OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma Senate committee
has approved a measure to improve the care given to Oklahoma National
Guard members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Brian Crain,
says many guard members with post-traumatic stress disorder don't get
proper treatment. His bill, passed Wednesday by the Senate Veterans and
Military Affairs Committee, calls for training for members' caregivers
on treating PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
Crain says the bill is intended to bridge a gap in
guard members' mental health treatment. He says full-time military
employees have greater access to treatment resources through the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, while guard members must rely on their
states for help.
According to Pentagon data, more veterans died by suicide than in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan last year.
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