From their flag lapel pins to their yellow ribbon bumper stickers, every politician in America wants you to believe they “support the troops.”  But actions speak louder than words.  When veterans’ issues actually came to a vote in Washington, what did your representatives do? 

Now, it’s easy to find out, thanks to IAVA Action Fund’s 2008 Congressional Report Card. At IAVA Action Fund, we tracked every bill and vote on veterans’ issues.  We’ve crunched the numbers, and today we’re releasing letter grades for every single Senator and Representative on Capitol Hill (including McCain, Obama and Biden). In just a few clicks, you can find out how your representatives voted.

How did Congress do this year?  Over all, they scored very well.  From the passage of the landmark Post-9/11 GI Bill to fully funding the Department of Veterans Affairs, we have tremendous progress to celebrate this year. More than 150 legislators earned a perfect score, a grade of A+.

But some lawmakers failed to vote in support of our troops and veterans. This year, 9 politicians earned Ds or Fs. If you want to ask your Senator or Representative why they failed to show real support for our troops and vets, we’ve made that easy - just click here.

There are many serious issues at stake this election year.  Unfortunately, Iraq and Afghanistan have gotten pushed to the back burner, even as the media have found plenty of time for Paris Hilton and other silliness. For a country at war, this kind of neglect is simply shameful. 

Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are hard at work every day. It’s time that our lawmakers put their money where their mouth is, and show the same devotion to their jobs here in Washington. As we head into tonight’s presidential debate, please help keep the needs of our troops and veterans in the public eye.  Visit VeteranReportCard.org, and share it with your friends.

Our most basic charge as service member is to defend the country and its way of life.  No action exemplifies the core principles of freedom more than the simple act of voting.  It is our most basic right and one that we have had to fight for throughout our history.  One would think that for those charged with its defense, casting a vote would be simple.  Sadly, this is not the case.  Many service members vote not in the district in which they are stationed, but in their home of record. The transitory lifestyle of the military makes this a common and necessary practice, and local municipalities generally have effective procedures in place to accommodate its constituents serving around the country.  However, for those serving overseas the process is difficult, and for those deployed overseas, the process is practically impossible to navigate without the help and support of the DOD.

In 2000, I was deployed to Bosnia during the Presidential Primary Elections.  Knowing beforehand that I would be deployed, I applied for an absentee ballot.  As I did not know where I would be stationed, I had it sent to my parents thinking that they would be able to send it to me, and I could return it in time.  As you can imagine, this was not the case.  The ballot took two weeks to get to me at Camp Tuzla, another two weeks for it to return to California, and it missed the deadline.  For all of us who have been deployed, we all know and accept the realities of the Military postal system.  By and large, the system works pretty well, but it is near impossible to deal with anything time sensitive.  In Bosnia, the system was unpredictable.  In Iraq and Afghanistan, the system is functional, but chaotic.  Clearly, there needs to be a special emphasis and assistance from the DOD in order to ensure that those who are fighting for our freedoms are able to cast their vote and be counted.

Currently the DOD uses the Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP), which provides a 460 page instruction manual detailing the step by step procedures for completing and sending the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).   The FPCA is a combined voter registration and absentee ballot application that was created from the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voter Act of 1986.  As states have a variety of different requirements, the “catch all” FPCA is difficult to fill out and a significant portion end up getting rejected by the states.  According to a Pew Research study, 40,000 military FPCAs were rejected in 2006 due to some error in filling out state requirements.  Furthermore, units Voter Assistance Officers are not given proper training on the difference between local registration and the FPCA.

In 2004 I was appointed as the Voter Assistance Officer (VAO) for my Troop.  The only information or guidance I received was the memo assigning me the extra duty.  Being responsible, I set out on my own to find resources and pathways to get my soldiers registered either locally or in their home state.  I did locate the FVAP, and made attempts to get every soldier that was interested properly registered.  In 2004 this was not as easy of a task as it is today.  In garrison, this program works, as it relies on the predictability of the US. Mail.  However, the Pew study shows that in 2004 VAOs reached only 50%of military voters.  Furthermore, states require a myriad of different requirements that lead to confusion and error when filling out the FPCA.  The Federal Voter Assistance Program is assigned the responsibility to register overseas voters, yet does not have the authority to affect and change the systems needed to make registration happen.

