Obama, Hagel, and Harkin Address GI Suicides

Obama, Hagel, and Harkin Address GI Suicides
by Piuma, Thu Feb 07, 2008 at 11:36:08 PM EST

The following is excerpted from a diary on the Think On These Things blog:



As news reports reveal growing numbers of suicide among soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, U.S. Senators Tom Harkin, Chuck Hagel, and Barack Obama on January 31, introduced major legislation aimed at preventing suicide among active duty members of the military. The Senators' bill, the Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act, would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive suicide prevention program including annual training for soldiers, improved instruction for field medics and post deployment assistance. The legislation authorizes six million dollars for implementation of the programs. A companion measure will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA).

Today's Washington Post reported that Army statistics show that 121 soldiers committee suicide last year - a 20 percent increase from 2006. This is the highest rate of Army suicides recorded since the Army started collecting this data in 1980. The Post also reported that last year about 2,100 soldiers "injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002."

"These startling statistics should serve as a wakeup call that suicide among soldiers and veterans is more than a problem, it is an epidemic," said Senator Harkin. "Thankfully, our push to provide America's veterans with a suicide prevention program was heard last year, when the President signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act into law. But there is more work ahead - especially in serving our active duty military personnel. We can and must act quickly to save our soldiers who are so bravely fighting for our country."
go here for the rest
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/7/23368/63265

Rising Number Of Homeless Veterans A Disgrace To Our Nation

Iowa
56 funded beds
615 homeless veterans
http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=81

Tom Harkin: Rising Number Of Homeless Veterans A Disgrace To Our Nation
Fri, 11/09/2007 - 11:25 — newsdesk
Pushes measure to ensure federal housing programs are reaching veteran population
November 8, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today expressed alarm and dismay with the findings of a new report showing one out of four homeless people in the United States is a military veteran.

A new report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the Homelessness Research Institute found that veterans make up roughly 26 percent of the homeless population, but only 11 percent of the general population. Data also showed that Iraq war veterans are becoming homeless at a much faster pace than Vietnam veterans.

“It’s not right for our returning heroes to be left out in the cold by their government,” said Harkin. “It is imperative that we in Congress and the Bush Administration take immediate action to reverse this awful trend. Our government cannot make the same mistakes with the veterans of this generation that they did with the veterans of my generation.”
click post title for the rest

From Harkin's site

A chief reason for the increase in the number of homeless veterans is the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) amongst Iraq war veterans. Record numbers are suffering from these conditions that, without proper treatment, can cause formidable challenges to transitioning back to civilian life.

http://harkin.senate.gov/pr/p.cfm?i=287127

How many people are homeless in central Iowa? There are more than 5,100 homeless people living in central Iowa on any given day. Of this number, about 2,800 are individuals not living in family units, including more than 450 veterans. With homeless housing capacity at fewer than 2,300 beds, there is a substantial community-wide service gap that is insufficient to meet the emergency, transitional and permanent housing needs of the individual homeless.

http://www.centraliowashelter.org/faq.html

What Harkin should be shocked at is that in his own state, there are homeless veterans. There is an "all of a sudden" mentality among the elected that never gets aroused until the media reports on it. The problems have been with us for years but because of neglect, they have gotten worse. None of these problems happened overnight. Veterans did not begin to have problems with claims, backlogs, overloaded VA hospitals, clinics and shabby conditions. The media just finally noticed. What must not be forgotten is the fact our elected were supposed to know what veterans were going through all along. They were supposed to know simply because our tax dollars pay for all of it and our elected are supposed to be representing us when they make decisions on how to spend it. While I am fully aware that the record for Congress has been abysmal in the last six years, they are beginning to correct huge problems. For this the Democrats do deserve credit. However, during the years of Republican control, they should have been talking to every major news outlet in the nation making sure none of this was allowed to go on.

Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com