[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 10414-10415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PTSD AWARENESS DAY

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I'm rising today to recognize Posttraumatic 
Stress Awareness Day and so that we

[[Page 10415]]

can honor our men and women in uniform who have so bravely served our 
Nation. For them, when they come home, the battle doesn't end, which is 
why we must ensure that they're well served as they go through the 
transition from combat to civilian life.
  Research has shown that an estimated 18.5 percent, or nearly one in 
five of our courageous veterans, suffer from PTSD or depression. This 
number is likely artificially low because of a reluctance to report 
these conditions. Further, PTSD and other mental conditions can often 
lead to other serious psychological and physical health conditions.
  In Congress, we must ensure that we work with the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to address these issues as they face our veterans 
coming home. We owe it to them, these selfless, servant leaders, to 
empower them so that they can be provided the seamless transition they 
need and empower them to continue their service to our communities here 
at home.

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