[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 VETERANS COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENT ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Heinrich) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  I rise today to introduce the Veterans Communication Improvement Act. 
This bill will provide for a smoother transition for servicemembers 
moving to veteran status, and it will help facilitate the communication 
between all veterans and veterans' services.
  Currently, when a servicemember concludes his service to our country, 
he fills out a form known as the DD-214. This form is essentially a 
compilation of a member's time in the military. It includes awards and 
medals and other pertinent service information such as promotions, 
combat service or service overseas. The DD-214 also contains 
information needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, 
employment, and membership in veterans' organizations, which makes it 
one of the most important documents in the military.
  As to be expected, the DD-214 contains the current physical address 
and phone number of the veteran, but there is no place on the form for 
a veteran to include his or her e-mail as the best way to be contacted. 
Far too often, however, when servicemembers return home from active 
duty or if a veteran has simply moved to a new home, they lose contact 
with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill will enable one more 
avenue of communication, an e-mail address, to be included on each 
servicemember's DD-214 form.
  For many veterans, particularly for our youngest veterans returning 
from Iraq and Afghanistan, a personal e-mail address is the most common 
and efficient way to communicate with them. In utilizing modern e-mail 
technology, this legislation will make great strides in expediting the 
delivery of benefits that our country's veterans unquestionably 
deserve. These brave Americans and their families have made 
immeasurable sacrifices to our Nation's well-being. I am honored to 
sponsor this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

                          ____________________