Udall, Bennet Reiterate Need to Continue to Improve Care for Troops

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet announced that they have sent a letter to General Peter Chiarelli, Army Vice Chief of Staff, reminding him of several requests for information about soldier care and rehabilitation and asking for a timely response.

Over the last year, the Senators have asked for several reports regarding care of soldiers at Fort Carson and Army-wide following reports of inadequate treatment in Warrior Transition Units, and in the wake of an Army investigation into crimes allegedly involving Fort Carson soldiers. The letter to General Chiarelli is a summary of their requests for follow-up information, which include:

* An examination of reports of over-medication in WTUs by the Army inspector general as part of a larger report analyzing overall care in the units. "Polypharmacy has been raised as the primary concern of many patients and cadre, and we are concerned about the short- and long-term consequences of what has been described as "overmedication" of our soldiers," the Senators wrote to General Chiarelli.

* A follow-up report addressing how the Army is implementing recommendations and lessons learned from the EPICON report released last July, which examined the causes behind a string of violent incidents involving Fort Carson soldiers. Among the Senators' requests was an analysis of the steps the Army has taken to prevent and treat substance abuse by soldiers.

* A response to the Senators' request that the Army include Fort Carson in an expansion of its Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Pilot (CATEP) program, which allows soldiers to self-refer for alcohol abuse without notifying leadership. The EPICON report identified substance abuse as one common factor behind several violent incidents involving Fort Carson soldiers.

"After some serious problems, we've seen real improvements in soldier care at Fort Carson, but we still have work to do here and across the Army," Senator Udall said. "We've asked a great deal of our troops since September 11, and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I'm going to continue to work with the military to ensure we're providing the care our service members need for both physical and psychological wounds."

"Our troops put their lives on the line to protect us, and they deserve the best possible care when they come home," Senator Bennet said. "Conditions for troops appear to be improving at Fort Carson, but there is still work to be done to ensure our troops and their families are taken care of upon their return from service."

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