Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I wish to discuss what more we can do to prevent the scourge of suicides among our servicemembers. I have been concerned for quite some time about the physical and psychological challenges facing the men and women who serve in our military, including the unique challenges faced by members of the National Guard and Reserve. Despite a variety of programs to address the rate of suicide among National Guard and Reserve personnel, current statistics raise ongoing concerns about what more we can do to address this serious issue. In 2011, 165 Active-Duty soldiers and 118 Guard and Reservists took their lives, and the Army is on track to meet or surpass the same number of suicide related deaths again this year. I appreciate that the Armed Services Committee has included Section 512 in the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which establishes a suicide prevention and resiliency program specifically for the reserve component of the military. In order for these programs to succeed, all members of a community must work together and watch out for one another. This includes involving the private sector and universities, who can contribute valuable resources.…”