6 alarming statistics that prove the US government needs to care better for its veterans

On this Veterans Day in 2014 there are 22 million living veterans in the United States. Today you'll hear speeches from politicians, see many Facebook posts, and maybe attend a parade in your hometown.

But if you followed this summer's scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which found gross mismanagement of healthcare for veterans, or if you pay attention to veterans advocacy groups like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, you know that the United States is better at honoring veterans with words than deeds.

Here are just 6 numbers that show how much more the US government needs to do to care for its veterans.

1) 22 veterans commit suicide every day

Even as the VA puts more resources toward mental health care, the suicide rate for veterans is a worrying 22 per day. Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told Congress the problem has become an "epidemic." A recent survey by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation found that 51 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan personally knew at least one service member who committed suicide.

2) 49,933 veterans are homeless on any given night 

That's according to a recent single-night survey conducted in January 2014. That number doesn't necessarily capture the full picture. For example, the VA estimates that it helped 249,000 veterans who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in 2013. Compared to non-veterans of a similar age, veterans are twice as likely to become homeless. Officials say the situation is improving, but still, the number of veterans living on the street shouldn't be this high.

3) 20 percent of young veterans are unemployed

Veterans of post-9/11 wars and veterans between the ages of 18 and 25 are struggling to find work. In 2013, 9 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed, compared to 7.2 percent of non-veterans. And young veterans have it especially bad. Their jobless rate was 21 percent, compared to 18 percent for non-veterans between 16 and 20 and 10 percent for non-veterans between 20 and 24.

4) 63,869 veterans enrolled in VA healthcare in the past 10 years requested an appointment and never received one

In June 2014, the VA released the findings from an internal audit. This was one of many shocking revelations about its healthcar system, which is otherwise known for providing higher quality of care than most private hospitals. 

5) 85,000 veterans sought VA care for service-related sexual assault in 2012

One in 5 female veterans suffers from trauma related to military sexual assault, says the VA, compared to one in 100 men. The Pentagon received 3,374 sexual assault reports in 2012, but estimated that closer to 26,000 assaults took place. 

6) 56 percent of post-9/11 veterans say the government is doing a "poor" or "not so good" job of caring for veterans' needs

According to the Washington Post-Kaiser survey.