OneWorld.net (U.S.)

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 13 (OneWorld US) – The parents of an Army reservist who committed suicide after returning from Iraq testified before Congress Wednesday, urging that more mental health services be available for returned veterans.

Mike and Kim Bowman were among those testifying before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Their son Timothy, a member of the Illinois National Guard, committed suicide after returning from a tour in Iraq "a different man."

"He had a glaze in his eyes and a 1000 yard stare," Bowman told the Committee, and was "always looking for an insurgent."

A downward spiral continued and ended in death just a few months later.

"As my family was preparing for our 2005 Thanksgiving meal, our son Timothy was lying on the floor of my shop office, slowly bleeding to death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His war was now over, his demons were gone. Tim was laid to rest in a combination military, firefighter funeral that was a tribute to the man he was."

Bowman and others who spoke before the House Committee charged that the Department of Veterans Affairs is not doing enough to help those who return mentally damaged from their combat service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Studies show that between 15 and 50 percent of the 1.6 million American soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disease that can emerge after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. A person experiencing PTSD can lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again.

The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't keep track of the number of veterans who commit suicide, but a CBS news investigation last month found that 120 veterans kill themselves every week; or nearly 1,500 per year.

CBS asked all 50 states for their suicide data, based on death records for veterans and non-veterans, and found that veterans were twice as likely to commit suicide. In 2005, CBS found a total of at least 6,256 suicides among those who served in the armed forces.

At the hearing, witnesses took the government to task for not using its resources to cull that data itself.

"We have had a 'see no evil, hear no evil' approach to examining post-deployment psychological reintegration issues such as suicide," writer Ilona Meagher told the Committee. "After all we have learned from the struggles of the Vietnam War generation -- and the ensuing controversy over how many of its veterans did or did not commit suicide in its wake -- why is there today no known national registry where Afghanistan and Iraq veteran suicide data is being collected? How can we ascertain reintegration problems -- if any exist -- if we are not proactive in seeking them out?"

Advocates take some heart from Congressional interest in veteran suicides. In addition, in November President Bush signed the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act. Named for an Iowa soldier who killed himself after returning from Iraq, the bill requires mandatory psychological screening of veterans returning home. Those at higher risk of committing suicide would be referred for counseling.

Veteran advocates urged Congress not to stop there.

Marine Corps Reservist Todd Bowers, who works with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America argued that "much of the work of suicide prevention ... must occur much earlier in the process."

Bowers' group advocates for mandatory mental health screenings both before and after deployment to a war zone.

"This will produce a more accurate assessment of the impact that combat has on a service member's mental health," said Bowers. "Making screening mandatory will reduce the stigma related to seeking mental health treatment. I would compare this to the mandatory drug testing that the Department of Defense conducts for all service members. If all are required to take part, then it becomes a part of daily routine and no longer singles individuals out." .................................................................................... Like this article? Then please support our global efforts to bring you the news and views seldom heard in mainstream media. OneWorld.net is non-profit, non-commercial public media. Every little bit helps, so thank you! Click here to help. ....................................................................................