More than 16,000 veterans of the war in Iraq who were part of the recent mass troop withdrawal from that country are expected at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in Southern California this Spring, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
One of the hospitals gearing up for an influx of the newest Iraq War veterans is the VA San Diego Healthcare System in La Jolla.
Jacqueline Taylor of Loma Linda VA hospital told the San Bernardino Sun that most servicemembers returning home to Southern California report to VA San Diego Healthcare System, and also the VA hospital in Long Beach.
Taylor says that while all U.S. troops are now out of Iraq, the impact at Southern California's VA hospitals won't be felt until March. That's because servicemembers will first use up leftover leave before they discharge from the service.
