The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.

Approximately 4 million U.S. service members took part in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shortly after troops started returning from their deployments, some active-duty service members and veterans began experiencing mental health problems. Given the stressors associated with war, it is not surprising that some service members developed such mental health conditions as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use disorder. Subsequent epidemiologic studies conducted on military and veteran populations that served in the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq provided scientific evidence that those who fought were in fact being diagnosed with mental illnesses and experiencing mental healthâ€"related outcomesâ€"in particular, suicideâ€"at a higher rate than the general population. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality, capacity, and access to mental health care services for veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn. It includes an analysis of not only the quality and capacity of mental health care services within the Department of Veterans Affairs, but also barriers faced by patients in utilizing those services.

Nearly 1.9 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001. Many service members and veterans face serious challenges in readjusting to normal life after returning home. This initial book presents findings on the most critical challenges, and lays out the blueprint for the second phase of the study to determine how best to meet the needs of returning troops and their families.

Witnesses: Donna Shalala (former Sec. of Health and Human Services), and Bob Dole (former U.S. Senator from Kansas), Co-Chairs, President¿s Commission on Care for America¿s Returning Wounded Warriors; and Joseph Violante, National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans. Statements by: Rep. Bob Filner of CA, Steve Buyer of IN, Harry Mitchell of AZ, Jerry Moran of KS, Ginny Brown-Waite of FL and Jeff Miller of FL. Material Submitted for the Record: (1) Post-Hearing Questions and Responses for the Record; (2) Reports (July 2007): ¿Serve, Support, Simplify: Report of the President¿s Commission on Care for America¿s Returning Wounded Warriors,¿; and Subcommittee Report and Survey Findings. Illustrations.

The Serial Set contains the House and Senate Documents and the House and Senate Reports. This volume includes Senate Reports from 107th Congress, 1st Session, 2001.