The Student Veterans Organization at UNLV has been working on this project for several years now.  If you are in the the Las Vegas area for the ninth anniversary of September 11, be sure and go out to support their cause.  The unveiling for the memorial will be at 8:30 AM at the Foundation Building on the UNLV campus.  More information here.

According to the Associated Press (AP) in an article titled "Bases brace for stress related disorders"

"More than 63,600 active duty Army soldiers have done three or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. That is a nearly 12 percent of the total number of soldiers who have deployed at least once. Roughly four in 10 soldiers who have gone to war have served more than one deployment — and that number is growing steadily."

From VA OIF/OEF Committee and VA Medical Center Las Vegas staff presentations:

• There are between 2300 to 3200 homeless veterans in Clark County
• Average age is 53 years old
• 89% are male, 11% female
• 1,010 are using the VA CBOC specializing in homeless programs
• Last year the VAMC Las Vegas spent over two million on its homeless outreach programs

According to VA Undersecretary Cooper's testimony before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on March 7, 2007:

In FY2006, VA produced over 774,000 disability determinations.

. . . answered over 6.6 million phone calls

. . . conducted over a million interviews

. . . briefed over 390,000 service members

. . . conducted over 65,000 hours of outreach to military members, former POWs, homeless, minority, and women veterans.

Disability backlog . . .

. . .increased every year since 2000.

. . . 578,773 in FY2000 to 806,832 in FY2006.  A 38% increase

. . . 54 percent of them are reopening of old claims.

Over 1.4 million active-duty service members, members of the National Guard, and reservists have been deployed in the Global War on Terror.  Over 685,000 have returned and been discharged.

The number of veterans receiving compensation has increased by almost 400,000 since 2000 (2.3 million to 2.7 million veterans).

Over 54,000 military retirees receive Combat-Related Special Compensation.

There were 2 million military retirees at the end of FY2006.  Over 40% receive VA benefits.

From FY2000 to FY2006, the number of veterans receiving compensation for PTSD has increased from 130,000 to 270,000.

Over 11percent of disability determinations are appealed.  Up from 7 percent in 2000.  There are more than 130,000 appeals no pending in regional offices and the Appeals Management Center.  There are over 30,000 appeals pending before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

• 600,000 claims backlog in VBA system
• 200,000 of these are modifications/small recurring work
• Pension & Compensation claim is usually in a VHA employee’s hands for 6 hours.  3 hours in decision process.
• 150,000 claims are in appeal status
• VA receives 7 million calls and 1 million walk-ins each year
• It takes two years to become a good VSR.  
• Over 40% of VBA claims staff have less than 3 years. 
• 30% have less than two years.
• 264,000 OIF/OEF veterans in the system (VBA)
• VA has almost 1 million patient visits each week
• Total number of amputees (not including fingers or toes) in OIF/OEF  - 600
• 25% of the 697,000 veterans who served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm suffer from “chronic multisystem illness.”
• Approximately 100,000 Desert Storm/Shield exposed to sarin nerve gas.
• 15% of active duty troops are women
• 10% of those serving directly in GWOT are women
• 7% of veterans are female
• 1.7 million veterans were women in 2000 census.

From Secretary Nicholson

• Vet Centers have seen 180,000 veterans of OIF/OEF
• 200,000 active duty members are separated from service annually.
• From Under-secretary Ciccolella
• 592,000 reservists and national guard have been activated since 9/11
• 300,000+ active duty, reserve & national guard separate annually
• There are 5,000-6000 in the VA severely injured database from OIF/OEF
• 20-24 year old vets have more than twice the unemployment rate (greater than 10%)

From Doctor Cross (VHA)

• There are 5.3 million unique patients with over 50 million encounters
• There are 155,000 OIF/OEF veterans enrolled in the system

From Chairman Filner

• With VA proposed VA enrollment fees, almost 200,000 veterans will leave VA

From Tim Tetz

• There are 8 in the VA severely injured database from OIF/OEF in Nevada
• There are 4,000 VSO’s (those who do veteran claim work) in the US.
• Nevada has about 15. (NOVS has 7)
• Nevada has 300,000 veterans.  Not the 240,000 the VA says damnit!

According to Congresswoman Berkley's testimony before the Legislature . . . .