,,iii #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #eed ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bj1 #bjah ,ms4 ,heitkamp 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,heller1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 ,mr4 ,tester1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,donnelly1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,mr4 ,nelson1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,booker1 and ,mr4 ,reed7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,designating the month of ,june #bjah as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,month and ,june #bg1 #bjah1 as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,day4 ,whereas the brave men and women of the ,armed ,forces of the ,united ,states 7in this preamble referred to as the 8,armed ,forces071 who proudly serve the ,united ,states1 risk their lives to protect the freedom of the people of the ,united ,states and deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical1 mental1 and emotional well-being2 ,whereas more than #c1jjj1jjj members of the ,armed ,forces have deployed overseas since the events of ,september #aa1 #bjja1 and have served in places such as ,afghanistan and ,iraq2 ,whereas the current generation of military men and women has sustained a historically high rate of operational deployments1 with many members of the ,armed ,forces serving overseas multiple times1 placing those members at high risk of experiencing combat stress2 ,whereas1 when left untreated1 exposure to traumatic combat stress can lead to post-traumatic stress1 sometimes referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder 7in this preamble referred to as 8,,ptsd07 or post-traumatic stress injury2 ,whereas men and women of the ,armed ,forces and veterans who served before ,september #aa1 #bjja1 remain at risk for post-traumatic stress2 ,whereas the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs reports that-- 7#a7 about #aa to #bj percent of veterans who served in ,operation ,iraqi ,freedom or ,operation ,enduring ,freedom have ,,ptsd in a given year2 7#b7 about #ab percent of ,gulf ,war veterans have ,,ptsd in a given year2 and 7#c7 about #cj percent of ,vietnam veterans have had ,,ptsd in their lifetimes2 ,whereas many combat stress injuries remain unreported1 undiagnosed1 and untreated due to a lack of awareness about post-traumatic stress and the persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions2 ,whereas exposure to military trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress2 ,whereas post-traumatic stress significantly increases the risk of anxiety1 depression1 suicide1 homelessness1 and drug- and alcohol-related disorders and deaths1 especially if left untreated2 ,whereas public perceptions of post-traumatic stress or other mental health disorders create unique challenges for veterans seeking employment2 ,whereas the ,department of ,defense1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and ,veteran ,service ,organizations1 as well as the larger medical community1 both private and public1 have made significant advances in the identification1 prevention1 diagnosis1 and treatment of post-traumatic stress and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress1 but many challenges remain2 ,whereas increased understanding of post-traumatic stress can help eliminate the stigma attached to this mental health issue2 ,whereas additional efforts are needed to find further ways to eliminate the stigma associated with post-traumatic stress1 including-- 7#a7 an examination of how post-traumatic stress is discussed in the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 a recognition that post-traumatic stress is a common injury that is treatable and repairable2 ,whereas post-traumatic stress can result from any number of stressors other than combat1 including rape1 sexual assault1 battery1 torture1 confinement1 child abuse1 car accidents1 train wrecks1 plane crashes1 bombings1 or natural disasters1 and affects approximately #h1jjj1jjj adults in the ,united ,states annually2 ,whereas the diagnosis now known as ,,ptsd was first defined by the ,american ,psychiatric ,association in #aihj to commonly and more accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress2 ,whereas combat stress had previously been viewed as a mental illness1 and the word disorder carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception2 and ,whereas the designation of a ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,month and a ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,day will raise public awareness about issues related to post-traumatic stress1 reduce the associated stigma1 and help ensure that those individuals suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,june #bjah as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,month and ,june #bg1 #bjah1 as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,awareness ,day2 7#b7 supports the efforts of the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense1 as well as the entire medical community1 to educate members of the ,armed ,forces of the ,united ,states1 veterans1 the families of members of the ,armed ,forces of the ,united ,states and veterans1 and the public about the causes1 symptoms1 and treatment of post-traumatic stress2 7#c7 supports efforts by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress1 understanding that personal interactions can save lives and advance treatment2 7#d7 welcomes the efforts of the ,national ,center for ,,ptsd of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs and local ,vet ,centers 7as defined in section #agab;,a7h7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code7 to provide assistance to veterans who are suffering from the effects of this injury2 7#e7 encourages commanders of the ,armed ,forces of the ,united ,states to support appropriate treatment of men and women of the ,armed ,forces of the ,united ,states who suffer from post-traumatic stress2 and 7#f7 respectfully requests that the ,secretary of the ,senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense4