For example, VA offers health care, disability  compensation, educational benefits, life insurance, vocational  rehabilitation services, and home loans. Veterans Experience Difficulty When Readjusting to Civilian Life but Extent Is Unknown

		Readjusting Veterans May Experience a Range of Economic, Social, and Other Difficulties

Veterans we spoke to and VA officials confirmed that veterans face a  variety of difficulties related to readjusting to civilian life, including  financial and employment, relationships, legal difficulties, homelessness,  and substance abuse. One of VA’s strategic objectives is to improve  veteran wellness and economic security. VA’s strategic plan also states  that the ultimate measure of its success is the veteran’s success after  leaving military service. However, there is limited and incomplete data  available to assess the extent to which these veterans are affected by  these difficulties. Therefore, it is not known to what extent veterans are  facing one or a combination of these problems when they readjust to  civilian life. A Sizable Minority of Post 9-11 Veterans Have Physical and Mental Health Conditions

A sizable minority of veterans who have served since September 11,  2001, had physical or mental health conditions in the first few years of  their readjustment to civilian life. According to a 2010 study, 32  percent of veterans had been diagnosed by either DOD or VA with  diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues after  separating from the military, and about 27 percent had been diagnosed  with diseases of the nervous system and sense organs. Other studies estimated that 10 to 12  percent of post-9/11 veterans were diagnosed with PTSD. Veterans with Certain Characteristics May Be More Likely to Experience Difficulties

Some groups of veterans may be more likely to experience readjustment  difficulties or be diagnosed with a physical or mental condition than  others. VA Offers an Array of Services to Readjusting Veterans, but Long-Standing Weaknesses Hinder Available Support

		VA Offers a Range of Benefits and Services to Veterans Early in the Readjustment Process

VA offers assistance to servicemembers before they leave military service  by informing them through outreach and education on the range of  benefits and services available to them. Veterans can also work with veteran service organizations  (VSO) to apply for VA benefits and services. We have reported for over 10 years, and we  heard confirmations during interviews with VA officials and veterans, on  the continuing challenge VA faces in processing disability compensation  in a timely fashion. Electronic medical records. Medication. We recommended  that VA and its partner improve its capabilities for sharing electronic  information. At one site we visited, VA officials suggested there were  opportunities to research ways to identify individuals who are predisposed  to PTSD as well as conducting a study on reasons veterans are not using  VA services. While this effort would need to  be developed and coordinated with DOD, veterans at all of the sites we  visited noted that having time to adjust to the idea of being a civilian and  relearning what civilian life is like would be beneficial. Conclusions

As over 1 million servicemembers separate from the military over the next  6 years, many will rely upon the programs administered by VA for support  during their transition. For others, however, the first few years after  they leave the military will be difficult. Meanwhile, despite VA’s network of outreach efforts and the  range of benefits and services it administers, many veterans continue to  struggle to access support, and the agency continues to face long- standing challenges in providing benefits in a timely manner. As a  result, some veterans who need support may be missed. However, until  VA has a better understanding of the needs of recently-separated  veterans, and which veterans may be more likely to face difficulties, it is  difficult to know what steps VA should take. Recommendation for Executive Action

We recommend that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs take steps to better  understand both the difficulties faced by readjusting veterans and the  characteristics of those who may be more likely to face such difficulties,  and use the results to determine how best to enhance its benefits and  services to these veterans. VA also  described its recent efforts and plans for improvement. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The objectives of this review were to examine what is known about (1) the  extent to which veterans experience difficulties during their readjustment  to civilian life, and (2) how VA assists veterans in their readjustment, and  what challenges and opportunities exist. To address these objectives, we  conducted a literature search, interviewed relevant officials from VA and  DOD, reviewed VA’s strategic plan, annual performance reports, and  other documents, visited four locations with VA facilities, and held eight  discussion groups with 45 veterans and family members. The  purpose of the first phase was to identify the range and types of  difficulties experienced by post-9/11 veterans in the first few years after  they separated from the military. Transitioning Veterans: Improved Oversight Needed to Enhance  Implementation of Transition Assistance Program.
Why GAO Did This Study

