[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7062]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PREVENTION OF VETERAN SUICIDES

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Joshua 
Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, of which I am a cosponsor. The House will 
consider this important legislation today.
  Roughly one in five military personnel returning from active duty 
suffers from a debilitating condition called post-traumatic stress 
syndrome. Unfortunately, the effects of PTSD have hit close to home for 
one family in my district. Their son, Sergeant Charles Call, of the 
United States Army, always dreamed of serving his country. He even left 
his unit, which was not being sent to Iraq, and joined another that was 
being deployed so he could be with those fighting for our freedom and 
safety. He loved his country and was willing to make that sacrifice.
  After returning from Iraq, he developed the symptoms of PTSD. Despite 
his attempts to seek help from the local veterans hospital, he did not 
receive the treatment he so desperately needed; and, sadly, Sergeant 
Call took his own life on February 3, 2006.
  With the passage of this legislation, we can finally provide a safety 
net for our veterans coming home and prevent tragedies like that of 
Sergeant Call. It is crucial that they have the resources needed to 
pursue healthy lives upon returning to civilian life. Screening of all 
returning combat veterans and 24-hour access to counseling are just 
some of the options we must offer.
  I support this in the name of Sergeant Charles Call.

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