5 Reasons the System Is Failing Our Veterans

Every year, many men and women step up to serve our country. They face tough conditions, trauma, and long stretches away from loved ones to protect our freedoms. Yet when their service ends, too many are left behind or struggle in a system that doesn’t support them. The system is failing our veterans.

Here are five key reasons why:

1. Inadequate Mental Health Support

Veterans experience higher rates of PTSD, depression, and suicide than the general population. Despite growing awareness, mental health resources are still severely lacking.

• Long wait times: Many veterans wait weeks or even months to receive mental health counseling through the VA.

• Understaffed facilities: Due to a shortage of trained professionals, veterans are frequently left without proper care or support.

• Stigma: Cultural stigma around mental health—especially within military communities—prevents many from seeking help.

Veterans need care that is easily accessible, steady, and understanding. Too often, they face paperwork and delays instead.

2. Homelessness and Housing Instability

On any given night, over 30,000 veterans are homeless in the United States—a figure drawn from national estimates, though exact numbers vary each year.

• Barriers to entry: Many housing programs require clean records, sobriety, or long waitlists that veterans can’t navigate.

• Lack of transitional support: Veterans often leave service without clear guidance or a stable transition plan into civilian life.

• Mental illness and substance use: Without proper support, many fall through the cracks and end up on the streets.

No one who served should have to sleep outside.

3. Unemployment and Underemployment

Returning to civilian life is rarely a seamless process. Veterans face unique challenges when entering the workforce, despite their leadership, discipline, and resilience.

• Transferable skills often unrecognized: Military experience doesn’t always translate neatly onto a civilian résumé.

• Lack of career guidance: Many veterans are not provided with the necessary support to retrain or pursue careers that align with their abilities.

• Discrimination: Some employers still hold biases or misunderstandings about hiring former service members.

Programs such as the GI Bill and vocational rehabilitation exist, but they are complex and difficult to access, especially for those who are overwhelmed.

4. Delays and Inefficiencies in the VA System

The Department of Veterans Affairs was created to serve those who served us, yet it's often cited as one of the most inefficient and frustrating systems to navigate.

• Backlogged claims: Disability compensation claims can take months—or even years—to be processed.

• Outdated technology: Veterans continue to encounter paper forms and disjointed systems that fail to communicate with each other.

• Lack of personalized care: Veterans are often treated as numbers instead of individuals with unique needs.

It’s frustrating that veterans have to fight again just to get the benefits they’ve earned.

5. Failure to Recognize Diverse Veteran Experiences

Not all veterans are treated equally. Women, LGBTQ+ service members, and veterans of color often face additional challenges.

• Women veterans report feeling invisible in the system and face higher rates of military sexual trauma (MST) with insufficient follow-up support.

• LGBTQ+ veterans have historically been discharged dishonorably due to their identity, leaving them without access to benefits.

• Veterans of color may face discrimination both in and out of the service, compounding barriers to care and support.

If the system leaves some veterans behind, it fails all veterans.

Final Thoughts

Veterans kept their promise to us by serving with honor and protecting our freedoms. Now it’s our turn to keep our promise to them. The problem isn’t a lack of resources—it’s making veterans a real priority and following through.

We need to do more than offer words or tributes. Real change comes from action, better policies, and holding ourselves accountable.

Call to Action: Take one step today. Share this post to inform three people, or start a conversation about veteran support with a friend or colleague.

• Choose and donate your time or resources to a local veteran organization actively supporting those in need.

• Contact your legislator this week to advocate for policies that expand and improve veteran care.

• Listen to veterans’ voices—especially the ones who feel unseen.

Honoring service means taking tangible action,

not just saying 'thank you.'