John Rice Carter: “This afternoon, I am pleased to join many of my colleagues to discuss the crucial need to improve access to critical…”

“This afternoon, I am pleased to join many of my colleagues to discuss the crucial need to improve access to critical mental health resources for veterans battling post- traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury, TBI. Georgia's First Congressional District, which I have the honor and privilege of representing, has a strong presence from each branch of the military, with 61,000 Active Duty servicemembers. We are home to four major military bases: Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, and Moody Air Force Base. My district is also home to over 50,000 veterans. Approximately 19,000 of these veterans are post-9/11 veterans, 14,000 are Gulf war veterans, 15,000 are Vietnam war veterans, 1,800 are Korean war veterans, and nearly 200 are World War II veterans. Suicide is a major issue, not just within Georgia's First District, but one across our entire Nation as well. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that an estimated 20 veterans a day commit suicide. Madam Speaker, that is totally unacceptable. Twenty servicemembers, 20 veterans a day committing suicide. It is a sad thought that 20 of our veterans and servicemembers are taking their own lives after returning home. Even worse, a recent study released this past summer by the Costs of War Project found that servicemembers and veterans are four times more likely to have committed suicide than those who lost their lives in combat. This is an epidemic.…”