This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Many U.S. veterans are hoping for big changes as the 2024 presidential election nears.
Veteran homelessness has spiked nationwide, according to a variety of reports. From 2022 to 2023, 21% of veterans in the city of Chicago experienced homelessness, while 34% of veterans were without homes in California.
In a recent poll, the Georgia-based veteran advocacy group Mission Roll Call asked veterans what they feel is the most important vet-related issue that should be discussed during election season.
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Twenty-eight percent responded that veteran benefits should take precedence in conversations with presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Veteran homelessness and veteran health care access were both ranked at around 24%, while 16% noted that veteran suicide support should be a focus.
There are 18.5 million veterans in the U.S. – not including their families and caregivers – and 97% are registered to vote, according to Mission Roll Call.
Jim Whaley, the organization's CEO, told Fox News Digital in an interview that veterans are gearing up to make their voices heard at the voting booth.
"Veterans make up the fabric of our country," he said. "They play a vital role in the success of the country. They defend our democracy and provide for the freedoms we all enjoy."
The suicide rate in the U.S. is 17 to 22 veterans per day, while up to 40,000 veterans across the country are homeless, according to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and to Mission Roll Call.
This is an "embarrassment for our country," according to Whaley, who said that although these problems are complex, they can be solved if Americans work together.
Unemployment is a key factor in homelessness and suicide among veterans, Whaley noted, with about 61% of all vets saying they are underemployed.
Meanwhile, 24% of active-duty military personnel experience food insecurity issues.
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"I don't think anybody should accept that fact," Whaley said. "If you're serving your country, you've signed a blank check to defend your country, and here you can't put food on the table."
He added, "So, if you start off like that, and then you serve a few years, and now you get into the civilian world, you can see where you're behind."
"[Veterans] provide the workplace with great skills and loyalty and an unbelievable work ethic," he went on.
"But some of our fellow veterans are being left behind – and the military is not geared that way. We don't leave anyone behind. So, as a nation, we need to fix those problems."
Whaley stressed that the presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle should aim to remedy these problems.
The two vice presidential candidates this election year are military veterans.
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Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, while Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota (D) served in the Army National Guard.
Whaley said he assumes that both men "hold their service very dear to their heart," and hopes this will "bring to the table substantive discussion on the issues facing veterans and their families."
"Let's talk about the big problems," he said. "Let's work together to change the trajectory that we're on right now."
This trajectory involves low recruitment numbers within the Armed Forces, Whaley noted, which could cause a trickle-down national defense issue in the future.
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Given the large numbers of vets who have financial struggles, food insecurity, insufficient health care and employment struggles, Whaley said that "it shouldn't be a surprise that we're not hitting [recruitment] numbers."
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These issues should be important to all Americans, Whaley said, as it boils down to the defense of the country.
"If you're not recruiting and retaining the best and brightest — and they're not staying in for a career — then we have a problem," he said.
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"My hope is that since both [Vance and Walz] served in the military, they recognize these issues, and they'll put together robust proposals for how we're going to fix this issue, and how we're going to change the path we're on."
Whaley emphasized that veterans' issues should be bipartisan concerns, since military service is "still one of the highest regarded institutions in our country."
Said Whaley, "I have respect for anyone who's [served] for two years or 25 years. Many of them need some assistance … and a nation as great as ours should be able to do much better than we are right now."
Veterans should be encouraged not to lose hope, Whaley noted — and should ensure that their voices are heard by voting.
"[Veterans] know the value of a vote," he said. "They've, in many cases, been deployed to places in the world where you don't get a vote, or your vote’s not counted."
So "both parties need to recognize the importance of the veteran community and the seriousness of the problems we're facing," he said. "And address them."
