War has been part of life, probably since civilization has been on Earth. The first war in recorded history took place in Mesopotamia in 2700 BCE (http://www.ancient.eu.com/war/), and war still continues to this day. One major difference between the wars being fought today and in the past is the survival rate of wounded soldiers. Technology plays a major role in the survivals we have today. After World War I ended in 1918, there were approximately 320,710 American casualties, and 53,513 of these deaths happened on the battlefield (http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html). By the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom the total of American deaths were 4,486 out of 150,000 (http://icasualties.org/Iraq/Index.aspx).
As wars have taken place throughout history, the soldiers have gone and fought. However, not many people remember the families that have supported and stood by the soldiers while they are fighting to defend American freedom. Many families are affected by war, and in the past, resources for these families were limited. Family problems have become a real issue for the home life. The U.S. government has realized this as an issue and has created more resources for families of a deployed soldier. The government realized that not only does the family of the deployed soldier suffer but the deployed soldier also has social needs. Therefore, this created a bigger problem than just disrupted family lives. The problem turned into a mission effectiveness issue.
While having fewer casualties in war is a great thing, it is not always great for the surviving soldiers. Since there are more war survivors, the number of veterans has increased significantly, and this makes resources to help them recover after war insufficient and inadequate, because there are not enough healthcare providers. Helping the soldier recover from war has now become a bigger issue than helping the soldier's family. Soldiers returning from combat have issues that may include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical disabilities. Being deployed also exposes the soldiers to various diseases not common in the United States. Once the soldier returns from a deployment, they are given three months of training to help them reintegrate into "home" life. This however is not enough time to properly evaluate the veteran, because there may be greater issues which take longer to evaluate and to recover from.
While the family is an important aspect of the deployment, the resources available for the family are greater than the resources available to help the soldiers after a deployment is complete. Soldiers are affected during a deployment cycle, and the resources available for them to recover properly are limited due to the influx of survivors and the limited healthcare providers. Soldiers are often not cared for correctly after deployments and may be rushed through treatment. Another issue is the shortage of healthcare providers. This makes it...
