“We await the results of the 20-year, 10,000-family-strong study of impacts on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans’ kin, the largest of its kind ever conducted, that just got under way”. This is a numerical claim. It states the number of veterans’ kin that were impacted and that take part of the study.
“Meanwhile, René Robichaux, social-work programs manager for US Army Medical Command, concedes that “ina family system, every member of that system is going to be impacted, most often in a negative way, by mental-health issues.” This is a attributive claim and a credibility claim . The author uses René as the person who claims that statement instead of himself. The credibility claim comes from the fact that he introduced René as the social-work programs manager for US Army Medical Command, indicating the level of trustworthiness.
“That was the impetus for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, which since 2005 has added 70 therapists to military installations around the country.” This is a causal claim as it states that It was the driving force for that program.
“Mostly what the program provides is couples’ counseling. Children are “usually not” treated, but when necessary referred to child psychiatrists—of which the Army has 31.” This is a evaluative claim as it is saying its what the program MOSTLY provides.
“We’re better than we were,” Robichaux says. “But we still have a ways to go.” This can be an evaluative claim as it evaluates the situation and how “we” are doing towards it.
“But “if you asked the VA to treat your kids, they would think it was nonsense,” says Hofstra’s Motta.” This is a causal claim as it predicts that asking the VA to treat your kids would lead VA to believe it was nonsense.
“When I asked the VA if the organization would treat kids for secondary trauma, its spokespeople stressed that it has made great strides in family services in recent years, rolling out its own program for couples’ counseling and parenting training.” This is an attributive claim as well because it’s saying the spokespeople from VA claim great strides have been made.
“the most important way to help the family deal with things is to ensure that the veteran gets effective treatment.” This is an evaluative claim as it states that that is the “most important way” for them to get what is seen as “effective” treatment.
“this is a good time [for the VA] to make partners with the community so we can make good referrals” Or basically: “You’re on your own,” says Brannan.” This is an evaluative claim as it says that now is the good time for them to make partners in the community.
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
“We await the results of the 20-year, 10,000-family-strong study of impacts on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans’ kin, the largest of its kind ever conducted, that just got under way”.
This is a numerical claim. It states the number of veterans’ kin that were impacted and that take part of the study.
—It’s also Comparative, right?
“Meanwhile, René Robichaux, social-work programs manager for US Army Medical Command, concedes that “in a family system, every member of that system is going to be impacted, most often in a negative way, by mental-health issues.”
This is a attributive claim and a credibility claim . The author uses René as the person who claims that statement instead of himself. The credibility claim comes from the fact that he introduced René as the social-work programs manager for US Army Medical Command, indicating the level of trustworthiness.
—Yes, for the author, the claim is Attributive.
—More importantly, for Robichaux, it’s clearly a Causal Claim to say that every family will suffer negative consequences.
“That was the impetus for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, which since 2005 has added 70 therapists to military installations around the country.”
This is a causal claim as it states that It was the driving force for that program.
—Very nice. There’s no obvious causal language here, but the word “impetus” identifies the Reason Why the program was instituted (in other words, the Cause of the program’s existence).
“Mostly what the program provides is couples’ counseling. Children are “usually not” treated, but when necessary referred to child psychiatrists—of which the Army has 31.”
This is a evaluative claim as it is saying its what the program MOSTLY provides.
“We’re better than we were,” Robichaux says. “But we still have a ways to go.” This can be an evaluative claim as it evaluates the situation and how “we” are doing towards it.
“But “if you asked the VA to treat your kids, they would think it was nonsense,” says Hofstra’s Motta.”
This is a causal claim as it predicts that asking the VA to treat your kids would lead VA to believe it was nonsense.
—It is, yes, but it’s also deeply Evaluative in the way it characterizes “how the VA thinks.”
—”How the VA thinks” is also the underlying attitude for the sections that follow.
“When I asked the VA if the organization would treat kids for secondary trauma, its spokespeople stressed that it has made great strides in family services in recent years, rolling out its own program for couples’ counseling and parenting training.”
This is an attributive claim as well because it’s saying the spokespeople from VA claim great strides have been made.
—Yes, but what sort of claim is it for the VA?
—If you should choose to revise this post for a grade boost, lil.sapph, consider analyzing what the VA is REALLY SAYING in this whole long answer to Brannan’s question. She asked for help with “secondary trauma.” How does the VA answer that request?
“the most important way to help the family deal with things is to ensure that the veteran gets effective treatment.”
This is an evaluative claim as it states that that is the “most important way” for them to get what is seen as “effective” treatment.
—It is absolutely an evaluative claim, but is it a claim that answers the question the VA was asked?
“this is a good time [for the VA] to make partners with the community so we can make good referrals” Or basically: “You’re on your own,” says Brannan.”
This is an evaluative claim as it says that now is the good time for them to make partners in the community.
—Once more: the VA expresses an attitude about its responsibility to alleviate secondary trauma. And Brannan expresses her attitude about the VA’s response.
—You could pick up some credit with an analysis of this give-and-take between the VA/Brannan/MacClellan.
I’ll grade the post as is. Put it into Grade Please or back into Feedback Please following any substantial improvements.