Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans. With the news that our troops will be coming home from Iraq by the end of the year, this Veterans Day has special significance for their families and our country as we prepare to welcome our veterans home.

No matter what you think of America’s involvement in Iraq, the troops that served there deserve our support. Veterans returning home can face challenges transitioning from military to civilian life, such as finding a job in a tough economy and healing from the physical and emotional scars of war.

The statistics are startling. The unemployment rate for recent veterans is markedly higher than the national rate. Approximately 18 veterans commit suicide each day, accounting for about 20 percent of the suicides nationally. The number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans receiving mental health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has quadrupled since 2006, and we have yet to see the full extent of the mental health injuries suffered by our recent veterans. Some estimate that one of every three will struggle with mental health problems.

Veterans Day is a reminder to recognize and thank veterans for their service. But considering the challenges they face, the best way to honor our veterans is to recognize that we need to make sure they get the services they need and deserve throughout the year.

At the local level, King County is leading the way. I was proud to author the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy, which was first approved by voters in 2005. With levy funds, we have increased access to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling, provided employment and emergency financial assistance, and reduced homelessness and recidivism among veterans. This August, King County voters demonstrated their continued support for providing critical services for our veterans by overwhelmingly voting to renew the Veterans and Human Services Levy.

We also recently established a new King County Veterans Treatment Court that focuses on treatment and rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Modeled after other therapeutic courts like Drug and Mental Health Courts, the new Veterans Treatment Court will provide accountability for veterans involved in the criminal justice system who are suffering from war-related trauma while linking them to treatment and support services.

Our success in helping veterans at the local level, however, depends on veterans being able to access services from the federal VA, which is the primary service provider for veterans. We use our local resources to enhance services available to veterans, but could never replace what the VA provides. Budgets are tight, but veterans should not bear the brunt of federal budget cuts.

This Veterans Day, we honor our veterans by making sure they have the services they need every other day of the year. They have earned it.

King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson chairs the King County Council’s Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee. His father and grandfathers were veterans. He can be reached at (206) 296-1001 or bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov.