Brad Wenstrup

I was a pretty cheap recruit. In 1998, I just called 1-800-USA-ARMY and said I would like to join.

Yeah, I would be curious on that because it seems, as we are looking for places of savings, especially in the future, if we can combine them into one facility rather than two separate facilities.

I think it is appropriate to be affiliated with MWR.

I think that there is some benefit to that, obviously.

At this time, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close after my colleague has yielded back her time. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Thank you very much, Dr. Heck, Colonel Heck. Thank you for sharing that story. As a surgeon who served in Iraq, that was very moving to me and very familiar. I think about how my experience in war has changed the national anthem for me…

I thank the gentleman from Utah for his profound words and for sharing such a nice tribute. Next, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada, Dr. Joe Heck. Dr. Heck is a colonel in the United States Army Reserve and commands the Medical…

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas. At this time, I would like to recognized the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young). Mr. Young is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was a rifle platoon commander as well as an intelligence officer…

We need to maintain a strong deterrent force in this country whether we are at war or not.

We are asking way too much with way too little, and I am a firm believer, and I have always told veterans, and you can appreciate this, you meet a veteran who says, Well, I served but not during a war.

I have a grave concern about our readiness at this point, and I have seen the numbers, at least on the Army side, what the projections will look like.

It is really a shame the trend that we are on, and I sit on these committees, and I see everyone is concerned.

The purpose of these hearings is to hear the truth and to right wrongs.

You know, I want to applaud so many caregivers in the VA system.

I am hopeful that we will shatter mistaken perceptions that mental health care is not available, not appropriate, or not effective.

No veteran should be reluctant to ask for help because they are ashamed or embarrassed.

I know servicemembers that have been treated by you that have been very grateful for the care that they have received.

One of the things that I love that VA has created is a peer support technician program where we actually hire veterans as peer supporters...

For those in uniform today that are victims, I just returned from Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington, and they started a new program that I hope is successful and that can carry on throughout the military, and it is a sexual assault…

Truly effective care, however, will extend beyond the VA.

Studies suggest that 1-in-5 veterans of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD.

There is a growing recognition that we must develop better treatment for the invisible wounds that veterans bring home.

We can never repay them for their sacrifice, but we can honor it by ensuring that they and their families receive the care that they deserve.

A field hearing is an opportunity to bring Congress to Cincinnati, and I am pleased that the Subcommittee on Health will hear directly from the veterans, the family members of veterans, the service officers, and the community providers of…

It is important for us all to be engaged in this issue if we are going to truly improve the care that our veterans receive.