The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has launched a new webpage dedicated to providing crucial resources for military veterans, aiming to dispel widespread misconceptions that prevent many veterans from seeking healthcare from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The webpage features a fact sheet titled “Correcting Mistaken Beliefs about VA Confiscating Veterans’ Guns,” which addresses concerns among veterans who fear that seeking medical care—especially mental health care—could lead to the confiscation of their firearms. This fear, while common, is based on misinformation, according to the NSSF.

“Understanding the facts about this topic can help veterans make informed decisions about seeking the health care they are entitled to,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi in a statement. “This care can range from a routine checkup to a hip replacement to screening for PTSD to mental health care.”

The fact sheet explains that many veterans mistakenly believe that using VA health services will jeopardize their right to own firearms, particularly when it comes to mental health treatment. The goal of the document is to ensure veterans have accurate information regarding their rights.

The webpage also highlights several NSSF initiatives aimed at supporting veterans, including suicide prevention programs, a career center listing job opportunities within the firearm industry—where thousands of veterans are employed—and the organization’s support for Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA), which helps reintegrate disabled combat veterans through hunting and shooting sports.

“NSSF and its member companies proudly support America’s military service veterans,” reads a statement on the website. “On this page, NSSF shares information and resources that can benefit veterans’ health and resiliency, and that highlights their importance as employees and leaders in America’s firearm industry.”

The fact sheet, developed by the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, is written in a Q&A format and aims to clarify veterans’ concerns regarding healthcare, disability claims, and gun ownership rights. By collaborating with other organizations, the NSSF hopes to spread the message that seeking VA healthcare does not endanger veterans’ Second Amendment rights.

To read the complete fact sheet or learn more about the NSSF’s veterans-focused initiatives, visit the NSSF’s dedicated eveterans webpage.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Misinformation huh? They going to cover representation costs in arbitration? There is a lot of confusion on what can and cannot be done/is being tried but vets have absolutely had their rights targeted as a result of treatment so be interesting to see how they have their information assembled.

  2. According to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, when it comes to comparing Veterans and U.S. adults who died from suicide in 2020, guns were more commonly involved among Veterans (71.0%) than non-Veterans (50.3%).

    If you contact the Veterans Crisis Line, emergency services will only be sent to support if you’re in immediate danger or at risk of harming yourself or others.

    With guns accounting for nearly 70% of Veteran suicide deaths, we must overcome the hurdle of talking about guns and find ways to save Veterans’ lives.

    • “With guns accounting for nearly 70% of Veteran suicide deaths, we must overcome the hurdle of talking about guns and find ways to save Veterans’ lives.”

      “guns” DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR “70% of Veteran suicide deaths” – mental illness conditions does.

      Until we get off this stupid thing of blaming guns for everything, and until attitudes like yours change to think properly to address the actual issue, suicides, which has a root cause in mental illness, will continue.

      Think about it, of all the suicide deaths where a gun was used as the method, veterans make up a relatively small portion of those – and of all of those suicide deaths collectively where a gun was the method used, they make up a relatively small portion of suicide attempts each year of around ~ 3 million (not all are successful so don’t get counted) where the use of a gun as the method is only involved less than 2% of the time. And more than another 9 million contemplate suicide each year, and of those 9 million more than 8 million contemplated using drug overdose, and less than 1% of that 9 million contemplated using a gun.

      Guns are the least likely thing to be selected as the method.

      Guns are not the problem, the methods are not the problem, mental illness is the problem.

      Overcome what ‘hurdle’?

      With mental illness conditions accounting for ALL Veteran suicide deaths, and ALL other non-veteran suicide deaths, we must overcome the hurdle of talking about mental illness and get this pervasive anti-gun agenda of blaming guns out of the way, to save lives.

    • “…we must overcome the hurdle of talking about guns and find ways to save Veterans’ lives.”

      If you really want to save lives, then you have to overcome your unreasonable fear of guns before you can arrive at the heart of the matter. The key is finding out why there are suicidal thoughts to begin with, not what tool was used. If you remove a tool, someone that really wants to commit suicide will find another tool.

      Veterans are about twice as likely to own guns compared to non-veterans. So it makes sense that they are more likely to use guns when committing suicide.

  3. ALERT! Biden & Harris Authorize Military To Use Lethal Force On Americans!!

    h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvLCzT6Tdnc

    • Wait a minute. Didn’t Harris just warn us that Trump is going to use the military against citizens? Just a day or two ago? You mean she was gaslighting? Projecting? Lying? -eyeroll-

  4. BREAKING: White House omits much higher crime stats to make American people think crime has improved.

    h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR_GuG8d1p8

  5. Heroes of Helene: The Redneck Air Force. (note, further info: Hurricane Helene, for which FEMA is basically doing nothing because they are, according to FEMA, out of money – which is because it turns out the majority of money FEMA gets goes to importing more illegals across the Biden-Harris intentionally insecure and open border and housing them and giving them money to spend while American citizens in need go without.)

    h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhDYxJYgsXU

  6. Why Is This Man Being Charged Instead of Getting a Medal?

    “While we love to use real life scenarios to explain how self defense laws work, this story is disturbing in many ways, but for now we will focus on the disturbing criminal allegations against the father of a 14 year-old girl, who did what probably a lot of other fathers would have done as well. Washington Gun Law President, William Kirk, discusses a really tough case out of Arkansas, where we hope no formal charges will be filed, but let’s discuss what happened and what it can teach us so that you can arm yourself with education.”

    h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBDuulpDWJU

  7. Are veterans neglected like this in other countries? I am brought to tears when I think of how poorly they are cared for here. Long waits for mediocre treatment at VA hospitals, homeless and forgotten heroes should be celebrated and cherished for their sacrifice for this once great nation. I will admit I do nothing but pray for them but I am looking into donating what I can to a local dog trainer for vet support.

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