Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. Veteran suicide continue to be a national epidemic. Veterans are estimated to have a suicide rate thats 50 higher than those who did not serve in the military. Major driver of sued rates is the incidence of post Traumatic Stress among our veterans. According to the department of veterans affairs, between 11 and 20 of those who served in operatiOperation Iraqi freedomr enduring freedom suffer from pts. Veterans with pts may be troubled by intrusive thoughts, avoid people, places and things, and experience hyperawareness and nightmares. They mind find they are no longer able to trust and love those closest to them. Some may even feel that life is no longer worth living. Unfortunately, many veterans have had significant problems in receiving the health care they deserve. Issues regarding inadequate treatment of veterans by the va have been widely reported. These include long wait times and the overprescription of