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IMPACT OF WAR ON TERROR ON US VETERANS

IMPACT OF WAR ON TERROR ON US VETERANS

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The long-term psychological impact of the Afghan War on U.S Veterans

Introduction

No one likes war because it is not only life-threatening but also leads to psychological effects on victims and military personnel. In 2021, after the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, one would think that, at last, the U.S. will no longer have to pay for the cost of being at war. However, the society fails to consider the current psychological situation of the war veterans. This research paper aims at analyzing the long-term psychological effect of the war on veterans and how they have been able to adapt after the end of the war.

Historiographical literature

The final pull-out was in August 2021 after nearly two decades of US military involvement, which was initiated following the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. The withdrawal had consequences for both Afghanistan and the United States, but for the latter, especially for the veterans who were involved in the war. In April 2021, President Joe Biden decided to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.

The decision came in the wake of the February 2020 Doha Agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, which outlined the plan for the withdrawal. When US troops started pulling out, the Taliban began to expand their operations, and they regained much of the lost territory rather swiftly. The Taliban captured Kabul in mid-August 2021, and this event marked the failure of the Afghan government to stand its ground. The withdrawal also entailed a large-scale evacuation to help evacuate the U.S. citizens, Afghan allies, and other vulnerable persons from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. It is lamentable that the evacuation process was accompanied by numerous videos and images showing the chaos.

Historical facts of the war

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 in order to prop up a Soviet-friendly government against the rebels in the region, the Mujahedeen. The U.S. provided these groups with arms and money alongside Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other countries to support the Mujahedeen. Soviets left in 1989; however, the civil war ensued immediately as different factions of the Mujahedeen waged battles to capture the ruling position. The civil war proceeded, resulting in the appearance of the Taliban, a radical Islamic organization, which took control over significant domains in Afghanistan in 1996. They followed Islamic fundamentalism, applied Sharia law, and harbored Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda, which is headed by Osama bin Laden and situated in Afghanistan, is believed to have bombed the World Trade Centre in New York, U. S., killing more than 3000 people. The US resorted to military actions because the Taliban failed to hand over bin Laden to the US or the international authorities. On October 7th 2001, the U.S. initiated its attacks, which mainly involved using bombs and military actions against the group.

The Northern Alliance, which was also against the Taliban, attacked the Taliban group from the ground, and because of too many attacks from all directions, the Taliban had lost control of most of the areas by December 2001. Various nations joined the efforts of rebuilding Afghanistan by developing the necessary democratic institutions that would aid the Afghan government in governing the country. Large sums of money were also contributed by the nations to support the government.

Despite a major setback to the Taliban, it was able to regroup, therefore initiating a series of attacks on NATO forces and the Afghan government, which prolonged the conflicts. By 2003, NATO had expanded its security role in the country and also assisted in reconstructing the collapsed sections. However, its efforts were still restrained by Taliban attacks, especially when they launched attacks on Afghan government weaknesses.

Between the years 2018 and 2020, peace talks were initiated between the U.S. and the Taliban, which led to the Doha Agreement between the two in February 2020. The Taliban gave guarantees on counterterrorism while the U.S. government agreed to withdraw its troops from the nation. By April 2021, President Biden announced that the U.S. would be done with withdrawing all its troops by September 2021. The Afghan government collapsed by August 2021 after the Taliban group took over the government.

Implications of the withdrawal

The events that accompanied the withdrawal of the U. S. troops and the return of the Taliban to power changed the geopolitical situation in South Asia dramatically. People had fear about stability in the regions they lived in, human rights and the emergence of terrorist groups. It led to debates about America’s foreign policy and military tactics and strategizing regarding the war that lasted for two decades in Afghanistan. There was an increasingly urgent question of how the U. S. conducts nation-building and counterinsurgency.

The Afghan people experienced humanitarian issues, as many are now either refugees or suffer from oppression under the Taliban. Global society reacted with attempts to assist and promote the stability and protection of the Afghan people, yet problems existed in the protection of Afghan citizens (Gannon & Oldham, 2024). This shows that the U.S. military played an important role in improving the security of Afghan citizens.

