Help for Wounded Warriors

Service members wounded in the Global War on Terrorism should see the attention they and their families receive improve dramatically in the coming months. Provisions of the 2008 Defense authorization bill call for establishment of a Wounded Warrior Resource Center, which will provide a single point of contact for wounded service members, their families, and their health care providers as well. The center will provide updates on benefits and facility-related issues, as well as information on how to obtain heath care services. Other provisions would require inspection of housing facilities for wounded veterans, better coordination of disability evaluation standards between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, and establishment of a protocol for handling post-traumatic stress disorder and eye-injury cases. The bill is undergoing final voting in Congress.