Keeping Our Promise to Our Nation’s Veterans

Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Each year on this day, Americans take a pause from school and the workplace to commemorate the service of our nation’s veterans. With one of the largest populations of veterans and active duty military servicemembers, Virginia plays a vital role in our nation’s defense.

As the son of an Air Force officer, the father of a Marine, and a Marine combat veteran myself, I understand the value of having leaders in Congress who know first-hand what it’s like to be deployed,  to have close family members deployed and, ultimately, to join the ranks of my fellow veterans.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, I take very seriously my commitment to serving our nation’s veterans and our active duty, National Guard, Reserve service members, and their families.  I believe that the extraordinary devotion to duty demonstrated by our military veterans in defending our nation’s security must be matched by a corresponding commitment to their welfare by their elected representatives in Congress.

That’s why I have spent a good deal of my life working at the federal level on issues that affect the well-being of veterans and their families. As we reflect today upon the sacrifices of those who have served our country honorably during times of peace and war, I wanted to highlight a number of successes we have achieved in Congress.   

The Post-9/11 GI Bill
The passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill which I drafted, introduced on my first day in office, and championed in Congress with broad bipartisan, support is extremely important for the men and women who have volunteered to join the ranks of the military since 9/11.  It gives our new ‘greatest generation’ the same opportunity for a first-class future that our servicemembers received after World War II.  In so doing, just as with the original GI Bill, we are making a wise and deserved investment in our veterans that will pay off handsomely the years ahead for our economy and our country as a whole

Supporting TRICARE
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2010, enacted into law last month, bolsters the national TRICARE health care program for our veterans, by extending eligibility for TRICARE standard to so-called “gray-area” retirees and preventing increases in copayments for inpatient care at civilian hospitals under TRICARE Standard.

Caring for our Wounded Warriors
The servicemen and women affected by traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) deserve the best possible care. The Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act provides for enhanced health care and a comprehensive plan on the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, and treatment of TBI and PTSD.  The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 contains additional provisions to improve care for our wounded warriors, including the establishment of a Center of Excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss and auditory system injuries. Additional provisions to ensure our wounded warriors receive the highest-quality treatment are contained in the fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill.

Stronger Health Care Delivery
Just as our veterans are deserving of the best healthcare available, so too should they receive it on a prompt and seamless basis.  At times in the past, however, when such appropriations have been delayed, veterans have experienced interruptions in healthcare service.  No more.  I supported the successful enactment this year of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 which gives the VA a new two-fiscal-year budget for its health services.  This will far better ensure the full and uninterrupted delivery of health care for our veterans.

Reducing the Benefits Backlog
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 increased the VA budget and focused added attention on the disgraceful claims backlog. One result was the hiring of nearly 4,200 new employees to take care of these claims—to process them more quickly and in greater number. The number of claims completed this fiscal year is 10 percent greater than the same period in fiscal year 2008. There is still room for improvement.  As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I will continue to press for the swift completion of disability claims and the continued modernization of the VA’s processing system itself.  

These important legislative accomplishments testify to the high priority this Congress has placed on our nation’s veterans’ welfare.  As we honor those who have served in uniform this Veterans Day, we should remember that they have always done what the country asks of them in every war.  When they take off their uniform to return to family and friends in civilian life, it is our responsibility to act as their stewards to demonstrate the value we place on their service to our nation.

Senator Jim Webb, former Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense, is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts.  He serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and chairs the powerful Personnel subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.