However, little study has been conducted on the aftermath of the war on U.S. veterans. Being in a foreign country for over 20 years means that the life of an individual must have changed, including their thinking patterns. They also might experience a hard time while adopting to living a normal life amongst the community members. Are they receiving the necessary support from the government? Do they have jobs to sustain their living standards? Can they access psychological assistance if need be? These are some of the questions that should be addressed to determine how well they have adapted to society.

Primary sources Bibliography

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Arlington (SIGAR)

The SIGAR is an agency whose worst responsibility is to audit, inspect, and investigate how U.S. financial resources are being utilized in Afghanistan's construction process. It also carries criminal investigations to determine cases of fraud, wastage, and abuse of the set efforts of reconstructing the nation. According to the report, the nation's reconstruction was impacted by extensive corruption. There are cases of wasteful spending in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

However, the reconstruction process is also faced with security threats where constructors are always at risk of being attacked, which has slowed the achievement of intended goals. It also means that the military was responsible for reassuring their security during construction. SIGAR has also raised concerns on whether the Afghan government can sustain the constructions after the exit of the U.S. Based on SIGAR quarterly reports, it is right to conclude that the reconstruction of Afghanistan was faced with several challenges which hindered the achievement of intended reconstruction results (SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA, 2015).

Afghan War Casualty Report: July 2021

The report has provided data on the average number of deaths that occurred in the nation during wartime. According to the data, an average of 2 U.S. military died each day, while 7 to 20 Afghan military died each day due to intense fighting. Between 20 and 50 civilians died every day, while 15 to 40 Taliban military died every day. This data shows that civilians paid the highest cost for the war despite of not being involved directly. This also suggested that more humanitarian efforts were needed to support the civilians. Due to such a high number of deaths, psychological impact was a major issue for all groups who were either involved directly or indirectly in the war

A Veterans Oral History Project

This source provides personal stories and experiences of U.S. veterans while in Afghanistan. Through the resource, veterans have a chance to share their experiences during the war to create a database that will inform future generations about the impact of war. Some of the shared stories are too emotional since they discuss traumatic experiences which they went through. The resource also enables them to share the information while remaining anonymous, increasing their wish to protect their privacy (Gannon & Oldham, 2024). Based on some of the reports, a large number require psychological support in their recovery process.

The Afghanistan papers: A secret history of the war

The book has been written by Whitlock Craig. His content comes from undisclosed documents which provide evidence of the real situation of the war. This includes misleading narratives, missteps, and conflict complexities. The author presents evidence showing that the U.S. officials provided misleading data to the public, which shows that there was no clear strategy while carrying out the war (Whitlock, 2021). Through interviews and documents, civilian leaders and the military were confused about the mission and goals which were to be achieved by the war.

The documents also show that corruption was a major problem, whereby billions of dollars remained unaccounted for, and they were used to reconstruct Afghanistan. The most important topic which should be related to the topic of the research is that the war had a great impact on soldiers and Afghan civilians. Several died while others were injured, therefore leaving their families overburdened. The U.S. veterans fall under this category, which is evident that they are still facing difficulties that are associated with the war.

Secondary sources

Veteran coming-home obstacles

Veteran Coming-Home Obstacles: “The benefits gained from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: Short- and Long-Term Consequences” by William Brown provides a comprehensive review of some of the issues affecting veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Brown discusses the concept of these challenges in detail to identify how they manifest themselves in a veteran’s life in the early stages of their transition as well as many years later (Brown, 2015).

In the short term, Brown explains the consequences of exposure to combat, including PTSD, depression and anxiety, as some of the effects that face most veterans. He also points out that war is physically demanding and can result in injuries, disability and chronic pain, which present themselves as some of the most basic and pressing issues that affect the well-being of the veteran after return from active duty.

Furthermore, Brown also explores the social problems of the veterans additionally when they are discharged from the military, the problems of readjustment with their families, friends, and the rest of society, and feelings of loneliness and being outcast from society. He also touches on the economic challenges affecting such individuals as unemployment, lack of homes, and financial insecurity among veterans.

