[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 71 (Thursday, May 1, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3715-S3716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BOND (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Obama, Mr. 
        Domenici, Mrs. Dole, and Ms. Murkowski):
  S. 2963. A bill to improve and enhance the mental health care 
benefits available to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to 
enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of members 
of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, there is an issue that has been festering in 
our military ranks for quite some time that we must address now.
  America's warriors voluntarily leave the comfort of their homes and 
families to serve the greater good under very difficult conditions. 
They are fighting an incredibly complex battle on an asymmetric 
battlefield, against an enemy that is not bound by rules of war or 
human decency. They are courageously protecting our freedoms--each and 
every day--against those who seek to do us harm. As the father of a 
two-tour Iraq War Veteran, this issue is very close to my heart, and 
should be at the forefront of the Senate's day-to-day business.
  Many of our military service members bear the physical scars of war. 
Thanks to advances in modern medicine and the efforts of brilliant 
medical personnel in the field, many of our war-wounded are able to 
return to a relatively normal life. Our practice of compensating 
disabled veterans financially helps our heroes reintegrate and assume 
again civilian status.
  A growing concern revolves around those soldiers, sailors, airmen and 
Marines who return home with invisible injuries, the psychological 
wounds of war that have had a huge impact on a large percentage of our 
military forces.
  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, TBI, 
are not quickly diagnosed because we cannot see them. But we know they 
exist, and they often manifest years later and wreak all sorts of havoc 
on our military, on our military families, and on our society.
  The recently-released Rand Study and American Psychiatric Association 
studies acknowledge the issue and paint a bleak social and financial 
future. The question is: What are we doing to help these men and women? 
The answer now is: Not enough. There are simply not enough resources 
available to our combat veterans to deal adequately with the problem.
  Today we are proposing legislation that will address this crisis. Our 
proposal will address both short- and long-term solutions for those 
suffering from PTSD and TBI. We will increase our troops' access to 
qualified behavioral-health specialists and increase the number of 
those specialists annually in an effort to treat our men and women and 
help them cope with their ailments.
  My staff has worked closely with the VA on these proposals and our 
legislation has the support of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans' 
Association and Veterans for Common Sense.
  First, our bill improves veterans' access to care by expanding the 
use of our Vet Centers. Currently, our Active, Guard, and Reserve 
military personnel do not have access to the VA's Vet Centers, 
community-based counseling

[[Page S3716]]

centers which are successfully providing mental health care to 
veterans.
  An estimated 30 percent of troops return from combat suffering from 
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, or other mental 
health problems. But there are grossly insufficient numbers of military 
behavioral health specialists to provide the care our troops need. 
Recent testimony from all military Surgeons General highlighted the 
shortage of mental health professionals service-wide.
  This legislation will give our troops the same access to Vet Centers 
our veterans receive for mental health care, which not only opens the 
door to additional resources but also lightens the load on our 
currently over-tasked specialists. Additionally, the legislation will 
reduce the stigma associated with behavior disorders by allowing troops 
to seek treatment outside of conventional military channels.
  We also propose to enhance the recruitment and training of Military 
Behavioral Health Specialists through a scholarship program that 
targets former service members or service members preparing to separate 
from the military.
  This legislation, overseen by the Veterans Health Administration, 
will provide incentives for retiring or separating military personnel 
and veterans to pursue an education in the behavioral health field. 
Over time, that will alleviate the shortage of behavioral health 
specialists who serve our troops and veterans.
  The estimated cost to recruit an additional 80 to 90 behavioral 
health specialists a year is $1.5--$2 million annually. This program 
would pay for itself if it were to save just one veteran from 
developing 100 percent service-connected PTSD.
  We also propose extending the survivor benefits for Service Members 
who commit suicide and have a medical history of PTSD or TBI.
  We know that mental-health issues often manifest long after the 
service member has left active duty. As a result, Congress has extended 
free health care to five years for recently-discharged veterans with 
any condition that may be related to their combat service.
  Unfortunately, survivor benefits have not kept up with this logic. 
Current coverage for veterans who commit suicide does not take into 
account the time it takes for PTSD and TBI to manifest.
  This legislation guarantees benefits for any Service Member who 
commits suicide within two years of separation or retirement from the 
military, provided they have a documented medical history of a combat-
related mental-health condition, including PTSD or TBI.
  The Service Member's survivor will be entitled to the same Social 
Security, Survivor Benefit Plan, Veteran's Affairs Benefits, and active 
duty burial benefits that they would have received had the Service 
Member died on their last day of active duty.
  Our legislation also creates a grant program for non-profit 
organizations to provide support services to the families of our 
deceased Active, Guard, and Reserve Military personnel and Veterans.
  The psychological impact associated with the loss of a loved one in a 
combat zone is tremendous. Unfortunately, there are not adequate 
numbers of military Casualty Assistance Officers to serve surviving 
families. While norofit organizations have professional staff that 
provide long-term and peer-based emotional support, Department of 
Defense Casualty Assistance Officers are only temporarily detailed to 
these duties and often are unfamiliar with the regulations or the 
emotional needs of surviving families.
  This legislation establishes a competitive federal grant program for 
nonprofit support organizations to provide vital support services to 
the surviving families of deceased military personnel.
  Next, our legislation will ensure the fair treatment and care of all 
of our military personnel, including those whose discharges may have 
been caused by combat-related mental-health condition, including Post 
Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury.
  Many of those who are forced to leave the military because of 
performance issues such as substance abuse or anger problems have 
underlying mental health conditions such as TBI or PTSD that are not 
being properly diagnosed.
  In many cases the military has inappropriately discharged these 
veterans, and they subsequently lose access to VA care and other 
benefits.
  No veteran that has served this nation in combat should be denied the 
benefits they earned on the battlefield. This provision allows the VA 
to screen the veteran's discharge, and, if the veteran is found to have 
been improperly diagnosed, to take action to correct the problem 
accordingly.
  Specifically, this legislation would reinstate the provision repealed 
from the law in 1996 giving the Vet Centers the authority to help the 
new generation of war veterans to resolve any problems presented with 
the character of their discharges.
  Finally, our legislation will better prepare our troops for combat 
through the creation of a pilot program at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri 
and Ft. Carson, Colorado. We will provide comprehensive training to 
educate U.S. military personnel on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder--how 
to prevent it, how to recognize it when it occurs, and what to do about 
it when it happens. We hope to build resiliency, enhance performance, 
and mitigate stress among the troops.
  The rise in PTSD cases demands a new approach to preparing U.S. 
military personnel and their families for the stresses associated with 
combat.
  The pilot program is designed to enhance the individual's 
neurophysiological understanding of stress and trauma resolution and to 
equip them with performance-enhancing skills drawn from both the 
military special-operations community and the elite sports world.
  The program will train and support an Army Brigade Combat Team and 
their families at all stages of a soldier's tour: pre-deployment, mid-
deployment and post-deployment.
  Addressing PTSD head on through self-awareness training will teach 
military personnel to cope better with combat-related issues and reduce 
the need and cost for long-term treatment.
  The long-term effects of untreated mental illness are severe: drug 
and alcohol abuse, job and marital problems, even suicide.
  We can prevent much of this unfortunate legacy by prompt and 
effective treatment when our troops come home.
  We are all the beneficiaries of the sacrifices of others. Our 
responsibility is to continue to improve the ways in which we support 
our troops and their families.
  They do not take our freedom for granted; we should not take their 
sacrifices for granted.
  I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support these 
proposals.
                                 ______