Bill Text: NJ SR82 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Congress to create a post-deployment assistance program for veterans at Fort Monmouth.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-22 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR82 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SR82-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SEAN T. KEAN
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress to create a post-deployment assistance program for veterans at Fort Monmouth.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution urging Congress and the Department of Defense to create a federally funded program that provides post-deployment assistance for veterans at the current U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School facility at Fort Monmouth.
Whereas, Since October 2001 approximately 1,600,000 Americans have been deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
Whereas, For the first time since the Vietnam War, American troops have been engaged in protracted and sustained ground combat and are under a continuous threat of insurgent attacks; and
Whereas, Since the deployment of military personnel after September 11, 2001, 5,602 Americans have rendered the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms and 38,899 Americans have been wounded in combat as of July 22, 2010; and
Whereas, Countless American soldiers have returned home with post-traumatic stress disorder due to the horrifying and life-threatening experiences they endured during deployment; and
Whereas, Post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, marital problems, anger management issues, violent behavior, insomnia, employment problems, and even criminal behavior; and
Whereas, The impact of deployment to a combat zone is not limited to the soldier, but can also have serious psychological ramifications for the soldier's spouse and children; and
Whereas, Our nation is forever indebted to our veterans and their families for the tremendous sacrifices they have made to protect the freedoms that all Americans enjoy, and therefore it is our national responsibility to care for veterans and their family members who suffer from psychological conditions caused by deployment to a combat zone; and
Whereas, For over sixty years, the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth has trained some of America's bravest men and women for a life of service and dedication to our country; and
Whereas, Based upon the recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission of 2005, the Department of Defense has declared that the military facility at Fort Monmouth, including the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School, is in surplus to federal needs and will be closed in 2011; and
Whereas, The school is an ideal place to house a federally funded program designed to assist veterans with post-deployment issues and provide them with the proper psychiatric, psychological, medical and social care that they so clearly deserve; and
Whereas, Local veteran groups, such as Veterans Helping Veterans, are the ideal types of organizations to administer this program because of their similar experiences and their unique understanding of the stress and trauma caused by deployment to a combat zone; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The United States Congress and Department of Defense are respectfully urged to create a federally funded program that provides post-deployment assistance for veterans at the current U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School facility at Fort Monmouth.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the President and Vice-President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, every member of Congress elected from this State, and the Secretary of Defense.
STATEMENT
This Senate Resolution urges the United States Congress and the Department of Defense to create a federally funded program that provides post-deployment assistance for veterans at the current U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School facility at Fort Monmouth.
Since October 2001, approximately 1,600,000 Americans have been deployed to combat zones through Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. For the first time since the Vietnam War, American troops have been engaged in protracted and sustained ground combat and are under a continuous threat of insurgent attacks. As a result, our nation has experienced a flood of psychologically traumatized soldiers returning home from our overseas military operations.
As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to every member of our armed forces, especially those wounded physically or mentally while fighting to defend our freedoms. While the federal government has made great strides in improving post-deployment veteran services in recent years, many veterans are still in desperate need of support. In New Jersey, there is a unique opportunity for the federal government to help bridge the gap between those being assisted and those still in need.
The closing of the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth will create an opportunity to reinvent the facility as the home for a federally funded post-deployment assistance center administered by local veteran groups and the proper medical staff. By providing the facility and funding for the program, the federal government can allow our veterans to utilize their unique understanding of the stress and trauma caused by deployment to a combat zone. Moreover, veterans have already demonstrated the commitment to their fellow soldiers necessary to ensure that those returning from combat zones are provided with appropriate psychiatric, psychological, medical, and social care. By taking this opportunity, the federal government can help turn the school from one which prepares young Americans for the rigors of military life, to one which helps returning soldiers cope with the long term ramifications of the sacrifice they made in defense of our freedoms; thus giving both the facility and our suffering veterans a second chance at life.