On October 1, the Senate passed S 3073, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. This act requires the Secretary of Defense to establish procedures for collecting absentee ballots of military overseas voters in elections for federal office; and delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials.   Additionally, it mandates that the delivery must take place prior to the polls closing and authorized the DOD to use express mail and contract delivery services to ensure local receipt of ballots.

This Act takes care of the biggest and most obvious flaw with Federal Voter Assistance Program.  As anyone who has been deployed will tell you, it is impossible to plan for anything time sensitive through the mail from a combat zone.   In 2006 86% of the FPCAs were sent via the mail, and with the military postal system average round trip being 24-36 days to and from Iraq and Afghanistan there is little to no room for error.  Given that most service members transfer units every two to three years, and are deployed every 18- 24 months; most addresses are obsolete by the next election cycle.  In 2006 this resulted in 35,000 military and overseas citizen absentee ballots being returned to local election officials as undeliverable.   By requiring the DOD to ensure the safe and timely passage of military ballots to their home districts each election cycle, service members are one step closer toward ensuring that the vote that they fight to defend gets counted.  Additionally, by not distinguishing between FPCAs and locally obtained election materials, the DOD allows for a much smoother process in requesting and returning the service member’s absentee ballot.

S 3073 is not a complete solution.  While it does provide a greater level of assistance to the service members in ensuring timely delivery of election materials, it does not directly address the variance in state registration requirements, nor does it provide the FVAP broader authorities in reducing barriers for military voters.  S3073 is a good first step, and one that I feel is long since overdue.

Every year more then one hundred thousand veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan to restart their lives. Many of those men and women spent their free moments while deployed day dreaming about achieving a brighter future by attending college and earning a degree. With the recent passage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill those dreams are now within reach. 

Unfortunately, due to the transitory life style of many service members, some unlucky veterans cannot meet educational residency requirements, and will be penalized for their service..  A returning service member who had little or no control on where s/he was stationed may not qualify for in state tuition at their local state college.  Whether a servicemember is stationed in North Carolina, Germany or even Iraq, the needs of the military prevail over the desires of the servicemember and therefore we have solemn obligation to honor their selfless service.

With the passage of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, the effects of these policies becomes a direct impediment to the promise that we make to our nation’s protectors.  The Post 9/11 GI Bill will pay the in-state tuition rate at any public, undergraduate institution. Consequently, if a state residency requirement penalizes honorable service by requiring the returning veteran to pay out of state rates then even the new GI Bill won’t fulfill that promise.

We at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) believe that each state should model their residency requirements for veterans on Ohio’s example. Ohio recently passed legislation that rewarded national service by offering in state tuition for any veteran with honorable service. This forward thinking policy acknowledges the transitory nature of military service and strengthens the opportunities for veterans in Ohio to achieve a first class future.

On Friday, I watched as the two presidential candidates squared off for their first debate. As an Iraq veteran and as the Executive Director of the nation’s first and largest group for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have a vested interest in the future direction of our foreign policy.

But in a debate that bounced from fiscal responsibility to off-shoring drilling and nuclear energy, one thing was notably absent: any real discussion of the overall readiness of our military or veterans’ issues.  And this was supposed to be the debate on national security?  Over and over again, we heard about Wall Street and Main Street.  Well what about Range Road?

Seven years of war have pushed our military to a breaking point. But on Friday, critical issues such as recruiting woes, equipment shortfalls, the overextension of our reserve forces, and the spiraling rate of mental health injuries went ignored.  Our troops are serving multiple, extended combat tours, and suicide numbers for the Army are tragically at a historic high. Alarmingly, most experts now warn that our military might not be able to respond effectively if another conflict were to break out. 