In the long term, Brown looks at how these effects are continuous, a point he drives home by showing how mental illnesses are long-term, physical disability is long-term, and how the experience of the veterans alters their economic and social futures. Contrary to this, Brown skillfully elaborates on the multiple interactions of these factors and how the cumulative impact leads to deteriorated health and quality of life among these veterans.

Using the works found in the literature, firsthand stories of veterans, and policy recommendations, “Veteran Coming-Home Obstacles” provides a vast understanding of the hardships experienced by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. These are important steps in highlighting these barriers and pushing for more awareness, access, and assistance to help veterans reintegrate into society and prevent the long-term negative impacts of their service.

Medical Costs of War in 2035

"Medical Costs of War in 2035: If "Long-Term Care Challenges for Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan" by James Geiling, MD, Joseph M. Rosen, MD, and Ryan D. Edwards, PhD can be considered to give a good account of the healthcare issues that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans might experience in the future, it should be possible to come across some of these challenges in the article with the same title (Geiling et al., 2012).

Veterans’ medical expenses might include the authors’ likely address the chronic care requirement of veterans due to injuries sustained during combat, PTSD, TBI, and other physical and psychological injuries. They could look at patterns of medical care, estimating expenses that come with the continual treatment and support for veterans during their ageing years.

Also, the paper may explore the changes in healthcare delivery structures and how they may respond to the diverse needs of veterans. This could include thoughts on new technologies, shifts in the policy on Veteran health care, the funding of such policy and the kind of services that are available to veterans. Moreover, the authors may explore the long-term implications of the care for the veterans by looking at such factors as resource utilization, current and future human resource maldistribution in health professions, and the involvement of governmental and non-governmental organizations and other community-based programs.

Hence, ‘Medical Costs of War in 2035’ most probably provides a comprehensive insight into the trends and potentials of improving the long-term care management of the post-Iraq/ Afghanistan war veterans, with respect to availing quality care services to the veterans of these wars and to enhance and sustain their health in the future for the decades to come.

 Consequences of PTSD for the work and family quality of life of female and male US Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans.

The article under review, “Consequences of PTSD for the Work and Family Quality of Life of Female and Male U. S Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans”, reveals the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder on the work and familial quality of life among the Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. Here's a summary of the key points (Schnurr et al., 2017).

1. Focus on PTSD: The current study exclusively focuses on the implications of PTSD on veterans’ work and family domains while they are employed and also how it impacts the female and male veterans who have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

2. Gender Comparison: A distinctive feature which can be highlighted in the context of the study is the authors’ focus on the differences in the outcomes of PTSD in male and female veterans. It also demonstrates why gender-specific data collection is important – it helps to highlight possible differences in experiences and requirements.

3. Work Quality of Life: The researchers evaluate the effects of PTSD on the employment status and doing so of the veteran. Elements such as the level of satisfaction, productivity, and tenure are probably taken into account, as achievements and failures and obstacles the veterans with PTSD can encounter in the work environment.

4. Family Quality of Life: It also examines the impact PTSD has on the families of those affected and the relationships between family members. This may involve understanding how and why families communicate as they do, the ways in which emotional support is provided within families, and family functioning more generally, as well as how these factors influence the well-being of individuals within those families.

5. Implications for Support Services: Previous studies have only highlighted the general effect of PTSD on work and family QOL; therefore, the research will focus on finding out how PTSD affects work and family QOL, specifically in male and female veterans, to help in designing the support services and interventions required to meet their needs. This could include but is not limited to mental health treatments, performance and adjustment support in the workplace, marriage or family therapy and any other support given to the individuals. This research offers significant findings on the experiences of psychologically traumatized Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans and underscores the imperative of such experiences in helping veterans with PTSD lead better lives.

Predicting the immediate and long-term consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom

The study "Predicting the Immediate and Long-Term Consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom" likely covers the following key points: The summary of the study "Predicting the Immediate and Long-Term Consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom" likely covers the following key points (Burns et al., 2018).

