On return, veterans face financial ruin就返回，退伍军人面临财政破产

Physical, mental injuries prove costly for families and loved ones身体，精神伤害付出沉重的代价，为家庭和亲人

By由 Jeff Donn and Kimberly Hefling杰夫donn和Kimberly hefling

TEMECULA - He was one of America’s first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. temecula -他是一个美国的第一捍卫者对2 001年9月1 1日，海军陆战队不得不退出烧焦的尸体从废墟中的五角大楼。 He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.他看到更多的恐怖，在科威特和伊拉克。

Today, he can’t keep a job, pay his bills, or chase thoughts of suicide from his tortured brain.今天，他就不能保持工作的，支付帐单，或追逐思考自杀，从他的折磨大脑。 In a few weeks, he may lose his house, too.在几周之内，他可能会失去他的房子，太。

Gamal Awad - the American son of a Sudanese immigrant - exemplifies an emerging group of war veterans: the economic casualties.埃及阿瓦德-美国的儿子，一名苏丹移民-充分体现了一个新兴的群体，退伍军人：经济伤亡。

More than in past wars, many wounded troops are coming home alive from the Middle East, a triumph for military medicine.较过去的战争，许多人受伤士兵回家活着从中东，一大胜利，因为军事医学。 But they often return hobbled by prolonged physical and mental injuries from homemade bombs and the anxiety of fighting a hidden enemy along blurred battle lines.但他们会经常回陷入长期的身体和精神伤害，由土制炸弹与焦虑的战斗一个隐藏的敌人一直模糊不清的战线。

These troops are just starting to seek help in large numbers, more than 185,000 so far.这些部队是刚刚开始，以寻求帮助，在人数众多，超过185000至今。 The cost of their benefits is already testing resources set aside by government and threatening the future of these wounded veterans for decades to come, say economists and veterans’ groups.支付他们的好处是已经在测试资源预留，由政府，并威胁到未来的这些受伤的退伍军人，为今后几十年的，说经济学家和退伍军人团体。

“The wounded and their families no longer trust that the government will take care of them the way they thought they’d be taken care of,” says veterans advocate Mary Ellen Salzano. "伤者和他们的家人不再相信政府会照顾他们的方式，他们认为可能就成为需要照顾，说： "退伍军人主张玛丽爱伦salzano 。

How does a war veteran expect to be treated?请问老兵期望得到治疗？ “As a hero,” she says. "作为一个英雄， "她说。

In Awad’s case, he needs to think of a reason each morning not to kill himself.在阿瓦德的情况下，他需要思考的一个理由，每天早上不自残。

He can’t even look at the framed photograph that shows him accepting a Marine heroism medal for his recovery work at the Pentagon after the terrorist attack.他甚至不能看看在诬陷照片显示他接受海洋的英雄气概勋章为他的康复工作，在五角大楼的恐怖袭击发生后。

It might remind him of the burned woman whose skin peeled off in his hands when he tried to comfort her.它可能提醒他的烧伤女子的皮肤脱落，在他的手里，当他试图安慰她。

Denise Mettie kisses her son, Evan, after a physical therapy session.丹尼斯mettie亲吻她的儿子，伊文思，经过物理治疗会议。 Mettie, of Selah, Wash., has been living paycheck to paycheck while she helps in the recovery of her son. mettie ， selah ，华盛顿州，就一直生活薪水，以工资单上，她虽然有利于经济复苏的儿子。
(Mike Derer / Associated Press) （迈克derer /美联社）

He tries not to hear the shrieking rockets of Iraq either, smell the burning fuel, or relive the blast that blew him right out of bed.他没有听到shrieking火箭的伊拉克要么，闻到燃烧的燃料，或重温爆炸炸毁他的右列的床。 The memories come steamrolling back anyway.记忆来steamrolling回无论如何。

“Nothing can turn off those things,” he says, voice choked and eyes glistening. "没有任何东西可以关掉那些事情" ，他说，语音卡和眼睛闪光。

He stews alternately over suicide and finances, his $43,000 in credit-card debt, his $4,330 in federal checks each month.他stews交替超过自杀和财政方面，他43000美元在信用卡债务，他4330美元在联邦检查每一个月。 They bring the government’s compensation for total disability from post-traumatic stress disorder.他们带来了政府的赔偿总额为残疾创伤后应激障碍。 His flashbacks, thoughts of suicide, and anxiety over imagined threats - all documented for six years in his military record - keep him from working.他回想，思考自杀，焦虑超过想象的威胁-都记载了6年，在他的军事记录-让他从工作。

The disability payments don’t even cover the $5,700-a-month cost of his adjustable home mortgage and equity loans.残疾支付甚至不支付5700美元一个月的费用，他可调家住房抵押贷款和股本贷款。 He owes more on his house than its market value, so he can’t sell it and may soon lose it to the bank.他欠更对他的房子比，其市场价值，所以他不能出售它，并且可能很快会失去它给银行。

