Military Spending Cuts Will Probably Affect Mental Health Programs

The House Armed Services Committee Military Personnel Subcommittee met in Washington, D.C. Wednesday March 20th. The purpose was to discuss the current Dept. of Defense budget situation on soldiers and family-related programs.

Forty-one Billion Dollars in cuts will be implemented. According to a news release from the Military Officers Association of America, witnesses were in agreement on negative impacts on morale, readiness, recruitment, military healthcare delivery, and family support programs.

Government witnesses testified that 52 percent of the military’s mental health care providers are civilian and will be subject to furlough. Obviously a decrease in mental health services is a decrease to healthcare.

Rep. Susan Davis, a democrat from California, expressed frustration about the continual focus on the impacts and not enough on finding solutions. “The only people who can solve these dilemmas is the Congress,” she concluded.

At a time when mental health for all of us is a national topic of conversation, and military statistics report an increasing number of military suicides, in my opinion it makes no sense to curtail in any way, mental health services to those currrently serving our country.