(note: while respectful of generous support for post 9/11 veterans and their families, veterans of other conflicts note the very careful exclusion of them from this vital program)
The White House continued its focus on
veterans and military families by announcing new programs Friday to expand
support and services available to those who care for injured or ill troops.
In a Joining Forces event at the White House
that brought together military family members, First Lady Michelle Obama,
former First Lady Rosalyn Carter, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Jill Biden,
wife of vice president Joe Biden, Obama announced several programs to support
caregivers, from training, financial and legal guidance to employment
opportunities.
The expanded opportunities follow the release
last week of a Rand Corp. study that found many of the one million caregivers
of the nation’s post-9/11 veterans face challenges ranging from isolation and
financial strain to poor health and inadequate training.
The study said these caregivers, who help
veterans and medically retired troops with dressing in the morning, making
doctors appointments, managing households, serving as sole providers and much
more, save taxpayers more than $3 billion a year by offsetting the cost of home
health care and medical aides.
“The burden these men and women bear for our
country is real and they shouldn’t have to shoulder it on their own ... we are
here to show that we have their backs,” Obama said.
