A recent beneficiary said they would have been 'a homeless veteran statistic' without the foundation's intervention. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
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American soldiers board a Chinook helicopter during the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Getty Images
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American soldiers stand guard at Kabul airport during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. AFP
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US soldiers lower the American flag during the handover of a base in Helmand province to Afghan forces in May 2021. AFP
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Jim McCollum is presented with the American flag at a memorial service for his son, Lance Cpl Rylee McCollum who was killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in August 2021. AP
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Veterans remember their fallen comrades at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. AFP
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Second World War veterans lay a wreath during a commemoration of D-Day in Washington. EPA
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A veteran attends a memorial service in Berlin Heights, Ohio, for US soldiers killed in Kabul. Getty Images / AFP
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A woman hands a meal to a homeless veteran in Boise, Idaho. Reuters
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Deborah Snyder is a retired Black Hawk pilot. Photo: Deborah Snyder
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Ms Snyder in the pilot's seat. Photo: Deborah Snyder
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A US Army veteran and a Virginia native, Ms Snyder retired in 2009 after 21 years in the service. Photo: Deborah Snyder
Ms Snyder dedicates her time to helping veterans rebuild their lives after returning from war. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
Lloyd Clarke was the foundation's first beneficiary. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
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'I don't know what I would have done without Deborah,' recalled Mr Clarke. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
Reintegrating into society is one of the biggest challenges for veterans upon their return. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
A home for a veteran in need. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
The foundation uses a 'housing first' method - getting a veteran into a home before tackling other problems. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
A recent beneficiary said they would have been 'a homeless veteran statistic' without the foundation's intervention. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KR2TEMLDCBGFBYXJAOB5U3MDXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=b072c6554de1f6e2342591ab0e193f4941dff5d79d925199c7ccd524b4a59cae&width=400&height=225)
American soldiers board a Chinook helicopter during the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ISTPL57ELGIE7Y2BSMI2B2PK5A.jpg?smart=true&auth=038ffd5b07645196958539e7272094a4d0e4f21b767fe37a4a3efb783b0dbef4&width=400&height=225)
American soldiers stand guard at Kabul airport during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. AFP
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US soldiers lower the American flag during the handover of a base in Helmand province to Afghan forces in May 2021. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GFEZ3SXWGM3MELZ44UYA7ZF7UU.jpg?smart=true&auth=9fcadd41c92b2df6c767e5e50b8426eeafd8b01006dba5aaafa59e162ccf2ac9&width=400&height=225)
Jim McCollum is presented with the American flag at a memorial service for his son, Lance Cpl Rylee McCollum who was killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in August 2021. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVCDSI5JNHF62DF6MBT6XUTHJA.jpg?smart=true&auth=e6255f04be1b0bace2f9fa6c60c8d8de194d12b1156b427056ae4645c36337cf&width=400&height=225)
Veterans remember their fallen comrades at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. AFP
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Second World War veterans lay a wreath during a commemoration of D-Day in Washington. EPA
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A veteran attends a memorial service in Berlin Heights, Ohio, for US soldiers killed in Kabul. Getty Images / AFP
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A woman hands a meal to a homeless veteran in Boise, Idaho. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EKPOMCZLWNDVTLD7FYRMYDJ6EU.jpeg?smart=true&auth=2af8929f45e2c446e354bc5d3aeda7503cef4c784fa8189d776f4dcbdd1033b6&width=400&height=225)
Deborah Snyder is a retired Black Hawk pilot. Photo: Deborah Snyder
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JKPLSFLHEBDCFG3NY2Y3FW7PB4.jpeg?smart=true&auth=aeb2974e03a08de5ba21acd3e1bf0771d806fb07eac357b69ec0a0a46e260df5&width=400&height=225)
Ms Snyder in the pilot's seat. Photo: Deborah Snyder
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/WQAA3BATGRFLBOJSB3XBJQ4BME.jpg?smart=true&auth=46187c83661e8a19222bf0782441c1c34d03a3662dfc82f2be8c49c20fcca944&width=400&height=225)
A US Army veteran and a Virginia native, Ms Snyder retired in 2009 after 21 years in the service. Photo: Deborah Snyder
Ms Snyder dedicates her time to helping veterans rebuild their lives after returning from war. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
Lloyd Clarke was the foundation's first beneficiary. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2IOB4LWVQBB3NI6F3DYTZPU4DM.jpg?smart=true&auth=61770e452a776423ef3e111ddfea3182961b7113f91b95223171e192a9e7badd&width=400&height=225)
'I don't know what I would have done without Deborah,' recalled Mr Clarke. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
Reintegrating into society is one of the biggest challenges for veterans upon their return. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
A home for a veteran in need. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
The foundation uses a 'housing first' method - getting a veteran into a home before tackling other problems. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
A recent beneficiary said they would have been 'a homeless veteran statistic' without the foundation's intervention. Vanessa Jaklitsch / The National
How US veterans of Afghanistan face homelessness and addiction after coming home
Soldiers who die on the battlefield are remembered as heroes – but what happens to those who come back?
Vanessa Jaklitsch
Alexandria, Virginia
18 August, 2023
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