“I love this house. "我爱这个家。 It makes me feel safe,” he says.这令我感到安全， "他说。

Awad could once afford it.阿瓦德可一旦不起。 He used to earn $100,000 a year as an experienced Marine with a master’s degree in management who excelled at logistics.他用赚十万元一年作为一位经验丰富的海洋，具有硕士学位的管理，技术优秀人才奖在后勤。 Now, he can’t even manage his own life.现在，他甚至无法管理自己的生命。

There’s another twist.还有一个新生事物。 This dedicated Marine was given a “general” discharge 15 months ago for an extramarital affair with a woman, also a Marine.这个专用的海洋发出"一般"的放电15个月前，为婚外情，与一名女子，也是一个海洋。 His military therapists blamed this impulsive conduct on PTSD aggravated by his Middle East tours.他的军事治疗指责这种冲动行为对创伤后应激障碍加剧了他的中东之旅。

Luckily, his discharge, though not unqualifiedly honorable, left his rights intact to medical care and disability payments - or he’d be in sadder shape.幸运的是，他出院，虽然不是unqualifiedly光荣，留下了他的权利完整的医疗保健和伤残金-或者，他会在难过的形状。

Divorced since developing PTSD, Awad has two daughters who live elsewhere.离婚后，自PTSD的发展，阿瓦德有两个女儿，住在其他地方。

He spends much of his days hoisting weights and thwacking a punching bag in the dimness of his garage.他花了他的大部分日子悬挂度量衡thwacking一出气筒，在dimness他的车库。 He passes nights largely sleepless, a zombie shuffling through the bare rooms of his home in sunny California wine country, not too far from his old base.他通行证夜，主要是失眠，僵尸改组透过裸露的房间里他的家在阳光加州的葡萄酒国家，而不是太远，从他的老基地。

High price of caring高企的价格关怀

Few anticipated the high price of caring for Awad and other Middle East veterans with deep, slow-healing wounds.数预期高企的价格关怀阿瓦德和其他中东老兵深，慢愈合伤口。

Afghanistan seemed quiet and Saddam Hussein still ruled Iraq one year after the Sept. 11 attacks.阿富汗似乎平静和萨达姆侯赛因仍然统治伊拉克一年后的9月11日袭击。 That’s when the US Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteed two years of free care to returning combat veterans for virtually any medical condition with a possible service link.这就是当美国退伍军人事务部保证两年的免费服务，以回作战退伍军人，为几乎任何医疗条件与可能的服务环节。

Later, few predicted such a protracted war in Iraq, one in which Iraqi insurgents would rely on disfiguring bombs and bombardment as chief tactics.后来，几个预言，这种持久战，在伊拉克，一个在伊拉克武装分子将依靠毁损炸弹和轰炸中，作为首席策略。 Better armor and field medicine have kept US soldiers alive at the highest rate ever, according to one study based on government data.更好的铠甲和医药领域的不断美军士兵活着，在最高速度前所未有，根据一项研究的基础上，政府的数据。 However, many are returning with multiple amputations or other disabling injuries.然而，许多人都返回多重截肢或其他禁用受伤。

The Pentagon counts more than 29,000 combat wounded in the Middle East since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.五角大楼计数超过29000战斗中受伤，在中东自从恐怖袭击事件对纽约和华盛顿。 Tens of thousands more got hurt outside of combat or in ways that only surface later.数以万计更受伤之外的作战中规定的方式或者说，只有表面后。

There was no mistaking the injuries of Cambodian-American Sgt.有590.50伤害柬埔寨美洲涨跌。 Pisey Tan. pisey谭。 Eight months into his second tour in Iraq, a makeshift bomb blasted his armored vehicle and took both his legs.八个月到他的第二个旅在伊拉克，一个临时拼凑的炸弹炸毁他的装甲车辆了他的双腿。

Still, Tan has had to rely on private donations and family, as well as government.尽管如此，谭不得不依靠私人捐款和家庭，以及政府。 The government treated him and paid for his artificial legs.政府对待他，并支付了他的人工腿。 But his brother, Dada, left college to live with him at a military hospital for almost a year.但他的弟弟，达达，左学院和他同住在一个军事医院接受了将近一年。

“That’s how our family is,” says the Woodlyn, Pa., veteran. "这是我们的家庭是， "说， woodlyn ，宾州，退伍军人。 “We always take care of our own.” "我们一向照顾我们自己的事。 "

The government says it does too, and with some truth.政府说，它是否也和一些真相。 Of 1.4 million US forces deployed for Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 185,000 have sought care from the VA - a number that could easily top 700,000 eventually, predicts one academic analysis. 140万美军部署在伊拉克和阿富汗，超过185000寻求照顾，从合辑-这个数量可以很容易顶7 00000最终预测，其中之一学术分析。

