Q: What is National Military Appreciation Month?
A: Since 1999, Congress has designated May as National Military Appreciation Month "to honor the current and former members of the armed forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom and peace." Every weekday morning, as I drive to work at the U.S. Capitol, Arlington Cemetery is in the distance. That sight always makes me feel humbled and reverent. It's a reminder of the fact that all of America's fallen soldiers and those currently serving at home and abroad know all too well: that freedom is not free. It's paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of those willing to stand up and fight. We all owe an immeasurable amount of gratitude to those brave men and women who have sacrificed everything to keep America safe and free from tyranny and oppression. Since America's inception, our values and freedoms have been tested time and again, and America's men and women in uniform have consistently answered the call. Because of their bravery and selflessness, America's freedom continues to be a beacon of hope for the world. During National Military Appreciation Month, please join me in remembering and honoring the patriots who are putting their lives on hold while they put their lives on the line. America is worth fighting for, and we're couldn't ask for anyone more skilled or more dedicated than the men and women of the United States military.
Q: How have you helped service members and veterans recently in Congress?
A: One of the bills I'm working on for veterans is named HONOR. The acronym stands for "Honoring Our Nation's Obligations to Returning Warriors Act." I'm an original co-sponsor of the legislation with Senators Kit Bond of Missouri, Barbara Boxer of California and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. The HONOR Act works to help improve treatment for service members and veterans suffering from invisible injuries such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. According to the RAND Institute, nearly 620,000, or about 30 percent of those who have served in combat, suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. The military mental health system can be extremely difficult to navigate for those suffering and their families. The HONOR Act is important because it recognizes those deficiencies and works to make the necessary changes to improve the military's mental health system. Ultimately, the unfortunate and wrongly placed stigma attached to these injuries should go away as more and more service members are able to get the mental health care they need. The HONOR Act also will help service members by improving access to care by expanding the use of Veterans' Centers, helping ensure fair treatment and care for all U.S. military personnel, extending survivor benefits for military families, enhancing recruitment and training of military behavioral health professionals, enhancing recruitment and training of prior-service combat veterans as civilian professional psychiatric technicians and nurses, better preparing troops for combat, and preparing veterans for life as civilians.
Separately, I've been working to make sure soldiers receive pay for leave earned under post-deployment and mobilization respite absences. Members of the Iowa National Guard have been unfairly cut out of these benefits because of a bureaucratic snafu. I cosponsored legislation earlier this year to fix the problem, and I'm looking for every opportunity to make it law as soon as possible.