Congress. Vets' Committee's Still Trying To Blame The VA

DeJa-Vu of more of the lessons not learned and ignored by the Country coming out of our long occupation of Vietnam, and we've been witness to numbers of same the past decade. Those in control of Congress sought retaliation with the previous administration for the attacks of 9/11 then quickly moved from that retaliation and al Qaeda in Afghanistan as having anything to do with that criminal terrorist attack by beating the drums of war towards Iraq, an innocent country and people. At the same time denigrating and slandering veterans and citizens who opposed those policies, policies which have been proven wrong over and over since. We sent our military to invade, a second war was started, turning Afghanistan into the quagmire it is today, sending soldiers into multiple tours in both theaters, Regular Military, Reserves and National Guard, all the while that same Congress Not Doing Much Of Anything As To The Results On These Soldiers and Their Families Until Years Into Both. And still the Country hasn't called for it's own 'Sacrifice', DeJa-Vu blame the VA, from the Country their Representatives and many of the Veterans, that's much easier and cheaper! DeJa-Vu of the decades of underfunding thus creating delays and more and costing more to continue trying to correct the wrongs created by the Country as a whole, till the next wars of choice they can cheer on while sending others!

Veterans committees to look at suicides

New research indicates that suicides recently surpassed combat deaths in the military. | Reuters

5/24/11 - More active-duty soldiers and veterans have died from suicide than from combat wounds over the last two years — and Congress wants to know why the VA hasn’t done more to prevent it.

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee will put the question Wednesday to Janet Kemp, the Department of Veterans Affairs’s national suicide prevention coordinator. The impetus for the committee’s hearing: a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals this month that lamented the VA’s “unchecked incompetence” in dealing with the mental health of veterans.

But that ruling is just the latest indication of a mental health system that has been known to be failing the nation’s veterans for years — a fact that can be confirmed by just about any veteran who has tried to deal with the system.

"I won’t trust the VA," said Sgt. First Class John Kyte, a decorated Iraq War veteran who is in treatment for a serious disorder that has caused him to black out more than 40 times. Kyte also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I’m going to stay with Tricare and the military doctors,” the Army mechanic told POLITICO in an interview. “I trust them to take care of me.” His verdict on the VA mental health system: "They are overwhelmed."

A VA spokesman refused to comment about the ruling. However, the American Legion has stepped up as a surrogate for the administration, releasing a statement Thursday criticizing the decision as "one-sided" and saying it "overlooks the fact that VA has excellent programs in place for the treatment of post-traumatic stress and suicide prevention among veterans." The Justice Department continues to review the ruling. {continued}

Memorial Day, for those who understand it's meaning, is approaching. For the rest, the great majority, the Memorial Day sales should keep you happy, as you still don't Demand your own 'Sacrifice'!