[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8248-8249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 202--DESIGNATING JUNE 27, 2011, AS ``NATIONAL POST-
               TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Rockefeller, and Mr. Durbin) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 202

       Whereas the brave men and women of the United States Armed 
     Forces, who proudly serve the United States, risk their lives 
     to protect the freedom of the United States and deserve the 
     investment of every reasonable resource to ensure their 
     lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being;
       Whereas 2.4 percent of servicemembers returning from 
     deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom are clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress 
     disorder (referred to in this preamble as ``PTSD'') and up to 
     17 percent of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom veterans exposed to sustained ground combat report 
     PTSD symptoms;
       Whereas up to 10 percent of Operation Desert Storm 
     veterans, 30 percent of Vietnam veterans, and 8 percent of 
     the general population of the United States suffer or have 
     suffered from PTSD;
       Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 
     more than 438,000 veterans were treated for PTSD in 2010 
     alone;
       Whereas many cases of PTSD remain unreported, undiagnosed, 
     and untreated due to a lack of awareness about PTSD and the 
     persistent stigma associated with mental health issues;
       Whereas PTSD significantly increases the risk of 
     depression, suicide, and drug- and alcohol-related disorders 
     and deaths, especially if left untreated;
       Whereas the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs 
     have made significant advances in the prevention, diagnosis, 
     and treatment of PTSD and the symptoms of PTSD, but many 
     challenges remain; and
       Whereas the establishment of a National Post-Traumatic 
     Stress Disorder Awareness Day will raise public awareness 
     about issues related to PTSD and help ensure that those 
     suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper 
     treatment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 27, 2011, as ``National Post-Traumatic 
     Stress Disorder Awareness Day'';
       (2) urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
     Secretary of Defense to continue working to educate 
     servicemembers, veterans, the families of servicemembers and 
     veterans, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and 
     treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder; and
       (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense.

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today I am introducing for the second year 
in a row a Senate resolution to designate June 27 as National Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day. That date was inspired by the 
birthday of North Dakota National Guard Staff Sergeant Joe Biel. Staff 
Sergeant Biel served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Trailblazer, part 
of a unit responsible for route clearance operations. Each day, Joe's 
mission was to go out with his unit to find and remove Improvised 
Explosive Devices and other dangers from heavily traveled roads to make 
it safe for coalition forces and Iraqi civilians to travel. As a result 
of those experiences, Joe suffered from PTSD and,

[[Page 8249]]

tragically, took his own life in April 2007. There is absolutely no 
doubt that Joe Biel is a hero who gave his life for our country.
  I learned of Joe's story because friends from his platoon, the 4th 
Platoon, A Company, of the North Dakota National Guard's 164th Combat 
Engineer Battalion, have organized an annual motorcycle ride across the 
state of North Dakota in his memory. The Joe Biel Memorial Ride serves 
as a reunion for the 164th, a memorial for a lost friend, and a beacon 
to those suffering from PTSD and other mental issues across the region. 
The key point made to me by the event's organizer, Staff Sergeant Matt 
Leaf, is that we have to raise awareness of this disease so that the 
lives of servicemembers, veterans, and other PTSD sufferers can be 
saved by greater awareness of and treatment for this disorder.
  For many, the war does not end when the warrior comes home. All too 
many servicemembers and veterans face PTSD symptoms like anxiety, 
anger, and depression as they try to adjust to life after war. We 
cannot sweep these problems under the rug. PTSD is real. The Department 
of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have made significant 
advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and its 
symptoms, but many challenges remain. More must be done to inform and 
educate veterans, families and communities on the facts about this 
illness and the resources and treatments available.
  That is why SSG Leaf and his fellow Trailblazers started the Joe Biel 
Memorial Bike Ride. That is why I began the effort to create a National 
PTSD Awareness Day last year. It is why I am introducing this 
Resolution once again. Actions like this may not seem that important to 
some, but they are. They garner attention, raise awareness, and help to 
eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues. These efforts 
are about letting our troops, past and present, know it is okay to come 
forward and say they need help. It's a sign of strength, not weakness, 
to seek assistance. It is my hope that this message will be heard. In 
the words of SSG Leaf, ``maybe if we all take a minute to listen, we 
can stop one more tragedy from ever happening again.''

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