Published April 2007 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Pledging Allegiance to Our Veterans As recent news reports have detailed, many soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are not being provided the care that they have earned and deserve. Through investigations and Congressional hearings, it has become evident that the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are but the tip of the iceberg. We have heard firsthand accounts of soldiers being denied or delayed proper care and of nettlesome bureaucratic tangles. These reports raise serious concerns about the capacity of the military and the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical system to deliver proper care and treatment. In particular, the VA appears to be having difficulty dealing with the long-term health care challenges many of our soldiers face as the result of brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and other debilitating physical and psychological wounds so tragically common among our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Senator Rockefeller and I have fought for veterans' benefits for many years now. Through my work on the Committee on Appropriations and Senator Rockefeller's many years of solid leadership on the Committee on Veterans Affairs, we have worked hard to improve veterans' services in West Virginia, particularly for those who live in very rural areas. As part of our ongoing collaboration on behalf of veterans, Senator Rockefeller and I have set up special email accounts for soldiers and veterans to contact us directly and share their own personal experiences. Good or bad, we are very interested in hearing from West Virginia's veterans, service members, and their families about what is working well, what needs improvement, and how the delivery of medical services through the VA might be improved. Veterans, their families, and employees of the VA health care system are encouraged to write us at vets@byrd.senate.gov with their personal experiences and ideas. While we intend to use this feedback to develop a better understanding of the current state of West Virginia's VA health care system, individual names will be kept strictly confidential. Next year, the VA expects to treat 263,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. These brave men and women have served our nation in the most dangerous and volatile places on earth. Too many of our troops are returning injured, debilitated and battle-scarred for life. It is a moral imperative that we meet their needs to the best of our abilities, and with the highest degree of quality, professionalism, compassion and honor befitting their service. April 4, 2007