Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Kratovil

Floor Speech

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Kratovil -- (House of Representatives - June 25, 2009)

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Ms. DeLAURO. According to the Army, 143 soldiers committed suicide in 2008, the highest rate since the Army began keeping records nearly three decades ago.

Mr. Chairman, after asking our men and women in uniform to sacrifice so much, the very least that we must do is to ensure that they get the care they deserve.

This amendment, based on the Sergeant Jonathan Schulze Military Mental Health Services Improvement Act, is about making sure our troops receive adequate pre- and postdeployment mental health evaluations. It directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a demonstration project at two military installations, one Active Duty and one Reserve, to assess the feasibility and efficacy of providing face-to-face post-deployment mental health screenings between a member of the Armed Forces and a mental health provider.

The 2-year project will include a combat stress evaluation conducted by a qualified mental health professional within 120 to 180 days of the date the soldier returns, and a case manager will follow up.

Let me say thank you to Chairman Skelton for his collaboration and his commitment to this issue. We have no excuse for failing the soldiers who have given this Nation everything. Let's give them a long life, good health and quality care.

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