Article about Mass. Vets Care program to prevent suicide. Kerry attends launch of program..

[beachmom]

http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2008/02/12/News/Program.To.Give.Vets.Extra.Care-3203545.shtml

Program to give vets extra care

Patricia Klien Vega

Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: News

A new program launched yesterday by the state Veterans' Services and Public Health departments promises there will be more than yellow ribbons and financial aid to welcome home Massachusetts veterans returning from active duty with emotional problems.

About 60 war veterans and advocates, including state officials and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, gathered in the hallway of the State House Grand Staircase to learn how the Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment program aims to prevent suicide through community advocacy, mental health awareness and treatment referrals.

Veterans' Services Secretary Thomas Kelley said SAVE will act as a liaison between veterans and their families and agencies within the federal and state governments.

Though suicide rates for returning active-duty soldiers are at an all-time high, Massachusetts has more funding for suicide prevention than any other state, said Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby.

...

Public and private figures shared their stories during the conference, with Kerry addressing the audience to explain how veterans of the Vietnam War, in which he served as a gunboat commander, were the first U.S. soldiers to speak about the realities of war and advocate for the creation of outreach service programs.

"We're making an effort to reach out and break through the warrior culture," he said. "What we're doing here today is not new, but an extension of what came before."

Kerry said soldiers are not a representation of a war itself and they need help to overcome any trauma that results from their service.

"Never confuse the warriors with the war," he said. "There are difficult burdens and scars."

This is the Senator Kerry we know and love. He ALWAYS has our veterans' backs when they come home from war.

[beachmom]

1. That's not all Kerry is doing for the vets this week:

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48742622_senator-kerry-pushes-investigation-kevlar-helmets

Senator John Kerry wrote to Department of Defense Inspector General, Charles M. Kicklighter today, to request that he report on sub-standard armor inside protective helmets that were distributed to troops over the last twenty years, including those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The DoD contractor, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, recently settled a $156 million suit alleging that Sioux knowingly manufactured helmets for American troops below critical minimum safety requirements. Despite reports of wrongdoing, the DoD recently awarded Sioux a new $74 million contract to make more helmets. This news is especially disturbing, considering the horrible toll head injuries have taken on American troops.

“The possibility that a company knowingly put troops at greater risk is unacceptable, but reports of the Pentagon’s inadequate response once these allegations surfaced are even more troubling,” said Kerry. “We need an investigation, not to dwell on the wrongdoing of the manufacturer, but to guarantee that our troops are never put at risk because their government can’t inspect the equipment meant to protect them. The lives and health of our troops are too important to be lost to negligence or bureaucratic foot-dragging.”

Find the text of Kerry’s letter below:

February 8, 2008

The Honorable Charles M. Kicklighter
Inspector General
United States Department of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

Dear Mr. Kicklighter:

I write to express my deep concern over recent press reports that our troops may not have received the best possible equipment to protect them in harm’s way.

Specifically, I was very troubled that Sioux Manufacturing, a Department of Defense contractor, reportedly provided up to 2.2 million Kevlar helmets that failed to meet the government’s minimum standards. I am also concerned that the Department’s investigation, which came in response to whistleblower allegations, did not adequately investigate the claims that brought this matter to light.

These issues are especially troubling given that this is not the first time that Sioux Manufacturing has been suspected of wrongdoing. According to published reports, this company has been the target of a federal investigation since 2006 for questionable business practices.

Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Office of the Inspector General conduct a thorough review of this matter. That review should, at a minimum, address the following critical questions: why the Department of Defense was not previously aware of this Kevlar deficiency in helmets; whether the Department has devoted enough resources to conduct quality assurance; whether the Department’s response to these allegations was adequate; and what steps are now being taken to ensure that future inspections reveal any breaches of critical safety standards.

We all agree that our brave men and women in uniform deserve the best equipment available. Having fought for increased funding to address the serious threat of traumatic brain injuries, I understand the vital role of body armor and helmets in protecting lives. Working together, we have made progress, but we can and must do better to protect our troops. Above all, we must ensure that troops are never again put at greater risk when it could have been avoided by holding a company accountable.

Thank you for your serious and timely consideration of this request. I look forward to hearing from you on this critical troop safety issue.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry