Challenges Veterans Face
There are nearly 20 million veterans in the U.S. Last year, DAV helped more than 1 million of our heroes address their challenges in positive, life-changing ways.
Every veteran is affected by service. They may face health problems, employment issues and struggles around accessing their benefits—immediately after service but also in the years to come. These are some of the most common issues they encounter and how DAV can help.
Navigating the Complex World of Benefits
Benefits and policies for veterans continue to change and become more complex from year to year. The system can be hard to navigate. It takes knowledge and persistence to understand what’s available, what’s required to file the right claims, how to manage appeals and—most importantly—how to see the process through.
To assist, DAV has professional benefits advocates available throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. They’re at VA hospitals, at DAV locations and also on installations, and they’re ready to counsel service members for claims when they separate or many years later. Last year, our benefits advocates filed over 209,300 claims and helped our nation’s heroes and their families obtain more than $28.4 billion in benefits.
The Changing Needs of Veterans
The ever-changing face of the military and of service itself means that our veterans require individualized support—for wounds both visible and invisible—over their lifetime, depending on when, where and how they served.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, illnesses caused by toxic exposure and other injuries can show up years later and affect any stage of life. Veterans may lose jobs or face crises. New veteran populations—women, minorities, LGBTQ+ and others—may face inequities. As needs change, as the veteran population changes, DAV offers a lifetime of help to all veterans.
Making the Move to Civilian
Transitioning back to civilian life can be an especially tough time for veterans. “Finding the mission again”—creating a purposeful life through employment, service or education—is critical. Struggles in transition can cause serious problems, including depression, homelessness and increased risk of crisis. Disabled veterans facing disasters or emergencies at this point are especially vulnerable.
This is an important time for the vital services provided by DAV. Our free, professional assistance helps veterans and their families get the health care, disability, education and financial benefits they earned. We connect them to opportunities for meaningful employment. DAV can provide emergency grants and connect veterans to local help. Most importantly, with DAV, a support network is always available, for a lifetime.
