A landmark survey shows veterans of all generations have a very positive view of their military service — but only one in five vets feels they are being treated well by the government.
Disabled American Veterans Director Dan Claire said the Veterans Pulse Survey shows many believe the promises made to them are not being kept.
“Just 44 percent feel like they’re receiving the health, disability, financial and education benefits they were promised. So, there is a sense among veterans that is there’s a promise that’s not being fulfilled,” Claire said.
Claire said according to the study, a simple "thank you," would go a long way toward changing veterans’ opinions.
"One of the interesting findings that we had was, 85 percent of veterans say that they appreciate it when someone they don’t know thanks them for their service, and I think that’s a cue for us that that’s one small way that we can recognize veterans,” Claire said.
The survey, completed by more than 1,700 veterans, is representative of 22 million American vets. It shows the majority of vets would serve all over again, even though many paid a price in terms of adverse health or relationship impacts or the struggles inherent in transitioning to civilian life.