1. Study Focus: The research intent is to screen short-term as well as long-haul effects connected with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, as well as traumatic brain injury (TBI) among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

2. Participants: The research probably includes a group of OEF and OIF veterans exposed to the different levels of combat and deployment stressors.

3. Variables: They perhaps investigate the degree of PTSD, depression, and TBI symptoms and demographic backgrounds, combats, and social support in veterans.

4. Immediate Consequences: The study probably involved assessing the effect of PTSD, depression, and TBI on the quality of life and the veterans’ functionality, namely, work and interpersonal relationships. Other psychological outcomes of an assault may also include increased rates of psychological symptoms and poor cognitive performance.

5. Long-Term Consequences: It is expected that researchers investigate the ways in which PTSD, depression, and TBI symptoms predict future statuses, including chronic mental diseases, alcoholism, and joblessness, and homelessness, risk of committing suicide. The long-term outcomes might also include adverse changes in physical status, mental functioning, and well-being.

6. Predictive Models: It may empower the study in identifying risk factors and the possible course leading to negative outcomes in veterans who suffer from PTSD, depression, and TBI. Such models may be helpful in guiding early intervention and providing specific service models for learners.

7. Implications: Thus, the research on the short-term and long-term effects of PTSD, depression, and TBI will help to provide some insight and input for the improvement of clinical practice, policy making, and resource distribution in order to facilitate the treatment of OEF and OIF veterans. This may encompass increasing mental health treatment options, increasing social support, and implementing effective treatments to prevent bad outcomes.

Explaining the Length and End of US Military Operations in Afghanistan

Initially, the U. S. entered Afghanistan with clear objectives: To destroy al-Qaeda and oust the Taliban. In the process, the goals of conflict evolved from a localized character of state acquisition to more universal objectives like nation-building, bringing democracy to foreign societies, and human rights protection, which make a prolonged engagement possible.

The several administrations of the United States also used different narratives concerning their approach to the situation (Walldorf et al., 2022). For example, the Bush administration emphasizes the War on Terror story, whereas the Obama administration uses counterinsurgency and nation-building discourses to make sense of the conflict. People got tired of the war and began to lose faith in the given cause

The help of media impact regarding the human losses, the expenses, and the lack of achievements changed pronation-building plus views on the war. Opposing goals and objectives were established at different stages of the initiative, which strategically meant that goals and objectives were hard to define and also to measure outcomes. It is this feature that helped to protract the conflict because agendas were being changed constantly. The American policymakers and military officials receiving advice from advisors in the Pentagon, the political pressures exerted by various political leaders and the growing defense industry in the United States also contributed to the continuation of US military operations.

Besides, the pressure exerted by NATO allies and the government of Afghan Istan also influenced the continuation of US military operations. Finally, the article describes the conditions which led to the pullout of the U. S. forces. It identifies the end of war liberal fatigue, political demands for raising tread, the understanding of the Sustainability of nation-building and the reorientation towards counterterrorism. As distorted, the confusion and variation in stories and the promotional and inconsistent nature are presented as key to the war’s protraction. Sources of incongruity: It is difficult to sustain a coherent strategy because an organization switches from clear militaristic objectives to less clear, long-term, more loosely defined goals.

Shifts in leadership introduced different values and objectives regarding conflict features in supporting the continuity and efficacy of armed forces’ methods. This means that each administration had to act on the basis of the conception of what constituted the general narrative or what the mood of the society was at the given time (Walldorf et al., 2022). In the article, the author comes close to claiming that a perspective on narratives as influential in an upcoming conflict situation can yield lessons that are most helpful when implemented. Lucid goals and sensible assessments of targets and capacity are to minimize extended severe disputes that stem from ambivalent military courses of action.

Research method

Content analysis was used to analyze research work from various authors. Data from all journals was obtained through various research methods, which included interviewing the veterans and administering questions. However, in one journal, which involved collecting data through platforms, researchers have the option of sharing their experiences without sharing their personal information for the sake of their privacy.

