Caring for Wounded Soldiers at Fort Carson's Warrior Transition Unit
I recently sent a letter, with Senator Bennet, to General Peter Chiarelli, Army Vice Chief of Staff, asking him to follow-up on several requests I've made regarding the care of Fort Carson soldiers. We owe our service members the best care possible, and I will keep working to ensure we're continuing to make the improvements we need to see. For that reason, I recently visited the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Carson to get a first-hand look at the care our injured soldiers are receiving when they return home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the soldiers receiving care there are suffering from difficult-to-treat injuries, including Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While there have been problems with the units - including reports of over-medication of rehabilitating soldiers - Fort Carson and the Army have made a great deal of progress in their care for wounded warriors.
In the letter, we requested the Army look into reports of over-medication in the Warrior Transition Units. Pharmaceuticals shouldn't be the only solution to treating our soldiers and I believe, in fact, that it can exacerbate their problems. Additionally, we asked for a follow-up on how Fort Carson and the Army have responded to issues raised during an examination of several violent incidents allegedly involving Fort Carson soldiers. It has been a year since the report came out, and we would like to know how the Post has responded and implemented the recommendations of the investigators. Finally, I reiterated a request Senator Bennet and I made last year, that the Army expand to include Fort Carson in its Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Pilot program, which allows soldiers to self-refer for alcohol abuse without notifying leadership. We need to remove the obstacles that prevent our soldiers from seeking care, and that should begin with soldiers understanding their own problems and how to work on solutions.
