[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6] [Senate] [Pages 8277-8278] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES colorado's heroes Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to our wounded warriors. This week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, more than 200 wounded warriors from every branch of the military are competing in the inaugural Warrior Games. This event is the brainchild of Brigadier General Cheek, with whom I spent the day at Fort Carson last week visiting the Warrior Transition Unit there. These soldiers do so much in defense of our country, yet we are not often in a position to cheer their performance. This week, we can. Although I am not able to be in Colorado to cheer them myself, I wanted to cheer them on here, from the Senate floor. These games are a partnership between the Department of Defense, the U.S. Paralympics, and other organizations that are working together to give our wounded warriors an opportunity to push themselves, set goals, and demonstrate their abilities. The Army sent 100 competitors--chosen out of a pool of almost 9,000 wounded warriors--the Marine Corps sent 50, the Air Force 25, and the Navy and Coast Guard 25 combined. These military members and veterans have physical injuries as well as mental wounds of war, and they are competing in swimming, cycling, wheelchair basketball, archery, track, and sitting volleyball, among other events. This week's Warrior Games is about the abilities of these warriors, not their disabilities. And it is about goal-setting, which can expedite the recovery process. This mindset is important for all our wounded warriors, not just those competing in the Games this week. General [[Page 8278]] Cheek has said that ``While we've made enormous progress in all the military services in our warrior care . . . it's not enough. . . . What we have to do with our servicemembers is inspire them to reach for and achieve a rich and productive future, to defeat their illness or injury to maximize their abilities and know that they can have a rich and fulfilling life beyond what has happened to them in service to their nation.'' I agree with General Cheek and believe that today the Army is working hard to help our wounded warriors in their difficult transition back to service or to life in the civilian world. But the Army acknowledges that it has faced some serious challenges when it comes to caring for our injured troops, especially those who have experienced brain injuries and psychological wounds. While I have seen real improvements in the quality of care, I also know that many of those same challenges still exist. After my visit to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Carson last week, I am especially concerned about reports of overmedication and substance abuse among injured service members and about delays in the disability evaluation process. I spent a few hours talking with separate groups of WTU soldiers, cadre, and clinicians in very frank discussions about their experiences and concerns. I heard positive stories too--of men and women facing life-changing injuries who said they couldn't have gotten back to active duty without the help of the WTU. Our young men and women have a heavy burden--they are fighting two wars, often serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe them the best care possible when they are injured, and I know the Army--from General Casey to the youngest privates who are watching out for their team mates--are working hard to provide this care. This will be especially important now at Fort Carson as the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th ID begins to come home. A few hundred of the brigade's 3800 soldiers have returned so far, with another few hundred due home today and more due home in the coming weeks. These soldiers have been in Afghanistan for the last year, assisting the Afghan National Army with security, governance and peacekeeping operations in Kunar province, on the Pakistani border. The need to provide resiliency training and specialized care for our soldiers continues before, during, and after deployments. Fort Carson's Mobile Behavioral Health Teams have already identified about 920 soldiers of the 4th BCT--approximately one-quarter of the brigade--as having risk factors for depression or anxiety, exacerbated by their sustained combat, who will receive additional evaluations after returning home. About 100 of the Brigade's soldiers are expected to join Fort Carson's Warrior Transition Unit upon their return. Major General Perkins and his team at Fort Carson have worked hard to get in front of behavioral health issues, initiating this program to put behavioral health teams in with the units and work with them even before they return home so that we can identify soldiers who need help. As the 4th BCT comes home, I want to take a moment to remember the heroes that we lost in Afghanistan. Fifty brave soldiers from this unit and supporting units have died in the past year. Those who have fallen, their families, and their fellow soldiers will not be forgotten. Here are their names: Steven Thomas Drees Gregory James Missman Jason John Fabrizi Randy L.J. Neff, Jr. Joshua James Rimer Patrick Scott Fitzgibbon Richard Kelvin Jones Jonathan Michael Walls Matthew Lee Ingram Matthew Everett Wildes Youvert Loney Randy Michael Haney Tyler Edward Parten David Alan Davis William L. Meredith Justin Timothy Gallegos Christopher Todd Griffin Joshua Mitchell Hardt Joshua John Kirk Stephan Lee Mace Vernon William Martin Michael Patrick Scusa Kevin Christopher Thomson Kevin Olsen Hill Jesus Olar Flores, Jr. Daniel Courtney Lawson Glen Hale Stivison, Jr. Brandon Michael Styer Kimble Andrus Han Eric Nathaniel Lembke Devin Jay Michel Eduviges Guadalupe Wolf Jason Adam McLeod Kenneth Ray Nichols Jr. Elijah John Miles Rao Brian Robert Bowman John Phillip Dion Joshua Allen Lengstorf Robert John Donevski Thaddeus Scott Montgomery, II Bobby Justin Pagan John Allen Reiners Jeremiah Thomas Wittman Michael David P Cardenaz J.R. Salvacion Sean Michael Durkin Michael Keith Ingram, Jr. Grant Arthur Wichmann Nathan Patrick Kennedy Eric M. Finniginam Each of these soldiers served with honor, valor, and pride in the mission. While we mourn those who fell, we will forever honor their memories, and we take great pride in the courage, determination, and heroism of the entire 4th Brigade Combat Team and its supporting units. Under the exemplary leadership of Colonel Randy George and Command Sergeant Major Sasser, the 4th BCT has achieved remarkable success in some of the most hostile terrain on earth. Their efforts clearly illustrate why Fort Carson is known as ``The Home of America's Best.'' On behalf of all Coloradans, I say ``welcome home, heroes, and thank you.'' ____________________