[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10408-10409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this Saturday, June 27, marks Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder--or PTSD--Awareness Day.
  This marks a critical opportunity to remind people about the 
prevalence of mental illnesses such as PTSD among our Active-Duty 
troops and our veterans. By generating more awareness, we can help 
remove the stigma about PTSD and encourage people to seek treatment 
and, in turn, save lives. PTSD is a serious problem affecting too many 
of our country's bravest individuals, and we must do more to help our 
heroes.
  According to a study by the RAND Corporation, 20 percent of Iraq and 
Afghanistan war veterans report symptoms of PTSD and, of those, only 
about half actually seek treatment.
  Our Nation made a promise to our men and women in uniform: When they 
come home from war and their time in service to our country, we will be 
there for them. We need to have the same concern for our 
servicemembers' mental health as we do for their physical health. For 
far too long, we have been focused on the physical wounds of war, but 
as many of our veterans know too well, the mental wounds also inflict 
great damage.
  I am proud to serve as a Senator from a State with a rich legacy of 
service. I am proud to be the son of a U.S. marine. One in ten 
Montanans have proudly served in our Armed Forces, making the Treasure 
State home to more veterans per capita than almost any other State in 
our Nation. According to the VA, Montana is home to nearly 100,000 
veterans, 75,000 of whom served our Nation during wartime.
  As the son of a marine, I strongly believe we have a duty to ensure 
that the promises we have made to these men and these women are kept. 
There is no greater honor or responsibility than fighting for our 
veterans. We owe them our freedom. We owe them nothing but our best. 
Anything less is unacceptable.
  I have had many conversations with the brave men and women who have 
gone overseas in the name of freedom, and one of the many concerns they 
have expressed is the negative stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress 
in our military. For too long, our service men and women have attempted 
to hide mental health issues from their superiors out of fear of being 
discharged. That is why I am committed to raising PTSD awareness to 
overcome the misinformation and the stigma surrounding these mental 
health challenges.
  I am proud to be working on S. 1567 with Gary Peters and Thom Tillis 
to ensure due process for veterans who suffer from mental health 
illnesses and may have been erroneously given an administrative 
discharge rather than an honorable discharge. It helps ensure that 
Active-Duty servicemembers who suffer from invisible wounds, like PTSD 
and traumatic brain injuries, also called TBIs, are not incorrectly 
administratively discharged, putting their hard-earned benefits at 
risk. This bill is just a small step that Congress can take toward 
ensuring that the stigma facing PTSD is lifted and hopefully allowing 
more veterans to seek out treatment for PTSD.
  In the last few years, I am pleased to see that our country has taken 
steps to ensure that our troops and veterans get the mental health 
services they need upon their return home. More than ever, troops and 
veterans are seeking treatment. They are receiving timely diagnosis, 
they are getting needed care.
  We have a long way to go. Too many veterans are taking their own 
lines and, unfortunately, Montana consistently ranks at the top for 
suicides in our country. One story from Montana particularly resonated 
with me. In fact, it occurred in my hometown of Bozeman. I went from 
kindergarten through college in Bozeman. On May 29, 2013, U.S. Army PFC 
Wade Christiansen took his own life. He was 23 years old. Private First 
Class Christiansen served his country as a paratrooper in the 82nd 
Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan with his unit in 
2009. During an ambush, he sustained severe injuries to his face and to 
his arms.
  After his return to Montana, Wade struggled with both the physical 
and

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the mental healing process. Wade's brother Matt talked about how Wade's 
mood would change when he wouldn't be able to take his medication when 
the VA failed to get him his medications on time.
  I wish I could stand here and tell you that Wade Christiansen's story 
is unique. Unfortunately, he is just one of the many veterans who 
committed suicide in my State that year. In fact, between 2004 and 
2013, there were 566 suicides by Montana veterans. In Montana and 
across the Nation, too many of our veterans struggle with PTSD, they 
struggle with depression. Veteran depression not only affects the 
individual but also the loved ones closest to the veteran as well. The 
emotional toll on the family is immense. To have a loved one serve 
overseas, only to come back as a shell of what they once were is 
difficult.
  PTSD Awareness Day invites us to face the larger issues of veterans 
who are suffering from post-traumatic stress. We do everything in our 
power to protect our servicemembers while they are overseas. We must do 
the same to address their needs once they return home. That includes 
reducing the stigma attached to PTSD and doing more to help our brave 
veterans find good-paying jobs and transition back into civilian life.
  Now is the time to act to work toward real solutions that protect our 
veterans here at home. They are an embodiment of the ideals this Nation 
holds dear, and I believe it is our job to do everything in our power 
to protect them.
  Before I end my remarks, I want to encourage everyone, if they or a 
loved one is struggling with mental illness or PTSD, there is help 
available.
  You can visit www.ptsd.va.gov_www.ptsd.va.gov--where they will find 
resources that are available for our veterans.
  Mental illness is not something anyone should have to go through 
alone. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but instead it is a 
testament to individual character.
  I yield back.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.

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