Directly or otherwise, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, spawned wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and both have taken a toll on the mental health of the thousands of soldiers who have been stationed in the Middle East in the past 10 years.
But the Lebanon VA Medical Center is doing what it can to help those veterans, an official said.
After the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush launched a "War on Terror," committing American troops to fighting terrorist groups in the Middle East.
"Clearly, current wars have impacted the lives of our veterans, many of whom require treatment for their psychological injuries," said Dr. Piro Rjepaj, associate chief of staff behavior health and sciences at the VAMC. "Over the last several years, the Lebanon VA Medical Center has seen an increase in the number of veterans utilizing services at our hospital."
Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom are eligible for two years of free health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the VA website, va.gov.
Although post-traumatic stress symptoms are similar across all wars, Rjepaj said, "each war produces a unique set of stressors that must be considered when treating veteran patients."http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/911-va-attends-to-returning-vets/4ae2f49823774a139fb7d8b8158a72d2
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