Lee Zeldin: “This week I introduced legislation in the House to expand the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program to the…”

“This week I introduced legislation in the House to expand the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program to the national level. PFC Joseph Dwyer was from Mount Sinai, New York, located in my home district of Suffolk County. PFC Dwyer served in Iraq and received nationwide recognition for a photograph that went viral, showing him cradling a wounded Iraqi boy while his unit was fighting its way up to the capital city of Baghdad. Sadly, after returning home and struggling with PTSD, PFC Dwyer died in 2008 and left behind a young widow, Matina, and a 2-year-old daughter, Meagan. In 2012, while serving in the New York State Senate, I created the Dwyer Program as part of the 2012-2013 State budget. Originally in four counties, including Suffolk, this program has since expanded to over a dozen counties throughout New York. The Dwyer Program is a peer-to-peer support program for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The program provides a safe, confidential, and educational platform where all veterans are welcome to build vet-to-vet relationships, supporting each other's transition from service to post- service life. During the first year alone, we were able to conduct 148 group sessions, serving 450 veterans just within Suffolk. Since 2013, the program has helped over 1,500 veterans in New York State battling PTSD and TBI.…”