WASHINGTON, DC – Each November, our nation pauses to honor those who have honorably served our country through military service. Veterans’ Day provides an important reminder to citizens that our freedoms simply aren’t free.
This past year, I had the pleasure of visiting servicemembers deployed in Afghanistan, and forward deployed in Singapore, Australia, Germany, Italy and Turkey. I recently spent a day in the woods with some of our Marines training at Quantico. On November 2, I met with veterans who serve on my Veterans’ Advisory Council and veterans of the Korean War. Our nation has learned much from what happened at the beginning of the Korean War. At that time, our country was not prepared to go to war. We did not ensure that our forces were ready for combat and we sent under-trained and under-equipped Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines into harm’s way. From that experience, harsh lessons were learned that should direct our current and future decision makers about investing in our servicemembers.
Visiting with our current and former servicemembers is an honorable and humbling experience. Nothing makes me prouder than to be in the presence of men and women who are so faithful and committed to this country and to defending the Constitution of the United States and honoring the oath that they swore to uphold when they volunteered to serve.
I have also sworn an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, “to provide for the Common Defence.” I will not sit quietly and let our military deteriorate to the point where we might have to send our sons and daughters to combat unprepared. As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, I am committed to maintaining the readiness of our forces-and those who support them. I will continue to press the Administration and the Pentagon on how our military will be prepared to fight in the 21st century when decisions are being made to cut essential equipment and training dollars for our troops.
Those who serve in our all-volunteer force deserve nothing less than a full commitment from government to receive the benefits they have earned and deserve. That’s why, since being elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have made it a priority to not only provide for those who are currently serving, but also to support legislation to meet the current and future needs of our nation’s veterans and servicemembers. The House has recently passed important legislation affecting veterans. These bills help to uphold our nation’s commitment to those who have volunteered in her defense:
H.R. 2189 addresses the disability claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by establishing a commission or task force charged with examining the root causes of the backlog and proposing solutions for eliminating it by 2015.
H.R. 2481 proposes creation of an Economic Opportunity Administration within the VA, enabling the department to better focus on veterans’ transition to civilian life.
H.R. 1405 would require the VA Secretary to include an appeals form along with any benefits-denial notification, institute key reforms to VA’s fiduciary program and provide honorary veterans’ status to members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Earlier this year, the House also passed:
H.R. 235, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2013, which streamlines state requirements to assist veterans who complete EMT training while serving in the Armed Forces to meet state EMT requirements
H.R. 384, Homes for Heroes Act of 2013, which establishes a Department of Housing and Urban Development Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs.
To those who have so honorably served our nation: thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your service to this nation and for the service and sacrifice of your families. And for all of the servicemembers – our future veterans – deployed around the globe today, standing the watch in harm’s way and committed to the cause of freedom and the defense of America: thank you.
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.
