Veterans are backing Jones' bill

U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones deserves a medal for this! Over 22,000 of our men and women in the military have received dishonorable, or less than honorable discharges that should have been honored when they clearly had PTSD. Too many reports came out on how the DOD and the VA were not being honest with diagnosing and treating PTSD. Too many commanders still have not come to terms with this war born wound and act as if the men and women they command suffering from this wound are not worthy of anything, including treatment and compensation, but above all, the respect of an honorable discharge. It has all been less than honorable treatment for them. Without an honorable discharge and the erroneous outrage diagnosis of a "pre-existing" mental health illness, they receive nothing. No treatment. No compensation. Most of the time, no jobs after they served. This betrayal should not be tolerated and they should be compensated if they are found to have PTSD or TBI but on top of it, compensated with retroactive payments and a public apology from the DOD for the suffering they had to go thru. They were betrayed and so were their families.

Veterans are backing Jones' bill

WILSON - Veterans groups are rallying behind U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones' bill designed to help service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries.

Jones, a Republican from Farmville, was joined this week at a press conference by representatives from the National Association for Uniformed Services, the National Military Family Association, Military Officers Association of America and Air Force Sergeants Association. All are supporting House Resolution 1701: PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes Act

The bill would create a special review board at the Department of Defense for service members who were less than honorably discharged. The board would be allowed to change the characterization of discharge to honorable if PTSD or TBI are found to have been contributing factors.

Also, it would mandate a physical examination board before an administrative separation proceeding for active duty service members if the service member has been diagnosed with PTSD or TBI by a medical authority.

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Veterans are backing Jones' bill

Bill would lift limits on chaplains’ language

Bill would lift limits on chaplains’ language
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, July 23, 2008



WASHINGTON — Supporters of new legislation that would allow military chaplains to pray "in Jesus’ name" insist it’s needed to protect religious freedom in the ranks, arguing that service officials are still pressuring Christian ministers to tone down their language.

The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., mandates that if chaplains are asked to lead a prayer in a public setting outside their official religious duties, they will have "the prerogative to close the prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience."

Officials from Jones’ office said the measure came after continued complaints from chaplains that commanding officers were pressuring them into using nondenominational language in public settings, forcing them to choose between their beliefs and their military duty.

Jones introduced a similar bill two years ago, as lawmakers and military officials sparred over Navy and Air Force policies dictating secular, nondenominational prayers for chaplains outside of their worship services.

Those policies were repealed in the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill, but supporters failed to get enough backing to also include language specifically protecting chaplains who disobey superior officers by using nonapproved language in public settings, such as memorial or change-of-command ceremonies.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56304