Sanford Bishop

These funding increases will mean a number of things: improved access to needed health care services at our V.A. medical facilities.

I think that is where... development and diplomacy.

We have made progress and we think we have some good ideas on how to break the cycle of homelessness.

Our effort is to prevent the first step of homelessness.

I understand that the construction money will remain there.

Let me just ask you about the Africa Command, AFRICOM.

That will deplete the capacity for those particular units to perform their Air Force missions, would it not?

You have had to utilize, for the Army and the Marine Corps, call service like Air Force medevac units. Is that not so?

I was unaware of the grimace. But thank you, Mr. Dicks, for yielding.

What do you see as the developing importance of the Africa Command?

Can I get you to put in a good word for that, also?

That is quality of life, and it relates to a lot of the other issues--suicide and mental health for child dependents of our military.

Somehow we must break that logjam.

We could not do what we are doing today without the contribution of our Guard and reserves.

I am concerned that the Department of the Army has somewhat ignored and underfunded some of the major infrastructure needs.

I am not concerned with an immediate problem of improving support to our troops in Afghanistan.

I think that is a problem. And we are not creating a problem where the V.A. is actually reaching out and getting veterans and bringing them into the system.

I should be finding that through the V.A. When I go access the V.A., they should be testing me, saying, 'Did you have any explosions?'

We need it to keep growing and keep building, because we have one opportunity to get in front of these veterans and give them an opportunity to transition into, you know, a good future.

And for the last 7 years, we have been fighting a war, but this country hasn't been prepared to deal with those people coming home.

And I just want to say thank you for that commitment, because that commitment is making all the difference.

None of which provides adequate funds to deal with a problem of this magnitude.

The Impact Aid program was added to ameliorate that but has been always underfunded.

I am very frustrated. And the communities that are being upsized are very frustrated.

It seems as if the Department of Defense has a moral responsibility to these communities, to help them accommodate the needs of our warfighters and their families when it comes to school construction.