While last week’s near meltdown of the financial sector made it difficult to ignore the current economic crisis, I wasn’t expecting the concerns of our military or veterans’ issues to fall by the wayside entirely. It took a full 40 minutes before Senators Obama and McCain even began discussing the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. How much of the remaining time was devoted to veterans’ issues? Five minutes .  And the only time the issues of our troops took center-stage was when both candidates pointed to the bracelets given to them by mothers of service members who were killed in action in Iraq. That looked like two candidates using our troops as political props yet again. 

Foreign policy and national security cannot and should not sit on the backburner.  Let’s hope Senator Biden and Governor Palin, who will both have sons serving in Iraq by Election Day, do a better job addressing these issues tonight. Our nation’s service members and veterans will be watching.

Here is the Testimony I submitted to the House Veterans Affairs Sub-Committee on Health.  It deals primarily with the VA’s accompanying outreach to their suicide prevention hot line.

Mr. Chairman, ranking member and distinguished members of the committee, on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and our more than 100,000 members nationwide, I thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony regarding veteran suicide, and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ outreach efforts.

Since the beginning of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have witnessed a dramatic upswing in suicide rates among troops on active-duty and veterans. In 2006, the suicide rate for active-duty soldiers reached its highest level in decades, with 97 Army suicides. In 2007, this disturbing trend escalated beyond all expectations to 115. And just last week, it was revealed that the suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2008 are likely to be even higher, as there have been 62 confirmed and 31 suspected suicides already this year. Tragically, for the first time since the Vietnam War, the Army suicide rate is on track to exceed that of the civilian population.

While the rate of military suicides is closely monitored, the VA only just recently began tracking the suicide rate for veterans.  From 2002 - 2005, 141 veterans who left the service after September 11, 2001 took their own lives. In 2006 alone, there were 113 suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans. The suicide rate for male veterans ages 18-29 in 2006 was about 46 suicides per 100,000, compared with about 20 suicides per 100,000 for their nonveteran peers. And these are just the cases that are being tracked by the VA.  For veterans of all generations, data on suicide is equally troubling. While veterans make up only 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 20% of the suicides. As evidenced by these statistics, suicide is likely to be a long term problem for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Multiple tours, inadequate dwell time between tours, strained relationships, and financial difficulties have all contributed to the rising rate of suicide among active-duty troops and veterans. Mental health injuries are also a major risk factor. According to a RAND study, 300,000 of the 1.7 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan will develop combat-related mental health issues.  Many of these cases will go untreated, and if allowed, develop into severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Suicide is the end result of multiple failures in our military and veterans’ mental health care systems.  Inadequate mental health screening upon redeployment, professional and personal stigma attached to mental health care, and inadequate VA outreach have brought us to this crisis, with little to no end in sight.

The establishment of the VA suicide hotline last year was a critical first step in reversing this trend, and with over 55,000 calls received, it is clear that the VA moving in the right direction in getting the message out about this service.  The success of the VA hotline is admirable and we applaud them for making this toll-free hotline available to veterans in need.  But with the hotline averaging 250 calls per day from troubled veterans and concerned family members, it is clear that more needs to be done to reach out to vulnerable veterans and get them the help they desperately need.

The VA is currently testing outreach advertisements in the Washington, DC region.  While these efforts are necessary, the execution leaves much to be desired.  Appearing on buses and trains, these print ads do not adequately relate to veterans of this conflict and are not as effective as they could be.  The silhouette employed in the ad is clearly not of a modern soldier, and the ad itself blends into the background of ads that litter our public transportation system.  It is clear that while the VA had the right idea with their outreach efforts, they have not done sufficient advertising research to connect with veterans of the current conflicts.

