Asked and Answered: “You Are Already A Good Man”

President Obama offers encouragement to a young veteran who is struggling with transitioning back to civilian life.

In honor of Veterans Day, President Obama will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony before delivering remarks at Arlington National Cemetery at 11:30 am ET. Follow along:

Leaving the military can be challenging for many service members. From worrying about their next career steps, to deciding whether to go back to school, to finding a path forward through the mental and physical wounds of war, veterans face a unique set of challenges in navigating their post-military lives.

Patrick Holbrook, a young veteran from Hawaii, wrote to the President about his struggles with these fears. As Patrick says, “I wasn’t afraid in Afghanistan, but I am horrified at the thought of my future.”

When President Obama took office nearly eight years ago, he made a commitment to make sure veterans like Patrick get the care and support they need when transition back to civilian life. And today, we’ve made important progress. We’ve cut veteran homelessness in half. We’re delivering mental health care to more veterans than ever before. More veterans have access to health care and the unemployment rate among veterans has been cut by more than half since its peak in 2011. And in all 50 states, veterans who have recently transitioned out of the military qualify for in-state tuition at public universities. But President Obama knows there’s more work to do to address the challenges that veterans face — and that the task of serving those who have fought for us will never be finished.

You can read Patrick’s letter and the President’s response below. And for more information on mental health resources for veterans, visit VA.gov.