PTSD is a major issue for returning vets, but it is not the only issue. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction are all factors in making some homecomings painful and difficult. Queens City Councilman Eric Ulrich was the Chair of the Committee on Veterans, and he fought hard to change the Mayor’s Office for Veteran’s Affairs to the Department of Veterans Services. It was more than just a name change, it, in fact, redesigned how the department dealt with the problems facing veterans in New York City. Where the federal government often fails, it’s up to cities and states to step in to make sure every veterans’ needs are covered, and Ulrich will talk about how this new department is working to find big picture solutions. Sgt. Jay Lawrence is a purple heart recipient who spent 21 years in the military. He talks what he sees as a big problem on the part of the government and, really, all of us: a lack of understanding of what being a veteran means. We thank them for their service, but do we know what we’re thanking them for? He founded Combat Zone 360 to educate the public on what vets really need from all of us.