SOUTHERN COLORADO — For today's KOAA survey, News5 wants to know how you are supporting our veterans.
Results:
47% Reaching Out
40% Donating
13% Volunteering
We're following this survey throughout the day and into tomorrow. Tune in to News5 at 4 p.m. as we review the results!
Editor's note: This survey is not based on scientific, representative samples and is solely for KOAA purposes.
The turmoil in Afghanistan may have resurfaced feeling for certain veterans in our community. As an Afghanistan veteran and therapist, Duane France, told our Caroline Peters, a lot of veterans are suffering silently with PTSD and could be experiencing extreme emotions due to the way the war in Afghanistan ended. Also, these feelings of frustration and sadness are not limited to just Afghanistan veterans.
“Vietnam veterans who had been fairly stable and who had been employed and things like that we're experiencing things even 20, 30, 40 years after they came back from combat," France said. "So, I think this is one thing just to have a level of awareness about if things are changing from the inside to outside, that I just need to reach out for help and connect with somebody who can really support me.”
Fortunately, the conversation about mental health in the military is changing. France last served about 10 years ago and he recalls many soldiers believing they should “suck it up” when it came to mental health concerns. Today, he says vets are more willing to get the help they need instead of letting these feelings fester inside of them.
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