Why do you think there are so many homeless veterans? I've wondered if it's the difficulty of transitioning back to civilian life, PTSD, disabilities, etc. but it seems like there are more support programs now than ever before.

We as a country expect soldiers to stand on their own when they’re young and then completely change who they are in to the dependency on the system. What can I say as an used up soldier myself I learned long ago I’m the best person to depend on me

Many if not most don’t know a lot of the programs exist. Add to that they are attempting to reidentify themselves as a civilian and explain that to any number of people ranging from family to corporate recruiters. Then there’s the fact that most people coming out of the service are typically offered entry level jobs because most civilians don’t view us as having useful experience so when they see a resume for a mid-senior level role they often discard it upon seeing anything DoD related. At least that’s my experience.

The accesibility of support doesn't help when the mentality for hundreds of years has been tough it out. People come out jacked up because we self-medicate. We are not supposed to be broken. We’re “heroes”. Mental health is legitimately at the bottom of the barrel for us. It means being vulnerable after being told you don't need anyone.

Military may be about teamwork but the VA drops the ball after. Therapy should be mandatory for the first few years out, even if only monthly.

So, the answer to your question...is that yes there are more programs but we're told not to be a b*tch. Suck it up, marine, sailor, soldier....so on and so forth. After a while, that toxicity messes with everyone.

Several enlisted veterans come from not so great backgrounds. You receive a steady paycheck and it abruptly comes to an end. You are now expected to pack up and leave the barracks and find a home. Some head back to their old hometown or lifestyle and are hoping the VA can help. Cost of living is too high and those military skills sometimes don’t come with valid certifications that transition to a well paying job.
Some vets don’t want to use their GI Bill because college isn’t for them.

You don't know what you don't know.

As someone else mentioned in this thread; shedding the old mindset can be more difficult for others and near damn impossible if you compound a mental/physical health in there for funsies.

My wife nearly willed herself into homelessness and an OD last year despite having a stable home, income, etc.. all mental health and substance abuse related. She's not a vet but has experienced massive trauma that went untreated for years, not so different from many vets.

So, programs are great and certainly appreciated by recipients ready to put them to use. But know that not everyone is "there" and "ready" to accept the help irrespective of how well they have their shit together.

Abundance of support programs does not = there is always a direct connection to those in need.

Personally speaking, transition strategy has been a huge part of my life over the last few years, and yet I seemingly still learn about a new / existing program every other day. We do not often do a very good job teaching folks about even 10% of the opportunities out there before they leave the military.

Plus, as you well know - PTSD, mental health issues, disabilities, etc. does not always exist / run your life the same day you receive your DD-214. Some of these issues take years to develop and worsen.

The homeless vet you see could have had a happy family and life for 10+ years, which slowly declined because his untreated PTSD began to ruin all of his relationship(s) and his career.

Many individuals just dont care enough! U.S. has taken 20 years behind 20years (steps)! Gulf War syndrome equating with American Post Vietnam feelings. Your thoughts...🙏🏻

There isn't much upward mobility in the US. Fewer young folks from well to do families join the military than do the children of people from the lower economic strata.

So even if you leave military service completely out of the equation, more offspring of the poor will be homeless than the kids with the advantages of more wealth, education, early high expectations and good connections.

Then add back in some of the bad things that happen to some service people; PTSD, TBI, exposure to dilute nerve agents or defoliants and you get a group with a higher failure to prosper ratio.

Still, I think these factors only explain some of the situation.

Purpose. Direction. Motivation.
If you’re a veteran and you are missing one or a combination of the above, you’re destined to decline.

I’m a consultant with EY, I honestly probably average 45 hours a week, I make fantastic money (in my opinion anyways), but I let my work consume me because (as I’m realizing now) I never reassessed my purpose, direction and motivation.
What worked for me as an active duty SSG with ten years of service in the infantry, might not work for me outside of the service and a major problem I see is alot of veterans come out expecting the world to roll out the red carpet.

Let us not forget why we served in the first place. We didn’t loose years of time with our loved ones only to expect a 6 figure job when we get out. The same way you had to earn and prove your worth on the inside, you gotta do it on the outside.

There are so many programs that there is almost too many programs but it ultimately doesn’t matter if the veteran thinks of themselves as better than the situation, job, salary etc. I have tried waking veterans into potential 6 figure jobs here at EY and as soon as they have to do any serious leg work, they just peel back and eventually ghost. Maybe it wasn’t for them, I dunno, don’t get it twisted, I hold all you veterans above everyone else, unless you are Bo Bergdahl, but we need to manage our expectations and level set with reality.

A lot of programs involve therapy. I've spoken to many other vets who do not want to talk about it at all. I work with a program right now, so I see before, during, and after. A good percentage of them succeed from here, but there are even more that don't... either because they quit due to structure and rules or because facing their demons is too much.

as my 1SG said in basic, they tell us when to wake up, what to wear, what to eat, what to do, when to pee, sleep, etc. The peon life is about following and not discipline no matter how many times you yell it between pushups. Make people develop real self discipline while still in.

Tech Repair Specialist, In my opinion, in reference to homelessness I can’t say but transitioning veterans to civilian life… you’re correct. Many veterans after serving many years or being engaged in combat attempt to transition to civilian life and it becomes very difficult unless you have proper guidance and support system. The lack of knowledge that there are programs out there that support veterans is a fact. Disabilities and mental health is a major factor. This is only my opinion. After leaving the military, it was not after 20 years later that I realized while talking to other veterans that I had benefits under VA. 20 years lost of medical and financial benefits. It is what it is…

A disproportionately large percentage of the homeless in general have severe mental issues. With homeless veterans that translates to PTSD to a degree severe enough to make getting by with a day-to-day job difficult if not impossible.

The process of getting help and benefits from the VA can be years long. Too long to keep many of the worst afflicted off the streets.

Veteran aid has been a mess since this country began. Even veterans of the revolution didn't receive the compensation they where supposed to receive.

People are not going to like this answer, but when kids turn 18, there are many that just don't know what to do with their life. So they join the military. In the military you are told what to do and you HAVE to do it. When those people get out, some of them are so conditioned to being told what to do, they don't know what to do, when nobody is around to tell them what to do so they become homeless. That or they were so tired of having people tell them what to do, they no longer want ANYONE telling them what to do.

A substantial portion of homeless veterans, and more than half of homeless men in general, suffered a head trauma before they became homeless. The symptoms of a brain injury (social isolation, anxiety, poor judgment, substance abuse, anger issues, and depression) are sometimes confused with PTSD, but more often are labeled as mental illness.

Remember too that in the military usually someone is telling you what to do and where to go. For some people it's hard to adjust to being free to do what you want. Don't want to go to work? Don't want to put in applications? It's much easier to not do stuff in the civilian world than it is in the military.

I believe the disparity between veteran and civilian homeless percentages lies in the fact that most MOS' is the military directly translate to nothing in the civilian world. Combat arms are the most direly affected. They are taught to shoot, move and communicate but that means nothing in the civilian world. They are seen as unfit for most police or security work because of the mind set in which we are trained. I have been told several times by security companies that they prefer to hire civilians because veterans tend to have a much more aggressive posture while in uniform.

The majority of homeless people are men. The majority of people in the military are men.

Even without an sort of connection between military service and homelessness, you'd see a lot of homeless vets.