“It is impossible for the Nation to compensate for the services of the fighting man.  There is no pay scale that is high enough to buy the services of a single soldier during even a few moments of agony of combat, the physical miseries of the campaign, or the extreme personal inconvenience of leaving his home to go to the most unpleasant and dangerous spots on earth to serve his Nation.  – General George C. Marshall, 1945

 

The substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the bureaucracy and the buck-passing have stirred anger throughout the nation.  These shameful conditions especially have stirred my anger.

 

The simple fact of the matter is crystal clear: Our servicemembers and veterans deserve the highest level of care available.  Taxpayers fund it, and the military and the VA run it, but that is not enough.  Without stern oversight of these systems, we are bound to repeat the woeful inadequacies of Walter Reed – and we cannot even entertain the possibility that America could again fall so far short of success in taking care of the men and women who risk their lives for our country.

 

With well over 65,000 veterans living in Southern Missouri, we are home to a proud tradition of service.  At Veterans Administration facilities in Poplar Bluff, Cape Girardeau, Salem, West Plains and at the new Robert Silvey Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Farmington, as well as at the VA clinic in Paragould, Arkansas, these men and women receive necessary care for injuries, illnesses and medical conditions.  On military bases around the world, staffs care for wounded active duty men and women.  These facilities employ doctors, nurses, medical professionals and support staff who work around the clock tending to the health care needs of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.  The work they do is invaluable.

 

Yet we cannot afford to let any single one of our soldiers or veterans slip through the cracks of these systems – no matter where in the country they seek care.

 

The problems at Walter Reed have been the topic of congressional hearings already, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered the replacement of the commander at the medical center. The Secretary of the Army has also resigned.

 

More must be done, however, and I have cosponsored legislation to ensure that the men and women who seek care at our military hospitals and outpatient care centers have the advocacy and access they need.  This bill is called the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act, and it is a commonsense step towards the kind of reform this system requires.

 

Among the solutions posed in the far-reaching bill are higher standards for the lodging of outpatients and frequent inspection of those quarters, electronic access to all the forms a family caring for a recovering soldier requires, and zero tolerance for chronic infestations. 

 

In addition, this legislation demands a new focus on a very real problem.  The psychological strain of war can create a dangerous mental condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  The methods for detecting this condition are incomplete, and the procedures in place for treatment are woefully inadequate.  The disease often goes undiagnosed, or worse, ignored, while our soldiers, veterans and their families quietly cope.  We must have accountability for all the ailments caused by war when we take on the duty of helping our servicemembers and veterans recover.

 

Finally, this bill recognizes the difficulties faced by family members who must take a leave of absence from their jobs in order to care for a soldier during his or her recovery.  It prevents those individuals from being fired for taking that important leave, and it establishes a per diem to be paid by the U.S. military for the time family members must be away from work.

 

These changes should not be shocking or controversial.  What is shocking is that we need this legislation to establish protections for our wounded and recovering servicemembers – protections they have earned with their service and paid for with their blood, sweat and tears.  The men and women of the American armed forces are public servants and patriots of the highest order.  They deserve nothing but the best care possible, and we must demand it for them.”