In contemporary society, there are a plethora of social problems surrounding us, ranging from climate change to police brutality to immigration policies. Among these many problems, one of the most prominent and pervasive issues is the insufficient attention that veterans receive after returning from war.

When a soldier initially marches off to war, society usually holds him/her in high regard. However, when the soldier returns from combat, the amount of assistance neither adequately recognizes the hardships the soldier has endured nor the service that the soldier has contributed to his/her country.

According to a study done by the National Priorities Project, in the fiscal year 2015, $598.5 billion was devoted to military spending, but only $65.3 billion was spent on veterans’ benefits.

The small proportion of federal dollars used to help veterans illustrates that not enough assistance is being provided to those who have risked their lives to defend America’s values.

Additionally, the fact that more effort needs to be put in helping veterans is also conveyed through the significant number of veterans who are struggling to adapt to life after war. For instance, The Military Wallet states that 10.6% of the nation’s homeless population are veterans.

This is a considerably high number, considering the fact that these are America’s heroes. Moreover, as reported by Rolling Stone and CNN, in 2014, over 40 veterans had died waiting for care in VA hospitals in the Phoenix region. Even more shocking and outrageous to many is the fact that nationwide, at least 120,000 veterans never even received the care that they were promised.

The considerable number of veterans who have had a lack of aid is evidence of the disgraceful treatment that they have received and are continuing to receive.

Nonetheless, this is not to say that efforts to help veterans have not increased. In fact, the government, being aware of the poor treatment of veterans, has made recent endeavors to pass legislation to help veteran groups.

Furthermore, non-profit organizations like the American Red Cross have devoted much of their efforts in helping veterans and military families. The trend shows that society and government are paying closer attention to this issue over time. However, the work is not finished until every single veteran receives proper treatment.

<Louis Chung/ Beverly Hills High School 12th>