But many also need to help themselves.但也有不少需要帮助自己。 Iraq veteran John Waltz, of Hebron, Ky., sought treatment for PTSD but ran up about $12,000 worth of medical bills while his condition and claim were evaluated, he says.伊拉克资深约翰华尔兹，希伯伦，肯塔基州，寻求治疗创伤后压力症候群，但跑向约至一万二千元的医疗费用，而他的条件和要求进行了评价，他说。

“We have to be really frugal, as far as what groceries we buy,” Waltz says. "因此，我们要真正做到俭朴，据什么杂货店买， "华尔兹说。 “I think we’re down to just a couple dollars now, until the next time we get paid.” "我认为我们将很快下降到只有一对夫妇美元，现在，直到下一次我们得到报酬" 。

On a national scale, the costs of caring for the wounded certainly won’t crush the immense American economy or the VA.对一个国家的规模，成本，照顾受伤者当然不会粉碎了巨大的，美国经济或妇联。 But the price tag will challenge budgets of governments and service agencies, adding another hungry mouth within their nests.但代价将挑战预算的政府和服务机构，加入另一口饿其巢穴。

Economic forecasts vary widely for the federal costs of caring for injured veterans returning from the Middle East, but they range as high as $700 billion for the VA.经济预测差别甚大，为联邦费用的照顾受伤的退伍军人回国，从中东，但增加幅度高达700000000000美元为佤族。 That would rival the cost of fighting the Iraq war.这将竞争对手的成本，打击伊拉克的战争。 In recent years, the VA has repeatedly run out of money to treat sick veterans and had to ask for billions more before the next budget.近年来，妇联曾多次失控金钱对待有病的老兵，并已要求数十亿多前，在明年的财政预算案。

“I wouldn’t be surprised if these costs per person are higher than any war previously,” says Scott Wallsten, of the conservative think tank Progress and Freedom Foundation. "我不会感到惊讶，如果这些费用每人都高于任何战争以前，说： "斯科特wallsten ，保守智库进步和自由基金会。

Federal officials generally defend the quality of care.联邦官员普遍保卫护理质量。 At a recent ribbon cutting, the Army’s vice chief of staff, Gen. Richard Cody, trumpeted a new rehab center for amputees as “proof that when it comes to making good on such an important promise, there is no bottom line.”他在最近一次剪彩，陆军副参谋长，上将理查德科迪，吹嘘的一个新的康复中心，为截肢者"的证明，当谈到取得良好的，在这样一个重要的承诺，是没有底线" 。

White House budget spokesman Sean Kevelighan says medical spending for all veterans has risen by 83 percent during President Bush’s time in office.白宫预算发言人肖恩kevelighan说，医疗支出，为所有的退伍军人增加了83 ％ ，在布什总统的时间在办公室。 “The president has made his dedication very clear to troops in the field and after,” Kevelighan says. "总统提出了他的献身精神非常明确，以战地部队后， " kevelighan说。

The VA didn’t respond to several requests for comment.佤族没有回应几项要求发表评论。 Recently, though, outgoing chief Jim Nicholson acknowledged trouble keeping up with the pace of disability claims.最近，虽然即将卸任的行政吉姆尼科尔森承认麻烦跟上同步伐伤残索赔。

But earlier this year, he also insisted that veterans “will invariably tell you they are really getting good care from the VA.”但今年早些时候，他还坚持认为，老兵" ，都会告诉你他们是真正获得良好的照顾，由妇联" 。

Not invariably.并非一成不变。

The VA takes the lead in treating wounds and paying for disabilities of veterans.佤族起带头作用，在治疗伤口并支付残疾退伍军人。 And it usually does a good job of handling major, known wounds, especially in the early months, by many accounts.它通常没有处理好重大的，已知的伤痕，尤其是在最初几个月中，许多帐户。

However, many veterans and families say the VA often restricts rehabilitation or cuts it off too quickly.然而，许多退伍军人和家属说，妇联，往往限制了康复或削减它关闭得太快。

Veterans groups sued the VA a few months ago, saying the agency has descended into a “virtual meltdown.”退伍军人团体控告妇联在数个月前说，该机构已经下降，进入一个"虚拟崩溃" 。

Many recommendations for fixes involve quicker and heftier disability benefits.许多建议的修复涉及更快和风险管理伤残抚恤金。 And nearly everyone begs for more VA money and staff for medical treatment.几乎每个人都不禁问道：更多VA部的金钱和工作人员的医疗待遇。

But it may be too late for veterans like Awad, as he nervously awaits the approach of imagined enemies around what was once his castle.但可能为时已晚，为退伍军人一样阿瓦德，因为他紧张地等待着办法想象中的敌人靠近什么曾经是他的城堡。

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