Theoretical Framework

Stress and Coping Theory: This theory asserts that, during traumatizing events, including military combat, a person is prone to experience stress. There is evidence to show that coping strategies are central to psychological consequences, where individuals may develop habitual styles that are either adaptive or maladaptive. The framework would look into the way veterans' use of various coping strategies affects their future well-being.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Models: PTSD is a type of psychopathological disorder that is frequently observed among veterans. The framework would include concepts like PTSD models, such as the cognitive behavioral model that postulates that symptom maintenance is due to maladaptive cognitions and avoidance behaviors (Kronenberg et al., 2017). It is crucial to grasp how PTSD emerges and changes in the course of time in Afghan War veterans.

Resilience Theory: Coping is an important construct and can be defined for the purpose of this review as the resource that enables individuals to recover or ‘get back on their feet’ after a stressful encounter. The framework would investigate ‘protective characteristics,’ or factors that enable positive adaptation to stressors among veterans, which may include social support, purpose in life, and personal resources. Surveys of resilient people may help identify factors that would help to prevent the emergence of mental disorders.

Social Cognitive Theory: Unlike the first theory that focuses on individual traits, this theory takes into account the interaction between the person and environment and the resultant behavior. The framework would explore how veterans construct their identity, how they appraise their experiences while on deployment, and how society appraises them, all of which play a role in veterans’ psychological health (Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020). Stigma and perceived social support would be explored as intervention variables; moreover, self-efficacy would be considered in the same category.

Identity Theory: The deployment to arenas of conflict may significantly transform the ways that veterans understand themselves. It would examine the relationship between psychological adjustment and the changes in identity, for example, from soldier to civilian. Issues concerning identity would be assessed, such as feelings of isolation or purposelessness in the context of the civil populace.

Family Systems Theory: Another aspect that deployment affects is the families of the military, besides the extreme effects on the veteran. Family systems theory is centered on the nature of the relationships between family members and the ways in which these relationships affect the functioning of every single member. This framework would examine the job-related demands that impact the family and how the family demands, or lack thereof, impact the veteran.

Conclusion

Based on the research, American exit from Afghanistan does not mean that all factors worked out because most of them are suffering from anxiety, depression, and trauma. They are also experiencing a hard time while coping with other members of the public because of complex relationships, and some have developed antisocial behavior. Some are experiencing problems while seeking employment opportunities to earn a living. There is a large number that still require mental health guidance but have limited financial ability to access standard services. Both the government and non-government organizations must work together to give the veterans the necessary support, especially those living with physical injuries. They should also be accorded free counselling services to recover from the emotional and psychological effects of the war.

References

Brown, W. (2015). Veteran coming-home obstacles: Short-and long-term consequences of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In Criminology and War (pp. 120-136). Routledge.

Gannon, B. A., & Oldham, J. L. (2024). A VETERANS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. The Routledge Companion to Public Humanities Scholarship.

Geiling, J., Rosen, J. M., & Edwards, R. D. (2012). Medical costs of war in 2035: long-term care challenges for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Military medicine, 177(11), 1235-1244.

Karney, B. R., Ramchand, R., Osilla, K. C., Caldarone, L. B., & Burns, R. M. (2018). Predicting the immediate and long-term consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Invisible wounds of war, 119.

Length and End of US Military Operations in Afghanistan. International Security, 47(1), 93-138.

Schöner, J., Heinz, A., Endres, M., Gertz, K., & Kronenberg, G. (2017). Post‐traumatic stress disorder and beyond: an overview of rodent stress models. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 21(10), 2248-2256.

Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary educational psychology, 60, 101832.

SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA. (2015). Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Supplement.

Vogt, D., Smith, B. N., Fox, A. B., Amoroso, T., Taverna, E., & Schnurr, P. P. (2017). Consequences of PTSD for the work and family quality of life of female and male US Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 52, 341-352.

Walldorf Jr, C. W. (2022). Narratives and War: Explaining the Length and End of US Military Operations in Afghanistan. International Security, 47(1), 93-138.

Whitlock, C. (2021). The Afghanistan papers: A secret history of the war. Simon and Schuster.