PTSD: Our Veterans' Next Battle

Press Release

On the Fourth of July, millions of Americans celebrate the birth of our great nation with barbeques, family, friends and fireworks. However, while we enjoy the freedoms and liberties that make this country the greatest in the world, it is so important that we remember the many Americans who risked everything to defend them.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that approximately 20 veterans a day take their own life, oftentimes plagued with the invisible wounds of war we have come to know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

One of those servicemen suffering was PFC Joseph Dwyer, an Iraq War veteran from Mount Sinai. As an Army Combat Medic, PFC Dwyer became the face of the Iraq War in 2003 when a photo of him carrying an injured Iraqi child to safety went viral world wide.

Unfortunately, when he came back to Long Island, he became the face of the battle so many of our veterans face when they return home, and, after years of struggling, he lost his battle with PTSD in 2008.

Suffolk County has the largest population of veterans in all of New York State. Understanding that PFC Dwyer was just one of the many local veterans struggling, I created the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program in 2012, also known as the Dwyer Program, during my time in the New York State Senate. This program is modeled as a peer-to-peer support program for veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI.

Suffolk County served as one of four test counties in New York, and since then, with the love and hard work of so many exceptional men and women locally, the program has successfully expanded to over 20 counties across New York, saving lives and assisting tens of thousands of New York veterans battling PTSD and TBI. This year, on top of fully funding the program, the New York State budget actually increased funding by $300,000.

It's continued track record of success is why I introduced the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act in Congress to expand this successful program nationally and help ensure all of our nation's veterans have access to the support they need. Year after year, this program has received wide bipartisan support, which is why my legislation has the support of organizations like the American Legion.

PFC Dwyer is just one of the many veterans who suffered from PTSD or TBI, and more must be done to help our nation's veterans when they return home. Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect us, but for too many of these brave service men and women, the war wasn't over when they leave the battlefield.

This Fourth of July, let us reaffirm our commitment to serving those who served us, who fought so that we may have the opportunity to celebrate our great nation with our friends and family each and every day. In doing so, it is critical my PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act is passed and signed into law so our veterans have the necessary support and resources they need to live a happy and healthy post-service life, and I'm committed to working with anyone to get it done.

Congressman Lee Zeldin represents the First Congressional District of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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