Since the Washington Post reported on the shameful conditions in Building 18 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, pundits and politicians have been jumping on the bandwagon and crying out for significant reforms of the system that let brave servicemen and servicewomen languish in conditions that we would never allow our household pets to endure.

While Senator Kerry wholeheartedly agrees with all these efforts to improve our country’s post-combat assistance for those who volunteered to go into harm’s way on her behalf, this is not a new issue for him. He has been fighting to protect the rights of veterans for his entire career in public service. He has always been especially concerned with the invisible but still critical wounds that warriors upon returning home from war. His latest legislative initiative on their behalf is just one example:

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) said today that he will immediately ask Congress to support $18 million for additional mental health staffing assistance for VA vet centers in the FY07 Emergency Supplemental. Kerry believes this funding is critical to ensuring that our veterans, especially those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who represent a large percentage of Vet Center patients, get the care they deserve. Lack of planning for the large influx of veterans has led to a shortfall, and given that approximately 30 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from some mental heath issue, increased staffing to meet these needs is vital.

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“It’s been clear to me for a long time that America’s heroes are not getting the type of care and attention they deserve,” Kerry said. “Now we see that even active duty military are sometimes treated as second-class citizens, housed in sub-standard facilities and subjected to unending bureaucracy. Those who have spoken out are even being told to keep quiet. This is unacceptable and it disrespects the sacrifice that our brave troops are making on behalf of every American. Walter Reed should have never been allowed to deteriorate to such a dangerous level and I’m relieved that there’s going to be new leadership. That alone won’t get the job done. All of us in Congress will be watching closely to ensure the highest level of care for our soldiers.”

This is not the first occasion that JK has had to fight for the welfare of our returning troops. On February 20 of this year he also took steps to streamline the cumbersome bureaucracy that makes it so difficult for returning veterans to get the physical and mental health care that they need:

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) announced today that he will co-sponsor legislation to improve the lives of recovering veterans at Walter Reed and other medical centers by eliminating paperwork and improving physical conditions. Kerry also said he would explore options for directing new funding to Walter Reed and to make immediate improvements to the buildings where veterans are housed. Kerry said he was “saddened” by a recent Washington Post series exposing poor sanitary conditions and other hurdles faced by injured veterans returning to the states after service in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with a story in the Army Times about 15 month delays facing vets seeking a physical evaluation. The sponsors of the legislation are Sens. Obama and McCaskill.

“We owe our returning veterans a debt of gratitude, not sub-standard treatment at an overcrowded medical facility,” said Kerry. “The Administration has consistently talked a big game but shortchanged the needs of veterans. How can the president talk about a troop escalation in Iraq while failing to keep faith with the Iraq War veterans we’ve already brought home? Brave men who have been blinded or lost a limb in Iraq should not be sitting in moldy, mouse-infested buildings. Period. It’s unacceptable and this Congress needs to do something about it.”

The legislation that Kerry is co-sponsoring would do the following: <!-more-> Unlike some others who are now calling for remedial action, though, JK didn’t have to wait for mainstream media to publish investigative reports of the Pentagon’s systemic neglect of our veterans’ welfare before he took action on their behalf. On November 14, 2006, the Senate passed the Kerry Amendment to Increase Critical Funding for America’s Veteran Support Centers:

• Simplify the paperwork process for recovering soldiers;
• Improve the ratio of caseworkers to recovering soldiers;
• Increase the training of caseworkers;
• Require more frequent IG inspections of hospital facilities and standards of care;
• Establish timelines and benchmarks for repairs to substandard facilities;
• Provide recovering soldiers with psychological counseling; and
• Require regular reporting to Congress on: the total number of recovering soldiers at military hospitals; the number of caseworkers; the average waiting time for treatment; and the number of suicide attempts, accidental deaths or drug overdoses.

Today, the Senate passed Senator John Kerry’s amendment, which provides $18 million in critical funding to the nation’s Veteran’s Administration (VA) Centers. Veteran Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to any veteran who has served in a combat zone. Kerry’s additional funding will cut waiting lists and ensure that facilities are not forced to limit services as they respond to an increased workload caused by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Approximately one-third of the veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seek help for mental health concerns from the VA. According to published reports, the number of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have sought help for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) services and readjustment concerns has doubled over the past year. This increased caseload has forced many centers to limit services or establish waiting lists for needed services. The National Military Family Association and the Vietnam Veterans of America support the amendment, which is included in the Senate FY 2007 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, and is co-sponsored by Senators Kennedy (Mass.), Akaka (Hawaii), Boxer (Calif.) and Jeffords (Vt.).

As JK noted in the floor statement for that amendment:

It is our obligation to do everything possible to ensure that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can make the transition home successfully.

“Welcome home” must be more than something we say to our veterans. It must be measured in actions taken not just words spoken.

Today, I am offering an amendment to increase funding for the VA Vet Centers to provide critically-needed services to our returning veterans.

The VA Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in any combat zone. Our veterans earned these benefits through their service to country, and we must fulfill the nation’s commitment to them by providing the highest quality services possible. Unfortunately, a recent report reveals that VA Vet Centers need additional funding in order to provide the trained professionals necessary to offer quality mental health services.

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A recent report by the House Veterans Affairs Committee Democratic staff found that in nine months, between October 2005 and June 2006, the number of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who turned to Vet Centers for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) services doubled. The increased demand for services is beginning to affect access to quality care. In fact, one in four Vet Centers surveyed has been forced to limit services or establish waiting lists for critically needed services. After serving this nation and fighting for our country, our veterans should not have to fight for critical adjustment services.

In November of 2004, VA Secretary Nicholson approved a mental health strategic plan, acknowledging gaps in mental health services due to the surge in demand from veterans of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress provided approximately $100 million to fund the VA Mental Health Strategic plan. However, a recent GAO report shows that the VA has diverted or failed to utilize money that was intended for staffing at Vet Centers and has not provided a full accounting of what has happened to the funding.

The GAO is expected to issue a full report on these funding gaps later this year, but the preliminary results indicate a possible misuse of mental health dollars.

One-third of the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan come to the VA with mental health concerns. We have seen the cases of PTSD rise sharply along with the need for readjustment care when veterans return home. It is imperative that our Vet Centers have enough trained professionals to offer quality mental health services. There are 207 Vet Centers across the country. They are currently unable to deal with the increasing demand for mental health services. Each of these centers needs additional funding to hire sufficient staff to deal with the recent influx of patients.

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Our soldiers have sacrificed greatly for their country, and we owe them the best care when they return. Many wounds of war are not visible, which makes it that much more important that Vet Centers have all the resources they need to serve those veterans who are suffering in any way.

JK was right about that then, and he is right about that now. Since the news reports of the unacceptable situations in WRAMC and other VA care facilities surfaced last month, many others have added their voices to his in calling for significant reforms and reinforcement of our country’s commitment to caring for its returning service members to the fullest possible extent.

As for those who have continued to hold back on actively addressing the needs of our returning veterans and their families, all one can do is to ask the obvious question:

“What do YOU mean when you say ‘support the troops,’ then?”