Troops' mental health problems/suicides finally getting media attention.

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CNN and MSNBC both did stories today on the increase of mental health problems in the military.

I expect this to become a larger issue in the near future because Kerry had pushed for proper health clearances for military personnel BEFORE the war. This included mental health testing along with the physical examinations. Given the recent reports, his concern now seems prescient.

Full statement from March 2003:


Kerry Calls for Investigation into Department of Defense's Treatment of U.S. Troops



"What's the message we're sending to our troops around the world today and those prepared to fight in Iraq? . I intend to keep the pressure on until we have answers and the certainty that we're keeping faith with our troops," says Kerry



Thursday, March 6, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to reports that the Department of Defense (DOD) has failed to uphold a post-Gulf War law requiring it to develop and implement a medical tracking system for service members deployed overseas, Senator John Kerry today called for an investigation of the DOD by the General Accounting Office (GAO).

“To ensure that the Department of Defense is upholding its obligations to our troops, I am calling on the General Accounting Office to investigate,” said Kerry. “And I intend to keep the pressure on until we have answers and the certainty that we’re keeping faith with our troops.”

On November 18, 1997, President Clinton signed into law Public Law 105-85, which required the DOD to develop and implement a medical tracking system for service members deployed overseas. The law required the DOD to perform medical examinations, before and after operational deployments, including “an assessment of mental health and the drawing of blood samples,” to, as the law puts it, “accurately record the medical condition of members before their deployment and any changes in their medical condition during the course of their deployment.”

According to recent reports, however, troops heading for the Iraqi theater are not getting health screenings, especially blood sampling, as mandated by law. According to the Kansas City Star: “The law, which grew out of concern about unexplained illnesses that followed the 1991 gulf war, required that troops receive mental and medical examinations before and after deployment overseas. The tests are intended to provide clues in case the phenomenon known as gulf war syndrome should recur. Instead, the Pentagon requires only a brief, one-page questionnaire asking for general health-related information.” (Kansas City Star, March 5, 2003, page A-1)

“These reports are extremely troubling. What’s the message we’re sending to our troops around the world today and those prepared to fight in Iraq? The message seems to be, ‘do your duty to country but your country won’t fulfill its duty to you if you’re lucky enough to return home.’ That’s not the America I know, and it’s not the America I want us to become. Those of us who’ve served in combat have a special understanding of the values at stake here and the importance of never breaking promises to those who may become our brothers in arms.

“Vets fighting for vets is how we’ve made most gains for veterans from recognition of Agent Orange to treatment of Post Vietnam Stress Disorder. I am very mindful that this law was inspired by the efforts of a previous generation of Gulf War veterans whose illnesses came to be known collectively as Gulf War Illness and drafted in the best interest of our men and women in uniform. We must insist it is carried out for those veterans who may follow.”

Kerry requested the investigation of DOD in a letter sent today to GAO. The text of the letter follows.

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March 6, 2003

Mr. David Walker Comptroller General The United States General Accounting Office 441 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20548

Dear Mr. Walker:

I write to request that the General Accounting Office examine Department of Defense (DOD) compliance with Public Law 105-85, Subtitle F, Sections 765 through 767.

On November 18, 1997, Public Law 105-85 was signed into law by President Clinton. Among its provisions are requirements that DOD develop and implement a medical tracking system for service members deployed overseas. The law requires DOD to perform medical examinations before and after operational deployments, including “an assessment of mental health and the drawing of blood samples,” to, as the law puts it, “accurately record the medical condition of members before their deployment and any changes in their medical condition during the course of their deployment.”

Unfortunately, reports in recent weeks indicate that DOD may not be performing this responsibility to the letter of the law. These reports are troubling. The requirements to develop and implement a medical tracking system were based on lessons learned from the 1991 Persian Gulf War when lack of medical surveillance, incomplete medical records, and information on the location of specific units during particular events led to uncertainty about whether or not the illnesses of many veterans were service related. Any deficiencies in DOD’s execution of the law are particularly worrisome as we face the prospect of war in Iraq again.

Given these concerns, I request that the General Accounting Office examine DOD compliance with the relevant provisions of Public Law 105-85, including the following specific issues:

1. Public Law 105-85, Subtitle F, Section 765 called for improved medical tracking for members of the armed forces deployed overseas in contingency or combat operations, and along with section 766, called for improved medical record-keeping, including documentation of immunizations and receipt of investigational drugs. What is DOD doing to fulfill these legal obligations? Are current measures adequate to meet the requirement for medical surveillance and documentation established in the law?

2. Section 767 required the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress by March 1, 1998 on plans “for collecting and maintaining information regarding the daily location of units of the Armed Forces, and to the extent practicable, individual members of such units, serving in a theater of operations during a contingency operation or combat operation.” Has DOD adopted such a plan? If so, has it been implemented at the unit level?

I would welcome discussion with the appropriate members of your staff regarding other areas of this or other laws that may be germane to this issue. Please contact Jim Ludes of my staff (224-7024) to discuss this request.

Sincerely,


John Kerry

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1. Bump

May be bigger than some realize right now.