When you go about your day to day life as an American citizen, do you ever stop and think to yourself "I am glad that I live in a free country?" In America we are blessed with freedoms that most of the rest of the word do not. How does America stay free? It is because of the brave men and women who serve in the military to keep us free. You would think that since these men and women are so brave in sacrificing their lives for us that they would be well taken care of, but sadly many veterans today face big problems such as unemployment, physical injury, and mental disorders.

One of the problems that faces the men and women of our military today is unemployment. When people join the military, they usually join at a younger age. When they join the military they also give up their personal life and dedicate it to the military.This can lead to them missing out on their social life during this time. This can lead to them not connecting with people that can be references for a job in the future. This also means that veterans will miss out on getting job experience during the time that they are in the military. Even though they may get skills in the military, these skills may not be applicable in jobs in the United States.All of these can lead to unemployment. When they are unemployed, they are usually forced into homelessness.According to care2.com, over one third of the nations homeless populations are veterans.

Anther problem that our veterans face everyday is physical injury. When the men and women that serve our country go out into the field, they are facing a incredibly significant risk of physical injury.This can range from being shot to losing limbs. When these injuries are sustained, the veterans are sent back to the United states. If these injuries are severe, they can have a hard time fitting back into society. This is another factor that adds to unemployment in veterans. Also sometimes the veterans can not get the care that they need. These physical injuries can also lead to mental disorders.

Another problem facing veterans today is mental disorders. The most common mental disorder that faces veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to mayoclinic.org, PTSD is defined as "a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it." Also it states that symptoms can include "flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event." According to the Department of Veteran affairs, "since 9/11 30 percent of Iraq war veterans suffer from PTSD". Veterans with PTSD can have trouble fitting in to society.

It is a shame the things that the veterans face when they come back from serving our country. Either it be from an unfair job market or injury suffered, the veterans deserve better. I ask you to sign this petition as a commitment to help our veterans. I am not asking you to donate money or anything like that. While that is good, all I ask is that you make a commitment to say two little words that can mean the world to our veterans. "thank you". By signing this petition you make a commitment to thank our veterans in any way that you can.