Bay Area Gets Ready For Returning Iraq Veterans

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Veterans Affairs hospitals are gearing up for a flood of veterans coming home from Iraq, and in the Bay Area, a wide range of services are being offered.

After a nearly nine-year war in Iraq, military personnel coming home need medical, surgical and psychiatric care. Carrie Bancroft, the Operation Iraqi Freedom program coordinator at the VA hospital in San Francisco, says outreach to those in the military has been ongoing.

"We explain to people what to expect when you come home and what services the VA provides," she said.

KCBS' Susan Kennedy Reports:

Palo Alto sees many of the soldiers with severe injuries -- from head trauma to amputees. Bancroft says San Francisco tends to see a lot of National Guardsmen, who are often relatively old.

Bancroft said the issues they deal with range from post-traumatic stress disorder to making sure veterans can find jobs. She said one program that has worked well pairs Iraq veterans with Vietnam vets, almost like a mentor program.

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