STONE RIDGE – Congressman Pat Ryan, a West Point graduate, conducted the roundtable to gather input from veterans Thursday, and he left a SUNY Ulster conference room with mixed feelings.
“I left really appreciative and really encouraged by how much is happening in the Hudson Valley to help vets,” he said.
Ryan, (D, NY-19), is encouraged by federal efforts to help vets, such as the Pact Act, which helps vets cope with burn pit health issues, and his work during his short tenure in Washington to do his part to help them with other issues.
“The legislation I was able to pass to expand VA home eligibility the guardsmen, women and reservists, we need to get the word out about that.”
That’s the good, but there are also chronic issues that confound many as they reach out to help vets with mental and homelessness problems.
“But we need more funding for veterans’ mental health,” he said “That’s the biggest challenge we are facing, 20 plus veterans a day taking their lives. It’s completely unacceptable. We need veteran housing. We need veteran mental health (care). Those together because they are interconnected.”
Mark Cozzupoli, the director of Ulster County veteran services, attended the roundtable, and he said mental health issues are a big problem. He said it is all about veterans’ well-being, especially when they come back from deployment.
“Today’s veteran is a voluntary force, so when they come home, they think I’ve done my time, I’m on my own, I’m good. They don’t join the (American) legions, they don’t join the VFWs so much and the problem is they ended on their own, and they no longer have that sense of purpose. And we need reconnect with them and get them connected to agencies and other veterans who know they are going through.”
Combat vets may have a hard time using some of their skills in civilian life, but they have developed soft skills like flexibility diligence, on-time discipline, to do well in any work environment.
“Someone you can trust rely on and count on and do what it takes to get the job done,” he said. “We learn that in the service, and we have a mission to accomplish.”
