Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan are still dealing with the aftermath of their combat duty. Some have sought treatment for mental illness years after returning from active duty, and some never sought treatment at all. To date, more than 1.5 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, at least one in three Iraq veterans and one in nine Afghanistan veterans will face a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Multiple tours and inadequate rest between deployments have increased the stress of combat. PTSD rates for Iraq veterans have exceeded the rates recorded among veterans of Vietnam. The systems in place to address this issue are inadequate and fail our returning vets.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "The impact of military reality on individual mental health is complicated further by the pronounced stigma associated with mental illness within military communities. Service members frequently cite fear of personal embarrassment, fear of disappointing comrades, fear of losing the opportunity for career advancement, and fear of dishonorable discharge as motivations to hide the symptoms of mental illness from colleagues, friends and family. This silence and the attitudes and perceptions perpetuating it pose a significant challenge to those charged with making sure that the United States' fighting force is improving itself and taking care of its own members."

According to the June 17, 2007 CNN piece entitled, "Pentagon: Military's mental health care needs help" a Pentagon report said, "The military's mental health services need some serious therapy." According to An Achievable Vision, a report from the Pentagon's Task Force on Mental Health, "The military health system lacks the fiscal resources and the fully trained personnel to fulfill its mission to support psychological health in peacetime or fulfill the enhanced requirements imposed during times of conflict."

Troops suffered from combat-related mental illness at a staggering rate, and the projected numbers foretell a mental health care crisis for veterans. Yet, because of the strong mental health stigma and the related career consequences that exist in the military, there continues to be an unspoken rule to conceal mental illness and "buck up". The impact of this kind of repression and denial is leading to tragic results for returning troops, manifesting in shattered lives and in too many instances, suicide. These brave Americans have laid their lives on the line in service to their country. Until stigma is addressed and the reality of the mental health needs of military veterans is fully recognized, our returning troops and veterans from wars past will continue to suffer - needlessly.