Press Release of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

Boxer Calls on Rumsfeld to Review Policy of Sending Troops with Mental Health Conditions back to Iraq  

Washington, D.C. B In response to reports that U.S. military personnel with mental health conditions are being redeployed to Iraq, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today urged Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to promptly re-examine Department of Defense redeployment policies.

Following please find Senator Boxer’s letter to Secretary Rumsfeld:

The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

I am writing today to express my grave concern over reports that U.S. military personnel with mental health conditions are being redeployed to Iraq. I believe such practices could have extremely serious consequences - particularly due to the violent and stressful nature of the situation in Iraq - and request that the Department of Defense undertake a prompt review.

On March 19, the San Diego Union Tribune ran a story disclosing that U.S. military personnel – many of whom are taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication – are being re-deployed to Iraq despite being diagnosed with mental health conditions. According to the article, medical officers for both the Army and Marine Corps “acknowledged that medicated service members – and those suffering combat-induced psychological problems – are returning to war.” Over the past few months, my office has received similar reports from military doctors and service members.

With the support of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I was able to insert a provision into the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Authorization bill to establish a Defense Task Force on Mental Health. The purpose of the task force is to comprehensively examine and make recommendations to improve matters relating to mental health and the Armed Forces. I believe the task force – which is required by law to be established before April 7, 2006 – would be an appropriate vehicle for examining Department of Defense deployment policies for service members suffering from mental health conditions.

In the interim, I would like you to provide my office with an overview of what – if any –policies currently govern the practice of redeploying service members who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions.

Thank you for your consideration of this very important request.

Sincerely,