“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones and the
entire Fort Hood family after yet another senseless and tragic shooting,” said
William A. Thien, the national commander of the 1.9 million-member Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States and its Auxiliaries.
“We
may never know why this soldier did what he did, but if for mental health
reasons, it’s important in the days ahead that our nation’s military and
political leaders don’t use the medical community as their scapegoat. The
Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs provide some of the nation’s very
best mental healthcare, but providing that care first takes someone to
voluntarily seek it.
“The
VFW also urges leadership to not make hasty decisions. There are no blanket
solutions when you deal with people whose individual problems can range from
invisible to incapacitating. The best you can do is increase education,
outreach and anti-stigma messaging, and to have the care available when and
where needed.
“These are challenging times and we are still a
nation at war, and a smaller force will not in any way reduce their stress.
That’s why I offer the mentorship of VFW members to everyone serving in
uniform. We are not trained mental health professionals, but as fellow
comrades-in-arms who have been to war and returned, we can relate.”