Today is Memorial Day—an opportunity to pause and reflect on the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms. Few states feel the weight of this day more deeply than Tennessee.
More than 400,000 veterans call our state home. Fort Campbell, which sits primarily in Tennessee, supports more than 60,000 soldiers and their family members, making it one of the largest military installations in America. In Tullahoma, Arnold Air Force Base leads the nation in flight testing, contributing to the development of ICBMs, the space shuttle, and military aircraft from the B-2 Spirit to the F-22 Raptor. Millington is home to Naval Support Activity Mid-South, and our National Guard facilities stretch from Memphis to Bristol.
It is an honor to represent so many service members and veterans who have raised their hands and taken the oath to defend our nation. They are leaders, public servants, and warriors who represent the very best our country has to offer. And the loss of any single one of them is deeply felt in their home communities and across our state.
Last June, we lost Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dustin Wright, a pilot assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, during a helicopter training accident at Fort Campbell. His brigade commander said that he “cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops … with strength and honor.” He was a member of Mosaic Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he served on the security team. His awards included the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with “C” Device, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal with three more, among numerous other decorations.
We must never forget his legacy—or the legacies of all the service members in Tennessee and across our country who have lost their lives in service to our nation. We can never repay their sacrifice. But we must always honor it. And for the veterans who come home, we must ensure that they receive the benefits and timely access to quality care that they were promised
On the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, we are working on several bills to ensure that happens.
My Veterans Health Care Freedom Act would place veterans, not bureaucrats, at the center of the community care referral process, empowering them to seek care from providers in their communities rather than relying solely on VA facilities. This flexibility is especially important in Tennessee, where 78 of our 95 counties are considered rural and many vets face hourslong drives to VA medical centers. As modern warfare evolves, the next generation of veterans will require more sophisticated and individualized care than any before them. Community care will be essential to meeting those changing needs.
This year, I also introduced the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act, which would ensure veterans are clearly informed of their existing rights regarding VA health care, benefits, and services. Too often, these resources are buried in complex statutes, regulations, and internal policies that leave vets in the dark. This legislation would ensure that they make the most of the benefits and care that they have earned.
For our fastest-growing veteran population—women—I introduced the bipartisan Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act to improve access to gynecology, obstetrics, maternity, and postpartum care. To expand access to evidence-based mental health care for veterans, my RECOVER Act would strengthen partnerships between the VA and community-based mental health care providers. And to cut red tape that keeps clinicians from treating patients, I’m working on legislation that would require the Department of War and VA to establish a uniform credentialing service for medical providers. Right now, doctors and nurses who transfer between DOW and VA facilities can face monthslong approval delays before they see a single patient. Our legislation would bring these needless delays to an end.
We live in the greatest country on the face of the earth because of the tremendous sacrifices made by our service members. On this Memorial Day, may we take a moment to reflect on the service of our fallen heroes—and commit ourselves to ensuring that our service members and veterans receive the care, honor, and respect that they have earned.
