Washington, D.C. - Members of the Colorado congressional delegation today sent a letter to the Department of the Army following up on a recent visit to Fort Carson by congressional staffers to examine issues of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

In the letter, U.S. Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, and U.S. Representatives Mark Udall, John Salazar, Doug Lamborn and Ed Perlmutter, commended Fort Carson and the Army for the positive steps taken to address the mental health care challenges facing returning service members. The letter also expressed concern regarding the state of the overall Department of Defense health care system and advocated for additional resources to meet the needs of soldiers and their families.

Senator Wayne Allard: “I am pleased that Fort Carson opened their doors to staff from my office and other congressional offices. Everyone is committed to the goal of taking care of our wonderful soldiers. We have learned that Fort Carson is leading the Army in some healthcare areas and aggressively responding to the remaining challenges that vex the entire Army. We will not rest until we are assured that our soldiers are getting the best possible medical care.”

Senator Ken Salazar: “While Fort Carson is clearly making a good-faith effort to improve mental health treatment, it is clear that ongoing combat operations are placing a heavy strain on the system and the Department of Defense needs to allocate more resources to mental health treatment of soldiers. Fort Carson’s willingness to allow Congressional staff members unfettered access to its healthcare professionals helped not only to illustrate the commitment of these professionals to top care, but also to highlight the continuing system-wide challenges to continuity of care and the transition of soldiers from DOD to VA care.”

Congressman Udall (CO-2): “Fort Carson has come a long way to address the mental health care challenges faced by our troops when they return home from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. But as our staff learned in greater detail during their visit to Fort Carson last week, the system as a whole is under strain, with insufficient resources to meet real needs, and continuing problems with the stigma associated with PTSD. It is incumbent on the Army to help its soldiers understand that the act of seeking mental health care is one of strength, not of weakness. I remain committed to working closely with Fort Carson to ensure that our soldiers get the finest medical care available.”

Congressman John Salazar (CO-3): “I look forward to continuing our work with Fort Carson officials and ensuring that our soldiers receive the best health care available, especially in the areas of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injures. We must take care of our soldiers who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

Congressman Lamborn (CO-5): “Fort Carson has been more than willing to work with our delegation to address the needs of the troops. I am pleased the delegation can firmly work together in a bipartisan fashion to ensure the troops receive the necessary care they deserve.”

Congressman Perlmutter (CO-7): “We appreciate the open access Fort Carson provided to Members of Congress and their staffs to examine issues associated with the treatment of PTSD and TBI among returning soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. It is apparent the Fort Carson command structure is working to improve the screening for these injuries among returning soldier. However, more needs to be done to help with the seamless transition from the military to the civilian health care system. These improvements at Fort Carson need to be applied across the board at other Department of Defense hospitals. We look forward to working with Fort Carson and supporting their efforts to provide top quality medical care to our service members and their families.”

*Please find a copy of the letter attached.

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