Rep. Bob Filner, (D-Calif.), head of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, told attendees at AFA’s annual Air & Space Conference on Sept. 24 that soon after he became chairman, “we were hit by the Walter Reed [military hospital] scandal.” In contrast to public assumptions that the troops were being cared for, declared Filner, “what these stories showed, and what Walter Reed showed, is that we have a health care system that is strained to the breaking point.” He noted that the nation still has older veterans from earlier wars with “tremendous needs,” but he said that now “we have all these new needs.” He said that post-traumatic stress disorder “is rampant,” and asserted, “We are not prepared for this.” Filner said that Congress had added more than $13 billion over the last seven months” to serve the health care needs of injured returning troops. Now, Filner says, his job is to see that the money is spent appropriately.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.