WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley is continuing his work to help members of the military who are suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries. Grassley wrote to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee expressing his support for a provision included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill is currently in a House-Senate conference committee where the competing versions of the bill are being worked out.
Grassley's support for the provision included by Congressman Walter Jones was based on a joint effort by Grassley and Jones to help an Iowa Marine who was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Marine was not given proper medical treatment for PTSD following his return from Iraq and Afghanistan and was at risk of being involuntarily separated from the Marines for his conduct.
The proposed legislation would guarantee that PTSD and TBI are diagnosed and those diagnoses are considered in any future discharge proceeding. It would also set up a process for service members who may have already been discharged or dismissed unjustly due to manifestations of PTSD or TBI to have their situation reviewed by a panel that includes a qualified medical professional and have their record corrected if appropriate.
Here is a copy of the text of the letter Grassley sent to the chairman and ranking member.
July 31, 2009
The Honorable Carl Levin, Chairman
The Honorable John McCain, Ranking Member
Committee on Armed Services
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Levin and Ranking Member McCain:
As you begin conference committee negotiations on H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, I would like to express my support for Section 521 of the House-passed version of the bill, entitled "Medical Examination Required Before Separation of Members Diagnosed With or Asserting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. This is based on H.R. 1701, the PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes Act, introduced by Congressman Walter Jones.
The situation that this legislation seeks to correct was brought to the attention of Congressman Jones and myself through the experience of an Iowa Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune North Carolina named Jeremy Smerud. As a result of his service to his country in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jeremy suffers from PTSD, but was not given proper treatment upon his return to Camp Lejeune. This, as is often the case, led to problems with alcohol and a series of incidents to the point that the Marine Corps was considering an Involuntary Administrative Separation due to misconduct. Despite the fact that Jeremy's problems were a direct result of the injury he sustained in combat, this would have meant that he would have no access to military or veterans benefits, including the health care necessary to deal with his PTSD.
Fortunately, after considerable efforts working with Congressman Jones, we were able to work out with the Marines Corps a favorable resolution for Jeremy's specific situation. However, there are many more service members just like Jeremy who have already faced, or may face a similar situation with a less positive outcome and it is essential that we do right by them.
The proposed legislation would guarantee that PTSD and TBI are diagnosed and those diagnoses are considered in any future discharge proceeding. It would also set up a process for service members who may have already been discharged or dismissed unjustly due to manifestations of PTSD or TBI to have their situation reviewed by a panel that includes a qualified medical professional and have their record corrected if appropriate.
Again, I express my support for this legislation, and ask that the provision in the House-passed bill be retained in the final conference report to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator