INTRODUCTION The troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan carry with them to the civilian world ]VgY"ZVgcZY h`^aah VcY YZÐc^c\ ZmeZg^ZcXZh# I]Zn bVn Vahd Wg^c\ l^i] i]Zb i]Z gZh^YjVa Z[[ZXih d[ iZc nZVgh d[ jcZcY^c\ lVg! bjai^eaZ gdiVi^dch! VbW^\jdjh WViiaZ a^cZh! adhi [g^ZcYh VcY higV^cZY [Vb^a^Zh# 7ZXVjhZ i]Zn bV`Z je hjX] V hbVaa eZgXZciV\Z of Americans, they return to every corner of a country that has, for the most part, not h]VgZY i]Z^g ZmeZg^ZcXZh# Id ]Zae i]^h \ZcZgVi^dc [jaan gZVa^oZ ^ih ediZci^Va Vh i]Z CZmi <gZViZhi <ZcZgVi^dc l^aa gZfj^gZ i]Vi ZkZgn 6bZg^XVc WZiiZg jcYZghiVcY i]Z X]VaaZc\Zh ^i [VXZh VcY ]Zae cjgijgZ ^ih egdb^hZ# The RAND Corporation, with the sponsorship of the New York State Health Foundation, has taken an important step toward this understanding with its new report, “A Needs Assessment BECAUSE OEF/OIF VETERANS MAKE UP SUCH of New York State Veterans: A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS, THEY Final Report to the New York HiViZ =ZVai] ;djcYVi^dc#” Iraq RETURN TO EVERY CORNER OF A COUNTRY THAT and Afghanistan Veterans HAS, FOR THE MOST PART, NOT SHARED THEIR d[ 6bZg^XV! i]Z Ðghi VcY EXPERIENCES. aVg\Zhi cdceVgi^hVc! cdcegdÐi dg\Vc^oVi^dc YZY^XViZY to supporting the newest generation of veterans, which lVh [djcYZY Wn EVja G^ZX`]d[[! V CZl Ndg` CVi^dcVa <jVgY kZiZgVc! VcY ^h ]ZVYfjVgiZgZY ^c CZl Ndg`! eVgicZgZY l^i] G6C9 id gZXgj^i kZiZgVch VcY i]Z^g [Vb^a^Zh [dg i]Z hijYn# G6C9Çh gZedgi egdk^YZh Vc ^c"YZei] add` Vi i]Z eZgXZei^dch VcY ZmeZg^ZcXZh d[ CZl Ndg`Çh kZiZgVch! l]^X] XVc ]Zae eda^Xn bV`Zgh VcY Xdbbjc^in aZVYZgh bV`Z WZiiZg YZX^h^dch VWdji ]dl id hjeedgi i]Zb# I]^h gZedgi l^aa add` Vi hZkZgVa d[ G6C9Çh `Zn ÐcY^c\h! ^cXajY^c\ i]Z X]VaaZc\Zh kZiZgVch [VXZ ^c cVk^\Vi^c\ i]Z hnhiZbh d[ hjeedgi VkV^aVWaZ id i]Zb! Vh lZaa Vh bZciVa ]ZVai]! jcZbeadnbZci VcY [Vb^an ^hhjZh# JcaZhh di]Zgl^hZ cdiZY! i]Z YViV ^c i]^h gZedgi XdbZh [gdb G6C9Çh ÄCZZYh 6hhZhhbZci#Å RAND used focus groups and an epidemiologic survey to look at the needs of new veterans VcY i]Z^g hedjhZh# I]Z [dXjh \gdjeh egdk^YZY V fjVa^iVi^kZ add` ^cid ]dl V heZX^ÐX \gdje d[ CZl Ndg` kZiZgVch VcY i]Z^g [Vb^a^Zh k^ZlZY i]Z^g X]VaaZc\Zh Vi V heZX^ÐX point in time, while the survey provided a quantitative assessment of the challenges of V WgdVYan gZegZhZciVi^kZ hVbeaZ d[ CZl Ndg`Çh cZlZhi kZiZgVch VcY i]Z^g hedjhZh# ;gdb i]^h YViV! i]Z hijYn ^YZci^ÐZY V hZg^Zh d[ X]VaaZc\Zh VcY WVgg^Zgh id dWiV^c^c\ hjeedgi# The challenges articulated included unemployment, mental health injuries, stigma and ^hdaVi^dc# I]Z gZedgi Vahd egdk^YZY jc^fjZ ^ch^\]ih ^c hZkZgVa lVnh# >i ^h i]Z Ðghi hijYn id XdbegZ]Zch^kZan VhhZhh i]Z cZZYh d[ kZiZgVch ^c CZl Ndg` HiViZ# >i Vahd [dXjhZh dc the perspective of the 50 percent of new veterans who have not registered with the 9ZeVgibZci d[ KZiZgVchÇ 6[[V^gh K6 VcY i]ZgZ[dgZ! VgZ cdi lZaa YdXjbZciZY# I]^h VeegdVX] egdk^YZh jcjhjVaan iVg\ZiZY VcY kVajVWaZ ^c[dgbVi^dc [dg i]dhZ hZZ`^c\ id address the needs of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/ D>; kZiZgVch ^c CZl Ndg`#
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