Veterans and Military Health

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Military service members and veterans face some different health issues than civilians. During combat, the main health concerns are life-threatening injuries. These include

Shrapnel and gunshot wounds
Lost limbs
Head and brain injuries

There may also be a risk of health problems from exposure to environmental hazards, such as contaminated water, chemicals, and infections.
Being in combat and being separated from your family can be stressful. The stress can put service members and veterans at risk for mental health problems. These include anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance abuse. Suicide can also be a concern.

Photograph of a U.S. Army Drill Team executing precision drill movements during a festival

My HealtheVet

My HealtheVet, the Gateway to Veteran Health and Wellness

TRICARE

TRICARE is the healthcare program for active duty and retired service personnel, their eligible family members and survivors.

Overviews
- Military and Veterans Health Care(Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
- MyHealtheVet(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Veterans Health Administration
Latest News
- Many Vets Given Psychiatric Drugs without Diagnosis(10/31/2013, Reuters Health)
- Vets with Gulf War Syndrome Show Brain Changes, Study Finds(10/22/2013, HealthDay)
- Spinal Injuries to Soldiers Much More Common in Iraq, Afghanistan Wars(09/20/2013, HealthDay)
- More News on Veterans and Military Health
Prevention/Screening
- Military Pathways (DoD Mental Health Self-Assessment (MHSA) Program)(Department of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center)
Coping
- afterdeployment.org(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Coping with Traumatic Stress Reactions(National Center for PTSD)
- Veterans Crisis Line(Department of Veterans Affairs)
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Specific Conditions
- Agent Orange(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Diseases and Conditions(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Health Care for Gulf War Veterans(Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
- Hepatitis C for Veterans and the Public(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Medically Unexplained Symptoms(Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
- MedlinePlus: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(National Library of Medicine)
- MedlinePlus: Traumatic Brain Injury(National Library of Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
- Mental Health: Military(American Psychiatric Association)
- Military Exposures(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Military Sexual Trauma(Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
- Suicide(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury) - PDF
- Traumatic Brain Injury Basics(Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center)
- When a Service Member May Be at Risk for Suicide(Department of Defense)
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Related Issues
- Acts of Violence, Terrorism, or War: Triggers for Veterans(National Center for PTSD)
- Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors: 2012 Online Edition(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Also available in Spanish
- Help for Homeless Veterans(National Coalition for Homeless Veterans)
- Infectious Diseases - Diseases Related to Service in Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Preparing to Enter the Work Force After a Severe Injury(Department of Defense)
- Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS)(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Military Personnel(National Center for PTSD) - PDF
- Returning Service Members - Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF)(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Rights and Responsibilities of VA Patients and Residents of Community Living Centers(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Soldier and Family Guide to Redeploying(Department of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center) - PDF
- Understanding the Military Medical Evaluation Process(Department of Defense)
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Tutorials
- Alcohol and Drugs(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Anger(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Anxiety(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Depression(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Families & Friendships(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Health & Wellness(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Life Stress(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Military Sexual Trauma(Department of Defense)
- Physical Injury(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Sleep(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Work Adjustment(Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury)
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Videos
- Embedded in Iraq(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Mental Health Challenges for Returning Military Veterans(National Institute of Mental Health)
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Financial Issues
- Health Benefits Home(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- TRICARE Covered Services(TRICARE Management Activity)
- TRICARE Dental Coverage(TRICARE Management Activity)
- TRICARE Eligibility(TRICARE Management Activity)
- Veterans Affairs Benefits (Long-Term Care)(Department of Health and Human Services)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Persian Gulf Syndrome(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Veterans(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Veterans Health(National Institutes of Health)
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Research
- Army STARRS Preliminary Data Reveal Some Potential Predictive Factors for Suicide(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Brain Injury and Stress Disorder Strong Indicators of Vision Problems for Veterans(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging May Shed Light on Soldiers' Brain Injuries(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Evidence-Based Supported Employment Program Shows Significant Benefit for Veterans with Mental Illness(American Psychiatric Association) - PDF
- First Cases of Degenerative Brain Disease CTE Found in Veterans with Blast Injuries(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Vietnam Vets with PTSD More Than Twice As Likely to Have Heart Disease(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Residential placement for veterans with addiction: American Society of Addiction...
- Article: Enhancing veteran-centered care: a guide for nurses in non-VA settings.
- Article: Research on homeless vets suggests ways to target services based...
- Article: Veterans' stories: what they may have to tell us--a personal...
- Veterans and Military Health -- see more articles
- Agent orange -- see more articles
- Gulf war syndrome -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary & Acronyms(Department of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center)
- Veteran's Health Benefits: Glossary(Department of Veterans Affairs)
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Directories
- Find a Doctor(TRICARE Management Activity)
- National Resource Directory(Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Department of Labor)
- TRICARE Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) Locator(TRICARE Management Activity)
- VA Health Care Facilities Locator(Veterans Health Administration)
- VA Polytrauma System of Care: Facility Locations(Department of Veterans Affairs)
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Organizations
- Center for Women Veterans
- Department of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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Law and Policy
- What Do Military Veterans Need to Know about the Marketplace? (Affordable Care Act)(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
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Statistics
- Background and Statistics(National Coalition for Homeless Veterans)
- Health of Male Veterans and Nonveterans Aged 25-64: United States, 2007-2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
- National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics Reports(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Substance Abuse in the Military(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
- Preventing Suicides in the Military
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Women
- MedlinePlus: Women's Health(National Library of Medicine)
- Military Sexual Trauma(Department of Defense)
- Women Veterans and Mental Health(Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Women Veterans Health Care(Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Women Veterans Health Care: Frequently Asked Questions(Veterans Health Administration)
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Patient Handouts
- Soldier and Family Guide to Redeploying(Department of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center) - PDF
We thank America's veterans for their contributions to our nation!
- Veterans Day Events
- History of Veterans Day
- Veterans History Project

Woodson: Caring for Veterans is Our Nation’s Moral Obligation

11/08/2013 11:05 AM EST

Dr. Jonathan Woodson marked Veterans Day by thanking the former service members who work for the Military Health System. We are grateful for all those who have served, he added.