Over the next 6 years, over 1 million servicemembers are expected to leave the military. As was the case with past generations of veterans, the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging for post-9/11 veterans as well. Over the last several years, veterans' struggles to successfully readjust to civilian life have been the subject of numerous Congressional hearings.
Providing support and services for transitioning veterans is a key issue facing the nation. This report examines what is known about (1) the extent to which veterans experience difficulties during their readjustment to civilian life; and (2) how VA assists veterans in their readjustment, as well as what challenges and opportunities exist. GAO conducted a literature search, interviewed VA and DOD officials, and held eight nongeneralizable discussion groups with a total of 45 veterans and family members. GAO also conducted interviews with relevant officials at VA facilities in four states. GAO selected these sites based on diversity of military service branches in a local area, geography, a high concentration of veterans, and proximity to VA resources.

What GAO Found

While many veterans who served in the military after September 11, 2001, have successfully readjusted to civilian life with minimal difficulties in the first few years after they were discharged, others have experienced difficulties, according to veterans GAO heard from in discussion groups and studies GAO reviewed. These readjustment difficulties include financial and employment, relationships, legal, homelessness, and substance abuse. According to VA's strategic plan, one of its strategic objectives is to improve veteran wellness and economic security, and it states that the ultimate measure of VA's success is the veteran's success after leaving military service. However, there is limited and incomplete data to assess the extent to which veterans experience readjustment difficulties. Therefore, it is not known to what extent veterans are facing one or a combination of problems when they readjust to civilian life. There is relatively more information available on the number of veterans who had a physical or mental condition within a few years of leaving the military. For example, one 2010 study shows that 32 percent of recently-separated veterans were diagnosed by either the Department of Defense (DOD) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with a disease or injury of the musculoskeletal system. In this and other studies reviewed by GAO, estimates for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) varied from 10 to 12 percent. According to these studies, some groups of veterans--those who had served in combat and younger veterans--were more likely than others to experience readjustment difficulties or be diagnosed with a mental health condition.
While an array of VA benefits and services are available during a veteran's first few years out of the military, GAO has identified long-standing challenges with VA's delivery and management of this support. Specifically, VA provides a wide range of services and benefits through several programs, such as education, health care, counseling, employment, home loans, and insurance. VA informs veterans of these benefits and services before they leave military service through outreach and education. However, GAO's prior work over the last decade has shown that VA has struggled for years to, among other issues, (1) provide timely access to medical appointments, (2) make timely disability compensation decisions, and (3) coordinate the transfer of medical records from DOD. GAO has made numerous prior recommendations to address these issues, and VA has taken some actions to implement them; however, some recommendations remain unaddressed, and GAO continues to monitor VA's progress. Agency officials and veterans GAO spoke with during this review suggested additional actions that VA can implement to improve its assistance for transitioning veterans. For example, a few VA staff suggested that VA conduct additional research to identify veterans who are predisposed to PTSD and better understand why some veterans do not use VA services. Veterans at all of the sites GAO visited suggested that it would be beneficial for separating servicemembers to have additional time to adjust to the idea of being a civilian and relearning what civilian life is like. Without comprehensive information on the difficulties experienced by recently-separated veterans, VA cannot assess risks to achieving its objectives and may be missing opportunities to enhance assistance to veterans by not providing needed services early in the veteran's readjustment process. GAO recommends that VA take steps to better understand the difficulties faced by readjusting veterans and use this information to determine how best to enhance its benefits and services for these veterans. VA concurred with GAO's recommendation and described its recent efforts and plans for improvement.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that VA take steps to better understand the difficulties faced by readjusting veterans and use this information to determine how best to enhance its benefits and services for these veterans. VA concurred with GAO’s recommendation and described its recent efforts and plans for improvement.