Boswell goes to work for our veterans

[CornField]

From Boswell's July 17 column:

It is estimated almost 1,000 veterans receiving care from Department of Veterans Affairs commit suicide each year. Since March 2003, 79 individuals, having served in Iraq or Afghanistan, have committed suicide. I am extremely troubled these men and women did not receive the proper attention they needed. Suicide rates for soldiers in Iraq are higher than the suicide rates during the Gulf War or the Vietnam War.

As a fellow veteran, I am honored to announce I recently introduced the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. If enacted, this legislation would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive program to regularly screen and monitor all veterans for risk factors of suicide. This bill would also set up a tracking and counseling referral system to ensure all veterans deemed a suicide risk would receive the appropriate help. In addition, this legislation would provide 24-hour mental health care for veterans who are found to be at risk for suicide and would provide education and training for all VA staff, contractors, and medical personnel who have interaction with veterans.

This legislation grew out of the tragic death of Joshua Omvig from Grundy Center, Iowa who took his life after returning home from an 11-month tour in Iraq. Not all wounds inflected in combat are visible. A simple screening and tracking process could have provided Joshua with the counseling he needed, saving his life. We must now protect those who have kept us safe for so long.

Our men and women in uniform and their families have made many sacrifices for our country, and we must ensure they receive the proper care and treatment once they return home.

As a Vietnam Veteran, I honor the men and women currently serving our nation around the world. During the upcoming months of the 109th Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure all veterans are given the proper care they need. For more information on suicide prevention please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s website at www.suicidepreventioinlifeline.org. If you or someone you know are in a crisis please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

[Rambis]

1. Real benefits for our soldiers not lip service

from an administration wrapped in the flag while cutting benefits to our fighting men and women. This is a good idea and if it helps one PTSD soldier it is worth it.

[Counciltucky]

2. Agreed.

As someone who suffers from depression, I understand how it can wreck someone's life. I can't even imagine it as a result of combat.