I am sorry I overlooked your military service. Thank you for that.

I think, in my view, there is always more to be done with any situation, however complex it may be.

The reasons which lead a young man or woman to contemplate ending their life are complex. So, too, are the solutions to prevent that from happening.

The Department of Defense has a critical role to play, but so do community organizations, veterans groups, nonprofits, churches, and others.

You needed the boot in the butt to get you in it?

Thank you for the ever-changing treatment process that we go through. It does prove that the VA is listening and learning.

Only days after that hearing, a National Guard unit headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, returned home from Iraq. Within 18 months of their return, four of the unit's 175 soldiers had taken their own lives.

I hope you would agree with me that if you were in theater and you saw a trend line that alarmed you, it would be something you would take very seriously.

This lack of response should not be acceptable to the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

The budget request includes a $13.4 billion supplemental appropriations, again, 2010, for the disability benefits of three new Agent Orange-related presumptions.

We must not forget our obligations to them, their families, and their survivors.

Well, my time has run out. I thank you for reminding us of the things we are not typically focused on up here which VA does day in and day out and does it pretty damn well.