By U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud(D-Maine)
In my role as the Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, I regularly work with military and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials to improve the health care available to our soldiers and our veterans. An important part of my job is visiting bases and hospitals here at home and abroad to get an in-depth view of what our soldiers and veterans face. In August, I led a congressional delegation to Iraq, Kuwait and Germany. The purpose of that trip was to visit medical facilities in the chain of care for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) service members. I was joined by VA Secretary James Peake and a number of other Representatives from across the country. It was important for us to see first-hand the level and quality of health care being provided to our active duty service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. The care soldiers receive in theatre is the foundation for what they will need when they enter the VA health care system.
This October, I went to Kuwait and Iraq. This was my third trip to the region, and I was joined by Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Congressman Todd Platts (R-PA). The trip originally included stops in Afghanistan and India, but the itinerary was cut short due to security and logistic issues. The purpose of this trip was to assess the progress of political, military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
While in Iraq, we toured the Balad Air Force Theatre Hospital, which is one of the primary in-theatre hospitals for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is traumatic brain injury. Last year, after holding hearings on the subject and meeting veterans struggling with TBI, I introduced the bipartisan bill H.R. 2199, the Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act of 2007. This bill would address the challenges presented by traumatic brain injury and improve the quality of care available to rural veterans. H.R. 2199 requires TBI screening for veterans and establishes a comprehensive program for long-term TBI rehabilitation. It authorizes funds for the establishment of centers for TBI research, education, and clinical activities, and forms the Committee on Care of Veterans with TBI. The bill also creates a pilot program for delivering readjustment counseling and mental health services to rural veterans through mobile Vet Centers. This bill passed the House of Representatives but has been stalled in the Senate.
In addition to examining health care issues, the delegation participated in a “battlefield circulation” where we walked through a marketplace in Samara and visited the Golden Mosque reconstruction site. The Golden Mosque, one of Iraq’s most sacred Shiite shrines, was bombed by insurgents in 2006 and is seen as a tipping point in Iraq’s civil war. According to the State Department, we were the first official US government delegation to be able to do this in Samara.
The delegation also visited a water treatment plant and health clinic in Sadr City and received several operations and intelligence briefings from commanders near Tikrit and Baghdad. The military, political, economic and cultural issues of Iraq are going to be a concern to the American people for many years to come – regardless of when we pull our troops out. Trips like this give me real-time data and perspectives that inform my activities and decisions back in Washington.
A highlight of the trip was being able to visit with soldiers from Maine. I am so proud of all our men and women in uniform who serve so willingly and bravely in harm’s way everyday. The young men and women I met have chosen to serve, and I am grateful for the sacrifices made by them and their families. We must live up to their commitment by ensuring that those who serve receive the best physical and mental health care when they return home. Progress has been made, but more can be done.
