(Easton, MD) - As Americans nationwide reflect on the meaning behind the 4th of July holiday, Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (Rep-Maryland) signed the Disabled American Veterans' "Stand Up For Veterans" Pledge in support of efforts to enact policies that will provide for the needs of veterans, including properly treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The National Foundation for Women Legislators' (NFWL) National Policy Committee on Veterans Affairs teamed up with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to encourage elected women nationwide wide to support new policies and laws that will meet the needs of veterans returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanist an.
DAV recently launched Stand Up for Veterans (www.standup4vets.org) as a national grassroots initiative to improve health care for all veterans. The initiative addresses four main areas in veterans' health care:
· Traumatic brain injury
· Mental health challenges (which includes women's health, PTSD, and substance abuse)
· Family caregivers
· Funding reform
"I would like to commend Delegate Haddaway for signing this Pledge to meet the needs of the heroic men and women in her state," stated Joe Violante, DAV's National Legislative Director and NFWL Board Member. "Thousands of our military service personnel and veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious wounds and permanent disabilities. Millions of veterans from prior wars also have been disabled in mil itary service.
"I have pledged to take all actions necessary to ensure that veterans continue to have access to all the benefits and health care services they have earned through their sacrifice," said Haddaway. "I will do everything I can to ensure that our National Guardsmen, Reservists, and active duty military personnel are properly cared for. It's the least we can do, considering all they have done for us." She also stated that she was very proud of the organizations in Maryland and on the Mid-Shore that are helping veterans with access to these services including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mid Shore Mental Health Systems and the Mental Health Association of Talbot County. "These organizations and agencies should be commended for their local and regional efforts and I will also work to support them in any way I can."
Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio is a state representative for District 37B (Talbot, Dorchester, Caroline and Wicomico Counties). She has been a member of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2003 and is a member of the Legislative Veterans Caucus. She is a member of the National Foundation for Women Legislators and is their Education Coordinator for Maryland.
For more information, please contact Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio at (410) 820-8043 or via email sent to jeannie.haddaway@house.state.md.us.
9 comments:
im totaly against this war, have been from the beginning. we were supposed to be hunting for bin-laden. all the false statements that the bush administration told the american people should of, in my opinion been grounds for impeachment. how-ever, any man or woman that has the guts, the courage, the dedication to stand tall and man a post, deserves everything that this lady is trying to do for them. every bit of it. i support our brave men and woman, but not this war.
Doug.... get a life. You have know idea what you are talking about, only what you heard from the liberal media.
The more you speak the more we see how much of a misguided, misinformed moron you are.
Oh, don't forget to thank a vet for your freedom of speech.
anon 1:05, first off, there is no one or no media that could ever brainwash me into thinking anything. misguided, i dont think so partner, misinformed, why because my opinion doesnt match up to yours. i know exactly what i believe and what i see as the truth. freedom of speech, i thought i just did thank a vet. maybe you need to get your total right wing balls out of your ass. im not right and im not left. i make up my mind on every subject on a single subject bases, regaurdless of what political camp that puts me in. im gonna keep on talkin regaurdless of your opinion. want freedom of speech, "kiss my ass"...
doug wilkerson said...
anon 1:05, first off, there is no one or no media that could ever brainwash me into thinking anything. misguided, i dont think so partner, misinformed, why because my opinion doesnt match up to yours. i know exactly what i believe and what i see as the truth. freedom of speech, i thought i just did thank a vet. maybe you need to get your total right wing balls out of your ass. im not right and im not left. i make up my mind on every subject on a single subject bases, regaurdless of what political camp that puts me in. im gonna keep on talkin regaurdless of your opinion. want freedom of speech, "kiss my ass"...
1:49 PM
ROTFLMAO
Just like a liberal democrap. He can dish it out, but he can't take it. Now go back and watch some more of CNN.
ive dealt with you befor, for someone who doesnt like what i say, you sure repeat my words alot. im not gonna waste anymore of my time with you, unless you want to meet out behind the wood shed. anywhere,anytime...
I am for the war on terror, after 9/11 how can you not be? I was all for the invasion of Afghanistan and the hunt for Bin Ladin. Iraq is a whole different story. There has been some misinformation, the most disgusting was the lipstick the Pentagon painted on the death of former NFL player, Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman, killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
He died serving his country, he was a hero anyway you looked at it, yet they had to dramatize the incident to better appease the public, or did they really do it to cover up the fact that he was killed by friendly fire? Either way it was a lie.
I am not stupid and I really do realize that things like that happen, however it just wasn't the convenient scenario. This is truly a good case for why many never believe anything fed to the public. I would also question why during the Afghanistan invasion we left the Iranian & Paki border swide open allowing the Taliban to run and seek refuge. Then when we invaded Iraq we left the borders of Syria and Iran open again?
I'm not in favor of the war in Iraq, however we have already lost over 4000 young people, I'd hate for them to die in vain. It looks to me like we now have Iran in our sights, we've already spent $3 trillion. How much more blood and money can we afford? Just remember we pulled out of Vietnam after over 50,000 young men and women were killed. We still have troops in North Korea over 50 years later, some wars just never end. My sister's husband made it home from Vietnam, however he was no longer the same person. I also had an uncle that died young of "Unknown" causes in the early 80's, so I am very much in favor of helping our returning military people get down time and are allowed to get readjusted to life here at home again. I want them to return home to grateful open arms, not the way our country treated Vet's coming home from Vietnam, expected to just forget what happened, some of those things some will just never forget.
I understand that it is best that many countries never access nuclear capabilities, however we are the only country that has ever used them on an enemy. With the unstable conditions in China and Russia, trying to keep nukes out of the hands of others will work about as good as the war on drugs.
Homeland security should be just that, bring our troops home to man the borders and help out at customs and in our many ports of entry that are open and vulnerable, that's no secret. Many of the enemy are already here.
In a real world all the VETS would be covered in the medical field and in back pay, but you know the truth, the VETs get screwed by the government. There are plenty of VETs that are in bad shape and not covered by the governemnt, keep pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Wake up and smell the roses, VETS are screwed every day.
10:35 said "...but you know the truth, the VETs get screwed by the government."
I think a fairer way to say that is that VETs get screwed by the Republicans. Look what Bush has done. Look at how McCain has flip-flopped on helping veterans. Measures proposed by Democrats to improve things have been vetoed.
Let's put the blame where it really belongs.
As the wife of an OIF Vet, I'd just like to say thanks to Haddaway for trying to help the many returning Vets who need top-notch care for PTSD, TBI, and other injuries. The VA system is overwhelmed, under-funded, and not prepared for the mass influx of new Vets that is occuring. The only way to make sure our returning heroes are properly cared for is to make sure they receive world-class, timely assistance.
-OIF Vet Wife
www.familyofavet.com
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