Report Finds Soldiers Stationed in Texas Bear Disproportionate Share of Burden of...

Report Finds Soldiers Stationed in Texas Bear Disproportionate Share of Burden
of War
Veterans for America's Wounded Warrior Outreach Program Releases New Report:

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- VFA's Wounded Warrior
Outreach Program has chronicled the experiences of the units of the U.S. Army,
on a state-by-state basis, that have been among our nation's most heavily used
in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. VFA has aggregated information on each
frontline unit's number of deployments, intensity of combat, and dwell time.
This report makes clear that the Soldiers who have seen the most combat
are the ones who are deployed repeatedly. Unfortunately, Department of
Defense studies prove that with each deployment Soldiers are 60% more likely
to develop severe post-combat mental health problems.
Our report finds that the Brigade Combat Teams (BCT's) and Armored Cavalry
Regiment stationed in Texas have borne a heavy burden fighting in Operation
Iraqi Freedom:
-- Eight of Texas' nine active-Army frontline units have served tours in
which they have suffered fatalities above normal for brigades deployed
to Iraq.

-- Fort Hood has lost more Soldiers than any other military installation.

-- The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment had less than a year at home between
its first and second tours.

-- The first Iraq tour of the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd BCT was extended
twice.

Veterans For America's Wounded Warrior Outreach Program has worked closely
with Soldiers and their families at Ft. Hood and we are deeply concerned with
the toll that our deployment cycles have taken.
"When elected representatives talk about the 'readiness' of the military,
they must also talk about the health of our troops," said Bobby Muller,
President of VFA. "We cannot consider our military 'ready' when we have
Soldiers at Ft. Hood returning to Iraq multiple times for excruciatingly long
tours with insufficient time at home. Our Soldiers are beginning to unravel."
Reports can be found at www.veteransforamerica.org .
SOURCE Veterans For America

Adrienne Willis of Veterans For America, +1-202-557-7509,
awillis@veteransforamerica.org