poverty.
 |
|
Figure 4, IIWF analysis of ACS Census data
|
Let’s start with the positive –
veterans in Indiana face poverty at lower rates than non-veterans. (See Figure
4) However, the decline has stagnated and is still not back to the level it was
before the recession. The income and poverty rates of veterans largely track
those in the general population, so statewide efforts to raise incomes and
reduce poverty will improve the status of veterans as well.
 |
|
Figure 5, IIWF analysis of ACS Census data
|
According to the ACS 1-Year
estimates from 2007-2016, male and female veterans earned more than their
civilian counterparts, female veterans especially. Veterans are coming into the
job market with desirable skills, which their earnings reflect; however, in
2015, 85,262 out of Indiana’s 383,222 veterans – 22
percent - were living paycheck to paycheck, defined as living below 200 percent
of the federal poverty level (FPL).
According to a new report released by Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities, on average from 2014-2016, an estimated 28,000 veterans,
or 7 percent of Indiana veterans, received benefits from the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This means those households
were at 130 percent of poverty based on household size and gross
monthly income or had an elderly family member or family member with a
disability.
Homelessness - Each year, states
do a Point In Time (PIT) count of sheltered and
unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January. Based on these
numbers, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that
in 2016, 663 veterans were homeless. This is a 16 percent decrease from 2015
when the estimate was 790 homeless veterans.
There are many trying to combat this
issue, pun not intended, including non-profits like Hoosier Veterans
Assistance Program and Volunteers of America (Indiana); advocacy
organization like The
Military/Veterans Coalition of Indiana, of which the Institute is a
member; as well state and federal agencies like the Indiana Department of
Veterans Affairs and the VA.
Healthcare/Suicide – The VA conducted a comprehensive analysis of veteran suicide rates
in the US. The veteran suicide rate in 2014 in Indiana was 33.3 per 100,000.
Though this is lower than the national veteran suicide rate of 38.4, it is
still too high a number. In contrast to the veteran population, Indiana’s 2016 suicide rate per 100,000 was 14.3.
Lawmakers have taken notice of this
issue and have put an effort into reaching veterans before they reach the point
of suicidality. Indiana Congressman Jim Banks introduced a bill to evaluate the
veteran crisis line (VCL) to see how effective it is at preventing suicide of
military members and veterans. Senator Joe Donnelly has been active in legislation addressing mental health needs
of military members and veterans. His Servicemember
and Veteran Mental Health Care Package ("Care Package")
was passed with the intent of improving mental health outcomes for service members.
Recognizing the unique mental health needs of veterans and addressing them head
on will help us keep more of them alive and well.
Going forward
Indiana has room for improvement
when it comes to being the best place for veterans to call home, but there are
groups doing great work to support those who have protected and defended us.
Remember today, and any day, to thank the veterans you know. They have
served us well – now it’s our turn.
More resources for Indiana veterans
can be found at Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) website.
------------------------------------------------
1. Data is mostly from U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), “a
nationwide survey that collects and produces information on demographic,
social, economic, and housing characteristics about our nation's population
every year.” Over 3.5 million households are contacted to fill out this survey,
which guides policy, community development, and research. Other sources are
hyperlinked.
It is with great pride and respect
that I take up this policy area for the Institute. My husband served in the
Navy for seven and a half years, so improving the well-being of veterans and
military families in Indiana is personal and professional. Happy to be your
contact for these issues - acarter@incap.org and 317-638-4232.
If you want to donate to the Indiana Institute for Working Families so we can continue doing this good work, click here. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
If you want to donate to the Indiana Institute for Working Families so we can continue doing this good work, click here. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
