Kratovil Visits Wounded Vets At Walter Reed

Kratovil Visits with Wounded Veterans at Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Medical Center

Washington, DC – After attending Veterans Day events in Stevensville, Crownsville, and Federalsburg, MD on Veterans Day, today Rep. Frank Kratovil toured both Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Medical Center. Kratovil, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, met with wounded service members during the visits and was briefed on the mission and operations of both facilities.

“The debt of gratitude we owe these brave men and women cannot be repaid just by waving flags at a Veterans Day parade. Their sacrifice in defense of our nation demands that we honor our obligation to provide the best available care to help them through their recovery,” said Rep. Kratovil. “I came here to say thank you, both to the patients for their selfless service to our nation, and to the dedicated staff who work tirelessly to care for their brothers and sisters in uniform.”

After arriving at Bethesda Naval Hospital Rep. Kratovil was greeted by hospital leadership and taken on a tour of the key areas of the base. Following the tour Kratovil was briefed on “Pioneering Strategies to Build Community Resilience,” by the Command Emergency Manager at the Hospital’s Emergency Preparedness Partnership. Rep. Kratovil then toured the areas of the hospital hosting the inpatient traumatic brain injury program and the impatient surgical unit. At the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, Congressman Kratovil received briefings from the Warrior Transition Brigade (WTB), the Walter Reed office of Veteran Affairs, Transition Employment Assistance Management Service (TEAMS), a Command Overview and was taken on tours of the Military Advance Training Center (MATC) and the Mologne and Fisher Houses for family members of injured and rehabilitating service members.

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former board member of the Maryland Mental Health Association, Kratovil has been an active leader on veteran’s mental health concerns in Congress. He successfully passed amendments to the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act that require the Department of Defense to identify and quantify its current and projected need for mental health professionals, and to develop a plan for meeting that need.