My grandfather served in Japan and Korea with the 440th Signal Battalion during the Korean conflict. As a civilian, he was an auto mechanic and a rural letter carrier. Here he is in uniform - so many years ago - and more recently with me at my law school graduation.
I grew up next door to Pap, on a street we named in tribute him, 440th Boulevard. He is just one reason I am so deeply committed to those in the service and their families.
Members of the military have given a great service to our country, and we shouldn’t ask them to continue to bear that burden alone when they return home.
The burdens on our service men and women can be especially great for survivors of military sexual trauma. For years, I have fought for military members to get affordable, confidential access to the mental health services they need.
When I speak with veterans and survivors of sexual assault, I see the strength and courage they have to stand up in the face of adversity. It fuels my own dedication to ensure that our veterans are a top priority in Sacramento.
Too many of our brave service men and women come home from serving abroad and find a lack of critical support. We need leaders who will fight for the mental health and other services that the men and women of our armed forces, and their families, need after more than a decade at war.
Join me - and sign here - if you believe that our veterans deserve mental health and other critical services once they return home.
It’s time we better served our veterans who have so bravely served us.
-- Sandra
Update: Today, I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Military Mental Health Project, an amazing group that creates a culture of acceptance, awareness, and action regarding the issue of mental health and the military. They also seeks new and progressive ways of addressing issues like military suicide, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression -- providing military members in need and their families with partial aid for mental health services, counseling, and other treatment. Follow their work at @MMHPNews.