Russ Feingold: “My amendment is designed to correct a flaw in the current law that unintentionally but severely restricts the number of…”

“My amendment is designed to correct a flaw in the current law that unintentionally but severely restricts the number of families of injured servicemembers that qualify for assistance to travel to the bedside of their wounded loved ones. This issue came to my attention when Tina Justice, the wife of Wisconsin Army National Guard 1LT Christopher Justice, contacted my office late last fall. First Lieutenant Justice and eight other members of Company B of the 118th Medical Battalion were traveling in a three vehicle convoy near Baghdad on September 12, 2004 and were waiting to clear a roadblock when they noticed a suspicious vehicle racing towards them. Members of Company B quickly responded, but the driver was still able to blow up his vehicle. The swift reaction undoubtedly saved many lives that day, but eight of the nine members of Company B still sustained injuries from the powerful blast, three severe enough to require evacuation to the United States. First Lieutenant Justice was one of the three soldiers seriously injured and evacuated, first to Germany, and finally to Walter Reed, where he underwent several surgeries for his injuries. All three injured Wisconsin guardsmen received exceptional medical care from the outstanding medical staff at Walter Reed. The guardsmen were also very grateful to be able to see their families who quickly rushed to be with them during this very traumatic time.…”