On Recognizing the Sacrifice of our Wounded Troops

Our men and women in uniform risk life and limb to uphold democracy and freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, including more than 3,500 soldiers who can not return to action because of severe and debilitating injuries.  It is only fair to ensure these individuals are receiving the medical care and support during their times of need.

That is why I am working to fill the communication gap that often exists between wounded soldiers and their families back home.  The urgency of this matter was brought to my attention when Specialist Henry Austin Phillips, a member of the 39th Brigade lost a leg from a grenade attack in Iraq. Before being evacuated to Landstuhl Hospital in Germany, he called his wife, Pam, to deliver the news about his injury and ask her to join him in Germany.  Following this conversation, Specialist Phillips was put under sedation as a result of his extensive injuries.

Specialist Phillips’ wife, Pam, received no additional information regarding her husband, and his family contacted my office to help track him down. After several days, we located him in Germany and learned he was to fly the next day to Walter Reed Hospital to recover from multiple surgeries. 

The Phillips family is not alone in experiencing what felt like a black hole of communication. For this reason, I introduced the Service Act for Care and Relief Initiatives for Forces Injured in Combat Engagements, or the SACRIFICE Act, which I am pleased to report is now part of the Senate-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Authorization Act.

The SACRIFICE Act recognizes the American military personnel killed and injured in combat and the heroic efforts of our medical teams.  In doing so, an important component of the legislation establishes a tracking system for wounded personnel being transported out of a combat zone. I believe a uniform tracking system will provide timely responses and more reliable information to families seeking information regarding where their loved ones are being sent for treatment and the prognosis of injuries.

My bill further aims to reduce fatalities and disability rates by authorizing additional funds in order to provide medics with a more modern and sterile environment in which to treat patients. Our military medical teams struggle everyday to provide the swift, expert treatment that is required for those injured in combat. Providing them with the best medical equipment and training is the greatest investment we can make right now.

No family should have to endure the anxiety and confusion the Phillips’ faced, and it is among my top priorities to fill in these communication gaps and to also provide our medical teams with the very best medical equipment available.