As we honor the service of the men and women who have served our country, I wanted to provide you an update on things we have worked on in Washington to support our nation’s veterans once they return home from war.
On this Veterans Day, I want to acknowledge my respect and appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by our men and women in uniform – as well as the families and communities that support them.
One of the major issues facing our returning soldiers is the transition back to their normal lives. Congress took steps earlier this year to authorize a record increase for veterans’ health care and other services, and in the coming days, the Senate is expected to approve funding for the increase.
Among other benefits, the package will include additional funding for the Veterans Administration to expand research and improve treatment for mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
But more should be done to open access for more veterans to seek treatment. Today, I filed an amendment directing the VA to launch a study into the stress disorders that afflict thousands of military women who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Last June, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported almost 20,000 female military veterans from both wars have been diagnosed with mental disorders, including nearly 8,500 women diagnosed specifically with post-traumatic stress.
These conditions are being diagnosed in roughly the same proportion among our military men and women. It is important that we begin looking into the sometimes dramatic differences in how men and women with PTSD cope once they return home and how these brave soldiers are diagnosed and treated by the VA.
In addition to improving mental health treatment, Congress is acting to improve access to medical care for veterans in rural areas and I have introduced legislation to compel the VA to use automation to accelerate claims processing at the VA.
We have also moved forward on expanding opportunities for veterans once they have returned home. Thanks to the good work of my colleague and friend, fellow Virginian Jim Webb, today’s veterans now have access to enhanced educational benefits through the post-9/11 GI Bill and yellow ribbon program.
And I am proud we were able to add a veterans component to the AmeriCorps legislation signed into law by the President earlier this year, which will provide even more service opportunities for military men and women to give back in their communities.
I also want to recognize the contributions of our military families, who support our service members and enable them to serve our country. Many of these groups, like the Blue Star Families are staffed by volunteers who donate their time and energy to help other military families.
Finally, I urge you to consider a demonstration of support for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford – an American community that suffered the highest number of casualties at Omaha Beach on D-Day. The Memorial has experienced significant fiscal challenges and is danger of shutting down. At my urging, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior is now studying whether the Bedford Memorial can be managed by the National Park Service.
To me, this Memorial is a symbol of the importance of remembering the sacrifice made by our military men and women and their families year-round.
Mark Warner represents Virginia in the United States Senate.
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