Letter accompanying the survey

Department of Veterans Affairs VA Boston Healthcare System Post-Deployment Adjustment Among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans Department of Veterans Affairs VA Boston Healthcare System

Post-Deployment Adjustment Among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans

Dear [LETTER TO BE PERSONALIZED BY EDC],

We are writing to ask for your help with a survey being conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The purpose of the survey is to better understand the deployment and post-deployment experiences of male and female veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

We are contacting a random sample of OEF/OIF veterans to learn more about their experiences during deployment and their return back home. The information you give us will help the VA provide better health care and other services to veterans like you.

You will find the survey included with this letter, along with a Project Fact Sheet that provides more details about the study. The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. We have enclosed a small token of appreciation as a way of saying thank you for your help.

The decision about whether to participate is up to you, and you may choose to answer or skip any questions you want. However, your responses are invaluable to this project, and we hope that you will find the time to assist us in this effort.

If you agree to participate, all you have to do is complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope. If you don’t want to complete the survey, simply check “no” for the first question and return the blank survey in the accompanying envelope. Once we receive your completed survey or a survey indicating that you do not want to participate, we will not contact you again regarding this study.

We sincerely appreciate your time and consideration. If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to call us at our toll-free number: 1-866-912-8391.

Sincerely,

Amy E. Street, Ph.D. Jaimie L. Gradus, MPH

Lead Study Investigators

P.S. If we made a mistake and you are not an OEF/OIF veteran, please place a “0” in question #3 of the survey and return the rest of it blank. Many thanks.