House hearing returns focus to visible wounds

House hearing returns focus to visible wounds

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 23, 2010 10:02:30 EDT

After years of hearings and debates about the “invisible wounds of war” — the traumatic brain injuries and combat stress injuries inflicted in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones — lawmakers met Thursday to focus on the visible wounds of war, such as amputated limbs and spinal cord injuries.

Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s health panel, said these injuries often are overshadowed as the media, Congress and the Veterans Affairs Department have given a higher profile to head trauma and psychological injuries.

“I like that you highlighted that in this town, you don’t hear about the other injuries,” said Thomas Zampieri, director of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association. He said he sees other issues that need to be addressed.

For example, while VA has hired 50 new blindness rehabilitation specialists, a promised Vision Center of Excellence keeps getting pushed back, said Thomas Zampieri, director of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association.
go here for more
House hearing returns focus to visible wounds

If you want to make this more personal watch this video. It would really be supporting them if it didn't take an act of congress as an after thought to take care of the wounded.