BOZEMAN DAILY CHRONICLE
OUR OPINON
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
MSU, city saluted for work with vets
Our veterans deserve the very best we have to offer, and Montana State University and now the Bozeman Municipal Court are saluted for their efforts helping those vets reintegrate into our culture and communities.
MSU has been singled out in more than one national ranking for its treatment of war vets and efforts to make them successful in the pursuit of higher education. Now the Bozeman Municipal Court has joined the effort by seeking grant money for alternative treatment to jail for war vets with substance abuse issues and other mental health issues.
The Bozeman City Commission voted last week to apply for a $400,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for a Bozeman Veterans Treatment Court to help veterans overcome so many of the issues they face in the wake of their service. The program would be aimed at veterans who are convicted of crimes and have an identifiable mental health or substance abuse.
Qualifying veterans will be referred to the treatment court, which will provide them with treatment programs in lieu of jail time.
Since 9/11, the American military has been engaged in the longest wars in our nation’s history. Those wars have been extremely costly in lives and life-changing disabilities. But one of the hidden costs of those wars has been the lingering effects of the stress of combat. It’s estimated that as many as 20 percent of veterans suffer from PTSD. But that doesn’t even account for the many more who — while not diagnosed with PTSD — succumb to alcohol and drug abuse problems brought on by their experiences overseas and the difficulties associated with reintegrating into our culture at home.
Regardless of how one feels about the wars and their justification, we all owe our best efforts at helping the veterans return to a life as normal as possible. MSU is commended for the services they extend to veterans who enroll in the university. And Bozeman city commissioners and the Municipal Court staff are commended for pursuing this program to help veterans overcome addiction and mental health issues.
