,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #dee  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,june #bj1 #bjai,mr4
 ,peters 7for himself and ,mr4 ,mast7   
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,armed ,services1 and in addition to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 for 
a period to be subsequently determined  
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,,resolution       
,expressing support for the designation 
of the month of ,june #bjai as ,national
 ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury       
,awareness ,month and ,june #bg1 #bjai1 
as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress   
,injury ,awareness ,day4  ,whereas the  
brave men and women of the ,armed       
,forces1 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          
#b1ggj1jjj 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 men and women in the      
,armed ,forces has sustained a 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 stress
 injury1 currently referred to in the   
,diagnostic and ,statistical ,manual of 
,mental ,disorders as post-traumatic    
stress disorder 7in this preamble       
referred to as ,,ptsd72 ,whereas men and
 women of the ,armed ,forces and        
veterans who served before ,september   
#aa1 #bjja1 remain at risk for          
post-traumatic stress injury2 ,whereas  

the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    
reports that approximately-- 7#a7 #aa to
 #bj percent of veterans who served in  
,operation ,iraqi ,freedom or ,operation
 ,enduring ,freedom have ,,ptsd in a    
given year2  7#b7 #ab percent of        
veterans who served in the ,persian     
,gulf war have ,,ptsd in a given year2  
and  7#c7 #cj percent of veterans who   
served in the ,vietnam era 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 injury and the    
persistent stigma associated with mental
 health conditions2 ,whereas exposure to
 trauma during service in the ,armed    
,forces can lead to post-traumatic      
stress injury2 ,whereas post-traumatic  
stress injury 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 injury or other mental health    
disorders create unique challenges for  
veterans seeking employment2 ,whereas   
the ,department of ,defense1 the        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
veterans 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  
injury and the symptoms of              
post-traumatic stress injury1 but many  
challenges remain2 ,whereas increased   
understanding of post-traumatic stress  
injury can help to 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   
stress injury1 including--  7#a7 an     
examination of how post-traumatic stress
 injury is discussed in the ,united     
,states2 and  7#b7 a recognition that   

post-traumatic stress injury is a common
 injury that is treatable2  ,whereas    
post-traumatic stress injury 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 the word disorder perpetuates  
the stigma associated with combat       
stress2 and ,whereas the designation of 
a ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress    
,injury ,awareness ,month and a         
,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress      
,injury ,awareness ,day will raise      
public awareness about issues related to
 post-traumatic stress injury1 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 ,house of ,representatives--
 7#a7 supports the designation of       
,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress      
,injury ,awareness ,month and ,national 
,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury        
,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 ,forces1 veterans1 the families  
of members of the ,armed ,forces and    
veterans1 and the public about the      
causes1 symptoms1 and treatment of      
post-traumatic stress injury2  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      
stress injury1 understanding that       
personal interactions can save lives and

 advance treatment2  7#d7 welcomes the  
efforts of the ,national ,center for    
,post-,traumatic ,stress ,disorder 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 post-traumatic     
stress injury2  7#e7 encourages officers
 of the ,armed ,forces to support       
appropriate treatment of men and women  
of the ,armed ,forces who suffer from   
post-traumatic stress injury2  7#f7     
recognizes the impact of post-traumatic 
stress injury on the spouses and        
families of members of the ,armed       
,forces and veterans2 and  7#g7         
respectfully requests that the ,clerk of
 the ,house transmit a copy of this     
resolution to the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of
 ,defense4