Calls of Duty

America Weighs Its Obligations to Veterans and Their Families

Members of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army listen to President Barack Obama at the Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia.
AP IMAGES/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT, BILL TIERNAN
Members of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army listen to President Barack Obama at the Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia, on October 19, 2011. With First Lady Michelle Obama at his side, he praised companies that have promised to hire 25,000 veterans or military spouses within two years, calling it a sign of patriotism and business savvy.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are leading the Joining Forces initiative to offer support and opportunities to U.S. military servicemembers and their families. In his State of the Union message in January, President Barack Obama proposed a Veterans Jobs Corps that would help communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters. What follows are some of the ways in which RAND research can help to ensure that the newest generation of veterans receives the health care, employment and education opportunities, and other benefits that it has earned.

Suicide Prevention

By Rajeev Ramchand, RAND behavioral scientist

Between 2001 and 2009, the suicide rate among active-duty U.S. personnel nearly doubled, rising from 10 to 18 per 100,000 and underscoring the need to identify those at risk and improve their access to high-quality suicide-prevention programs.

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Mental Health Treatments

By Katherine E. Watkins, RAND senior natural scientist

Mental health services delivered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, and substance use disorders are usually as good as or better than those delivered by private health plans.

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Mental Health Programs

By Robin M. Weinick, associate director of RAND Health

In addition to clinical care and chaplaincy services, the U.S. Department of Defense sponsors 211 programs to help U.S. servicemembers and their families deal with PTSD, major depression, and traumatic brain injury.

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Health Needs in the Community

By Terry L. Schell, RAND senior behavioral scientist, and Terri Tanielian, director of the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research

Most veterans do not use the VA as their primary source of health care. Many have private, employer-sponsored health insurance, and veterans may find private providers to be more conveniently located or preferable for some other reason.

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Tax Credits for Hiring

By Paul Heaton, director of research at the RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Both major U.S. political parties have supported tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans, culminating in the November 2011 passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act.

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The New GI Bill

By Jennifer L. Steele, RAND education policy researcher

Delayed and erroneous payments plagued the early implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, formally known as the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

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Family Well-Being

By Anita Chandra and Laura L. Miller, RAND behavioral/social scientists, and Amy Richardson, RAND policy researcher

Surveys of military spouses have shown that their lives change dramatically during moves and deployments.

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Related Reading

“Care for Veterans with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: Good Performance, but Room to Improve on Many Measures,” Health Affairs, Vol. 31, No. 11, November 2011, pp. 2194–2203, Katherine E. Watkins, Harold Alan Pincus, Susan Paddock, Brad Smith, Abigail Woodroffe, Carrie Farmer, Melony E. Sorbero, Marcela Horvitz-Lennon, Thomas Mannle Jr., Kimberly A. Hepner, Jacob Solomon, Cathy Call.
The Effects of Hiring Tax Credits on Employment of Disabled Veterans, Paul Heaton, RAND/OP-366-OSD, 2012, 14 pp.
Effects of Soldiers’ Deployment on Children’s Academic Performance and Behavioral Health, Amy Richardson, Anita Chandra, Laurie T. Martin, Claude Messan Setodji, Bryan W. Hallmark, Nancy F. Campbell, Stacy Hawkins, Patrick Grady, RAND/MG-1095-A, 2011, 176 pp.
A Needs Assessment of New York State Veterans: Final Report to the New York State Health Foundation, Terry L. Schell, Terri Tanielian, eds., RAND/TR-920-NYSHF, 2011, 100 pp.
A New Approach for Assessing the Needs of Service Members and Their Families, Laura L. Miller, Bernard D. Rostker, Rachel M. Burns, Dionne Barnes-Proby, Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, Terry R. West, RAND/MG-1124-OSD, 2011, 156 pp., ISBN 978-0-8330-5874-4.
Programs Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among U.S. Military Servicemembers and Their Families, Robin M. Weinick, Ellen Burke Beckjord, Carrie M. Farmer, Laurie T. Martin, Emily M. Gillen, Joie Acosta, Michael P. Fisher, Jeffrey Garnett, Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Todd C. Helmus, Lisa H. Jaycox, Kerry Reynolds, Nicholas Salcedo, Deborah M. Scharf, RAND/TR-950-OSD, 2011, 184 pp., ISBN 978-0-8330-5236-0.
Service Members in School: Military Veterans’ Experiences Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Pursuing Postsecondary Education, Jennifer L. Steele, Nicholas Salcedo, James Coley, Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 2010.
Veterans Health Administration Mental Health Program Evaluation: Capstone Report, Katherine E. Watkins, Harold Alan Pincus, Brad Smith, Susan M. Paddock, Thomas E. Mannle, Jr., Abigail Woodroffe, Jake Solomon, Melony E. Sorbero, Carrie M. Farmer, Kimberly A. Hepner, David M. Adamson, Lanna Forrest, Catherine Call, RAND/TR-956-VHA, 2011, 215 pp.
Views from the Homefront: The Experiences of Youth and Spouses from Military Families, Anita Chandra, Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, Lisa H. Jaycox, Terri Tanielian, Bing Han, Rachel M. Burns, Teague Ruger, RAND/TR-913-NMFA, 2011, 122 pp., ISBN 978-0-8330-5127-1.
The War Within: Preventing Suicide in the U.S. Military, Rajeev Ramchand, Joie D. Acosta, Rachel M. Burns, Lisa H. Jaycox, Christopher G. Pernin, RAND/MG-953-OSD, 2011, 228 pp., ISBN 978-0-8330-4971-1.
Year of the Air Force Family: 2009 Survey of Active-Duty Spouses, Laura L. Miller, Sarah O. Meadows, Lawrence M. Hanser, Stephanie L. Taylor, RAND/TR-879-AF, 2011, 100 pp., ISBN 978-0-8330-5096-0.