Infographic: Profile of Young Illinois Veterans

By Lindsey Nemcek
@RedLineProject

Posted: Friday, Nov. 22, 2013

Research shows an increasing female population of new veterans who need the most help among the veteran population, resulting in new service programs provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Female veterans are a growing population,” said Lindy Carrow, research associate with the Social IMPACT Research Center at Heartland Alliance. “The systems of care are trying to adjust to the new need with more women vet centers.”

Sponsored by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Carrow’s research team used data from the Department of Defense, veterans systems and the US Census to report on which veteran programs need funding, she said.

The report, New Veterans in Illinois: A Call to Action, profiles new veterans, calling attention to both young vets and female vets.

“There’s often a lack of local data,” Carrow said. “Maybe you know that traumatic brain injuries are an issue for veterans, but you don’t know how big of an issue it is in your community or how many veterans are even living in Illinois.”

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