Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth who lost both her legs in the War was recently appointed director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. Rather than become a robotic bureaucrat, she is speaking out against the Veterans Administration. She's responsible for a first-of-its-kind program that will mandate screening of all Illinois National Guard members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 24-hour toll-free psychological counseling for service members who may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No such program has been mandated in any other state or at the federal level. An estimated 10 to 25 percent of soldiers suffer from traumatic brain injury and PTSD, although that number could low since there is no regular screening.
Formerly a major in Army National Guard, Duckworth lost both her legs in the War; her husband is currently deployed in Iraq. Her theory is that soldiers returning with major physical debilitations like herself are seen and treated but what about the soldiers whose wounds are not so visible but equally as serious. The governor of Illinois is backing her plan and will find the funds to put it in action. She is hoping that other states follow suit.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20011966/site/newsweek/
