During Congressman Gabe Vasquez September 8th Las Cruces outdoor press conference, Vasquez said to the assembly of Veterans and media that he plans to sustain his efforts to cut the red tape currently forcing southern New Mexico Veterans to drive hundreds of miles for critical mental health care. The Congressman’s plan includes eliminating current “regional boundaries” that force Vets to drive to Albuquerque for care when VA services in El Paso are closer; and increasing the number of full-time VA liaisons in rural areas.
KVIA, ABC – 7 reported, “One of the veterans present, Jeffrey Swanson, talked about the need for more mental healthcare for veterans returning from conflict.
“You can’t go through that without having some traumatic experiences and extreme danger,” Swanson said. “So they’re going to need mental health care. They’re going to need physical care.”
Swanson also outlined the limitations of public options veterans currently have access to, saying there need to be professionals trained to deal with the unique symptoms of veterans.
“Community health care is wonderful, but I may go to a doctor who really knows nothing about the unique experience of veterans,” Swanson said. “I’ve been exposed to Agent Orange, to hydraulic fluid, water and bottles that were 125 degrees. I got a spot in my liver, I got spots in my lungs, but we have to have doctors and nurses and VA facilities who are available to really tune in on the veterans and try to help them.”
Another way to help, according to Swanson, would be more family counseling as well as group sessions among veterans to support each other, and he wants them to be in person instead of online because it’s ‘not the same’.
“It’s not the same as sitting there looking at somebody, and you can smell them if they haven’t had a shower in two weeks,” Swanson said. “What’s going on here, buddy? You know, so we can confront and talk with each other and really listen to each other and zoom in.”
Swanson proposed these to be done weekly to allow veterans to talk about anything ranging from healthcare to war stories and even their PTSD so it can help others the way it’s helped him.
“It’s helped me also become more compassionate as a person and understand suffering in the world and appreciate diversity amongst people,” Swanson said. “Because when we landed going into a zone it didn’t matter if they’re black or white or pink or purple or Methodist or Baptist or whatever.
“I was in the line of fire in Vietnam and fell off the back of a truck about to shoot an enemy soldier and the chaplain was with me,” Swanson said. “He grabbed me by the butt and pulled me back in rather than hiding behind a tailgate. He was a Baptist and I was a Lutheran.”
Congressman Vasquez’ post press-conference release quoted remarks made there by combat veteran and candidate for Doña Ana County Sheriff,Vanessa Ordoñez
“Ordoñez said she believed in keeping promises made to veterans and should be non-negotiables which shouldn’t be changed for the sake of budget discussions or changing political priorities.
“As a combat veteran, I know firsthand that service changes you. In the military, we learn and we understand that we do not leave anybody behind. I believe that that commitment should continue long after you take off that uniform. Our veterans have earned the care and benefits promised to them. They should not have to fight another battle to receive them. When VA staffing is reduced, appointments become harder to access.”
The press release also included praise for Vasquez by Roland Cooper and Jeff Swanson.
“Roland Cooper, Ret. MSgt. and chair of the Lincoln Otero County Veterans Leadership Council, added, “Every time I have asked Gabe to come to a meeting, he has showed up. Gabe has always answered the call. He’s a bipartisan worker.”
“We all want a secure and prosperous nation, and the way to get that is to have intelligent, smart people in charge…we have that in Gabe Vasquez,” said Jeff Swanson, Ret. Col., U.S. Air Force chaplain and former U.S. Marine Corps Sgt., “Gabe Vasquez really cares about us veterans. The President’s ‘small potatoes’ comment offends me down to my toenails. About the VA…I listened for years listening to two Congressman, both Republicans, whine and fuss and bellyache about the VA, and what did they do to help? NOTHING. Gabe on the other hand has the brains and sense to go to work for the rest of us.”
