Veteran Faces Tough Path Home

A report commissioned by the Pentagon this fall concluded that abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs by troops constitutes a public health crisis. The report found that 60% of Marines admitted to binge drinking. Twenty-five percent of U.S. Army troops admitted abusing prescription drugs. Many veterans also suffer from substance abuse brought on by post traumatic stress or brain injuries. the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 18 veterans of all wars commit suicide every day. three young veterans who were deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq spoke with Pacifica Radio at the nonprofit Pathway Home in Napa County where they were receiving treatment. In her third and final report, Karin Argoud spoke to Mark Lugo who was deployed to the U.S. warms in Afghanistan and Iraq a total of seven times.