Swords to Plowshares

Local Veterans Sketpical Of Post-War Stress Bill

Swords was recently mentioned in a news story by ABC:

As recommendations were coming out from the Wounded Warrior Commission on how to improve military healthcare, a separate hearing on post traumatic stress disorder was also taking place on Capitol Hill.

The Senate passed sweeping legislation today that addressed some of what the presidential commission proposed. The House this afternoon was considering some of the same issues — restructuring disability pay, reducing red tape in the V.A. and getting more help for veterans with mental health conditions.

Rep. Bob Filner, (D) California: “Not only are soldiers being denied treatment for a very real problem, but they are put in a position where it is very, very difficult to get that treatment later on.”

Legislation passed today by the Senate would, among other things, provide $50 million dollars to expand brain screenings of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Veterans activists welcomed the news with skepticism.

Michael Blecker, Swords to Plowshares: “These things have been brought up repeatedly. The issue is what’s going to happen.”

Kenneth Crawford, Gulf War Veteran: “We’re going to have veterans galore here in the city of San Francisco and all over the United States that don’t know where to go, don’t know what to do, don’t know who to see.”