Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

Issue Position: Veterans

For the last three decades, the military has relied upon an all-volunteer enlistment. Fewer families today have a direct, personal connection to a branch of the Armed Forces. Americans immersed in their daily lives may not take the time to consider the sacrifices made by the honorable men and women in uniform. The risk and uncertainty also impacts the loved ones left behind when a soldier is called up to active duty.

I unequivocally support troops who put their lives on the line in service to our country. And my advocacy doesn't end when their military service ends. My efforts nearly two decades ago to help Vietnam Veterans and their families track down information about POWs and MIAs succeeded in gaining access to more than one million pages of military documents.

Veterans can rest assured I won't let the Defense Department or Department of Veterans Affairs duck accountability or responsibility when it comes to information or health care to which they are entitled. It is deeply troubling to discover the deplorable conditions and bureaucratic mess facing physically maimed and psychologically wounded soldiers being treated at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center . Our soldiers and veterans deserve the best possible care. Management problems must be identified and solved to ensure all VA medical facilities are held to the highest standards to serve those who risked the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

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