Words to Action fromthepresident
N
Despite positive rhetoric from defense leaders, veterans and their family members aren’t getting the care they need. If we really want to honor veterans Nov. 11, it’s our actions that matter.
No nation treats returning veterans better than the U.S. But after 11 years of war, and tens of thousands of injured servicemembers, veterans’ families and caregivers aren’t getting the help they need. Already a decade late on solutions, our federal bureaucracies want more time — up to fi ve more years — to develop some. At MOAA’s Warrior-Family Sympo- sium in September (see link below*), pan- elists shared heart-wrenching accounts of the diffi culties they’ve encountered trying to get the help they need. It concerns me problems persist, be- cause defense leadership seems to be saying all the right things. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says military leaders should be judged on how they lead on these issues. The administration recently created the Military and Veterans Mental Health Interagency Task Force to improve mental health services, with 15 pilot programs. It’s a start, but the scope of the propos-
als is very long-term. I believe defense leaders are sincere and care about prob- lems we all hear about. What makes me uneasy is actions to address existing prob- lems do not match the rhetoric. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chair of the
House Committee on Veterans’ Aff airs, says our veterans face a mental health care cri- sis “right now.” I agree with that. I believe nothing would be better for our veterans on this Veterans Day than for service providers to develop a sense of urgency. They need to cut through interagency bureaucracy and
achieve quick results. MOAA has developed an eight-point plan to achieve this goal: Assume a wartime-urgency mentality focused on creating near-term results (not long-term administrative processes). Do whatever it takes to implement a joint DoD/VA electronic health record within two years (versus waiting another fi ve years, as currently planned). Develop a scorecard to measure results of agency collaboration, and hold leaders accountable for near-term success. Use civilian providers to ease unaccept- able delays in accessing VA mental/behav- ioral health providers. TRICARE network providers, Military Family Life Consul- tants, Military OneSource, and Give An Hour are some potential sources of care. Consolidate all veteran employment programs under the VA, where veterans typically turn for support. Expand — not cut — military and VA family-caregiver programs and recovery coordinator positions. Pursue fast-track legislation authorizing service animals for veterans with severe psychological and physical challenges. Develop materials to better prepare care- givers for physical, emotional, and other challenges they and their wounded, ill, or injured veterans likely will encounter.
— Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
*online: Watch video of MOAA’s Warrior-Family Symposium at
www.moaa.org/wfs. 14 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2012
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108