Veterans - Let's Talk About It
There are 89,275 veterans in Montana, the second highest per capita population of veterans in the country.
There are 4,347 veterans in Ravalli County.
Our people serve at a higher rate than just about any other state in the union.
We need to make sure our veterans are taken care of when they come back from active duty and become civilians.
What should be done and who can do it? Read further.
The Ravalli Democratic Committee supports Veterans
We believe Montanans should:
- Provide veterans timely, effective and affordable services
- Fund high quality facilities for veterans
- Train veterans for life after service
- Provide mental health and suicide prevention services
- Ensure health care for veterans exposed to toxic substances
Republicans have voted often against support for veterans
Republican actions on record often contradict their claims of support for vets, consistently trying to shortchange veterans and weaken veteran services and protections:
- Voted (2023) to rescind $2 billion for veterans health care, education, training and claims
- Repeated votes against funding for SW MT Butte veterans’ home .
- Repeatedly opposed military nominations and promotions throughout 2023 and endangered military readiness and security. (Irresponsibly endorsed by Tim Sheehy.)
- Voted to “force the privatization” of the five star rated Columbia Falls veterans’ home against veterans wishes.
- Voted against creating a home loan program for first-time veteran and Gold Star family homebuyers that has provided more than 200 home loans.
- Voted against providing scholarships to increase higher education access and affordability for Montana resident Purple Heart recipients
Veterans Deserve and Need Our Support
According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), some of the critical concerns for veterans include homelessness, trauma, risk of suicide, and problems with behavior-related health matters that sometimes involve the criminal justice system.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that for many veterans who served in combat, their experiences strengthened them personally but also made the transition to civilian life difficult. The survey also found that post-9/11 veterans are more likely to have been deployed and to have served in combat, giving them a distinct set of experiences compared with those who served in previous eras.