IAVA is doing its part to reach out to new veterans, and ensure that they know about the services available to them. IAVA has recently partnered with the Ad Council for a historic 3-year Public Service Announcement campaign set to launch on Veterans Day.  It is our belief that through extensive research, testing and the use of multiple mediums, including TV, radio, print, and the internet, we will be able to reach those veterans who need and do not typically seek help.

However, outreach alone will not stem the rise in veteran suicide.  IAVA believes that a mandatory and confidential mental health screening with a mental health professional pre- and post- deployment is the first and most critical step in the early detection and prevention of combat-stress injuries that so frequently lead to suicide.  Additionally, IAVA believes that the VA must open its doors to the families of veterans so that they can receive and participate in the recovery and reintegration of our service men and women.  Coupled with a targeted and thoughtful outreach campaign by both the VA and the VSOs, these critical actions can begin to stem the tide of suicides that is tragically affecting our nation’s heroes.

It is clear by the success of the VA hotline that there are those out there who want to reach out and need to receive care.  Now, we must redouble our efforts to reach out to those who are reluctant, yet need care none the less.  IAVA looks forward to working with the VA and the VSO community to ramp up outreach and formulate a message that modern veterans will respond to.  The alarming trend of suicides can be reversed and we are committed to providing any and all assistance needed to the VA to improve their outreach efforts.  Together as a community, we can help our brothers and sisters return from war and readjust from warrior to citizen.

At approximately 8:40 pm EST on Saturday, September 27, IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff is scheduled to join CNN for special roundtable discussion on what was and was not addressed during the first presidential debate.  For more information on IAVA’s Top Ten Actions for the Next President, click here.

Iraq
Turkish warplanes struck 16 targets in a new raid against Kurdish rebels in Northern Iraq.  U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker is accusing Iran of trying to derail a security agreement between the U.S. and Iraq that would authorize American troops to remain in the country past Dec. 31.

Afghanistan
President Bush is set to get an update today from President Karzai on the civilian reconstruction work in Afghanistan.  Pakistani and American ground troops exchanged fire along the border of Afghanistan yesterday. According to Gen. Petraeus, a “comprehensive approach” is needed to end the war in Afghanistan.

Washington
President Bush has signed the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, which paves the way for disabled veterans and survivors receiving dependency and indemnity compensation to receive a benefits increase that matches the hike in Social Security benefits. Legislation passed by the House yesterday would expand treatment of substance abuse and mental health care for veterans, as well as provide counseling for their families.  An Air Force Colonel told a Senate Panel yesterday how a U.S. training program was adapted into harsh interrogation practices for use against Iraqi detainees. The VA has designated ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease as a service-connected disease, and is authorizing the Department to provide full access to health and disability benefits to any veteran with the condition.

Military News
The GAO has rejected a claim that testing of improved body armor for U.S. troops was flawed, jumpstarting the stalled $1 billion Army project.

In the waning days before Congress departs Washington for the rest of the year and in the midst of all the turmoil dealing with the Wall Street bailout debate, landmark veterans’ legislation is quietly clearing Congress and making its way to the President.

First, Congress is poised to pass a full and on-time budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the first time since the conflicts began in Afghanistan and Iraq. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed a VA budget (H.R. 2638) that exceeded last year’s historic increases by $7.3 billion. The Senate is set to approve the proposed budget this weekend in a special Saturday session, and it will likely reach the President’s desk early next week.

This historic budget will: 

• Enable the VA to hire roughly 2,000 additional claims processors to tackle the backlog of benefits claims and to reduce the time spent processing new claims
• Provide veterans with advanced prosthetics (increase of $250 million to existing program)
• Make substantial increases to mental health and substance abuse care
• Increase gas mileage reimbursement rates from 28.5 cents to 41.5 cents per mile for veterans who need to travel for long distances to receive care
• Expand access to VA health care for veterans without health insurance, by increasing enrollment of Priority 8 veterans
• Reject proposed fee increases and cuts to vital programs like homeless housing grants

Second, Congress is preparing to pass S.3001, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would mean an increase in base pay for servicemembers and a rejection of TriCARE fee and co-pay increases. Furthermore, H.R. 2638, the recently passed massive stop-gap funding measure, which includes the 2009 Defense budget, provides $500/month in additional compensation for servicemembers affected by the Pentagon’s Stop Loss policy.

Third, S. 2162, the Veterans’ Mental Health Improvements Act, will greatly expand VA substance abuse services, create a pilot program in rural areas for veterans to access local community mental health clinics in lieu of driving hours to a VA facility, and clarify that the VA has the authority to offer marriage and family counseling to the families of veterans.

Lastly, both chambers have agreed on S. 3023, the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act, which would: 

• Extend temporary increases to the maximum loan cap for VA home loans. This cap could be as high as $729,750 and as low as $417,000, depending on the median housing prices for the area. It also allows veterans to refinance their current mortgages with a VA home loan.
• Strengthen USERRA laws by granting judges broader powers to remedy USERRA violations.
• Allow deploying servicemembers to suspend or terminate cellular contracts during an overseas deployment over 90 days or permanent PCS within the US. 
• Eliminate a VA requirement that a veteran’s severance pay for a combat-related disability be deducted from the disability compensation provided by the Department.
• Give the VA the authority to assign qualified veterans temporary disability ratings within 365 days of receiving an application.
• Allow a qualified dependent survivor to receive and update evidence for benefits that were requested by a veteran before his or her death.

Iraq
A U.S. soldier has been killed by a suicide bomber in Diyala.  18 members of Iraqi security forces have been killed in an ambush northeast of Baghdad.

Western lawyers are arguing that the Iraqi court who sentenced Saddam Hussein to death discarded due process in his trial. Iraq’s parliament has passed a key provincial elections law. Iraq’s leading humanitarian organization has been crippled by allegations of embezzlement and mismanagement.

Afghanistan
The Army is awarding its first Silver Star to an active-duty civil affairs soldier, Sgt. 1^st Class Drew Kimmey. Pakistani troops fired on two U.S. recon helicopters near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Violent crime is plaguing Kabul, and the vital truck and bus routes that connect the Afghanistan’s major cities.

Washington
As part of the 2009 Mil-Con-VA spending bill, the mileage reimbursement rate would increase to 41.5 cents a mile for veterans traveling to VA medical centers.  The House has passed the defense authorization bill, clearing way for the 3.9 percent pay raise for service members to reach the Senate floor and eventually the President’s desk.

Military News
Eight generals have been disciplined as a result of the mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear warheads to Taiwan. A Guantanamo Bay military prosecutor is stepping down over his office’s suppression of evidence.

Iraq
U.S. soldiers accidentally shot and killed the leader of a local U.S.-allied Sunni group, after coming under heavy fire north of Baghdad. The Army is investigating possible chemical exposure for an Indiana soldier and other troops in Iraq. Jordan received its first subsidized Iraqi oil under a new deal between the two nations. Iraq’s Sunni Awakening Councils fear abandonment as the Iraqi government is poised to take control of them from the U.S. military in the coming months. US officials resume negotiations with Baghdad over the controversial security pact.

Afghanistan
A new “grim” National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan will remain classified at least through the 2008 election. According to Secretary Gates, up to three more combat brigades could be available to go to Afghanistan beginning next spring.

Taliban attacks in Kabul targeted Afghan police officers, killing 6. Afghanistan’s president wants the next American President to send money, planes and equipment to strengthen the Afghan army. What appears to be a U.S. pilotless drone has crashed in Pakistan, threatening to strain already tense relations between Pakistan and the U.S. military.

Washington
The VA is revising how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries for its disability ratings system, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Congressional negotiators have reached an agreement in five days on the $605 billion defense authorization bill, and it could receive final approval by as early as the end of the week.   

Military News
A 22-year-old sailor and an Air Force officer were among the dead after Saturday’s suicide bombing at the Marriot hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.