Congress. We start this morning with president obama yesterday at fort hood at the Memorial Service there following the mass shooting last week. We want to hear from veterans role is the what government playing in your postwar transition . Ears is how we will divide the lines. Iraqi and afghanistan vets, call us at 20258538 80. Veterans of other wars, 2025853881. Conversationthis at facebook. Com cspan. Heres what president obama had to say yesterday in fort hood, talking about the countrys returning veterans. [video clip] we must honor the men by keeping our troops safe, not an open battle but here as well. We can never eliminate every risk, but as a nation, we can do more. To help counsel those with , to keepalth issues firearms out of the hands of those who are having such deep difficulties. Muste military, we do everything we can to spare others this pain. By doingonor these men more to care for our fellow americans living with until illness, civilian and military. Today four american soldiers are gone. Four Army Families are devastated. As commander in chief, i am determined that we will continue to step up our efforts to reach our troops and veterans who are hurting, to deliver to them the care that they need, and to make sure we never stigmatize those who have the courage to seek help. Host president obama yesterday at the Memorial Service at fort hood. We are asking veterans to call us and get your thoughts on the government the role is playing. Here is a recent survey of returning iraq and afghanistan veterans. Thewould you rate the job government is doing in meeting the needs of the current generation of veterans . 5 said excellent. 36 said a good job. 56 said not so good, the government is doing a poor job. Poor. T so good, 30 said the next question, thinking about your own experience, how would you rate the job the government is doing in meeting your needs as a soldier or veteran . Veterans of iraq and afghanistan said a poor job. Provided the lines to call in. Veterans of iraq and afghanistan call us at 2025 853880. All other veterans call 2025853881. Carmen, vietnam vet, go ahead. Caller what question did you ask me again . Host what was the experience when you came back . Caller when i came back from my first tour in 1969, i remember coming into San Francisco at the airport, and there were people lined up cussing us out and spitting on us. I got my ticket to go to san psao, and all the stewardesses were squirting windex on me, wiping the spit off me and saying i did not deserve this. I forgive them all now, but i had a terrible time after that. I spent 40 years roaming around workedntry, 49 states i in, had over 800 jobs. I have three little girls in my truck, moving around because i could not stop moving. Moved to i had the same problems i did before that. I finally settled down in montana when i was 50 years old, and i asked the government for help for the first time. When they figured out how bad i they helped me. I wanted to say i am getting great care from the Veterans Administration. I was not getting it before because i was not asking. I would stay away from hospitals and i basically felt betrayed by my government because they kept starting more and more wars, losing more and more lives. I feel i am part of the real consciousness of the United States as a veteran who fought for the country. I dont think we fight for the country anymore, we just fight for resources. I dont want the American People to pay for the veterans anymore. I want somebody else to pick up the tab all our blood and all our treasure is everywhere. I still feel go ahead. Host ok, we go on to walter in baltimore, maryland, a gulf war veteran. Caller this is a great pain for me. I just want to say thank you to the veteran for at least trying to say the one word that he said yesterday, and that is that we as a nation must do more. I had gotten into the electrical saving me some financial stress. Mostly the stress that battle actually nobody can imagine, but let me just say thank you, mr. President , and beg you to consider to continue to pursue those chicken hawks. I condemn. S that host what role does the government play in your postwar situation . Caller you cannot turn your back on those who you saw to use and abuse. This past few years with this gameess, talking a good and doing absolutely nothing, cutting everything from the date with the ryan budget, it does nothing for the troops in the field. What it does, it creates a problem, and the reality is that owes everyone, not just the soldiers but everyone, a sense of peace and justice, and we get no justice in your cutting everything. Host back to the washington t Kaiser Family survey now thinking about Service Members to deploy to iraq or afghanistan and separate from the military before the 20year mark, do you think these Service Members get more benefits from the military than they deserve, fewer benefits than they deserve, or about the right amount given their service . Gets fewere military benefits than they deserve. 39 said about right. Only 3 said they get more benefits than they deserve. And that how would you rate the job the Veterans Administration is doing to meet the needs of military veterans . Or poort, good, fair, job. 8 said the da is doing excellent, 58 30 said good. 58 said and only fair or poor job. Tis is a washington pos Kaiser Family survey. Lastt on april 3 march we told the v. A. 611,000 disability claims over 125 days old was unacceptable. They have reduced by 44 . Still more to do. Florida, and a gulf war veteran ellsworth, what is your transition like . Caller i was in the military for 24 years and they helped europe tour a lot they helped your career along the way. Me and my wife when i got out, you had to navigate pretty much everything on your own, claims to the v. A. To anything besides that from housing to jobs, that kind of stuff, youre on your own. Felt like i was kind of kicked out the door, even though i retired honorably. Host and do you believe the government has a role in that, to help you with housing and other areas of civilian life . That theykind of feel should have the v. A. And the dod separate. What happens is the dod has taking care of me when i get into the military and when i leave. They are two separate entities. If they could combine the dod and the v. A. , they could work on my housing six months before i get out of service so it is an easier transition. Ed from florida, what was your transition like . Yes, i was in afghanistan, iraq, and vietnam. Will tell you this. Than. A. Cares a lot better during the vietnam era. First of all, i dont think the government owes me anything. I served my country, i did it honorably and i understood that. I appreciate everything the government has done for me, and the sense that they gave me a 40year career, and i am now retired. I have a positive effect, my transition from the military. The do you have to access Veterans Administration . Caller yes, maam, i do. Host what is your experience like . Caller how you see it from sitting in the foxhole from vietnam to today is a lot better. Host how so . Caller they definitely meet your appointments, they treat you like they say they are going to treat you. I definitely have had a positive effect from my current use of the v. A. Host a recent gao report found that they are having problems veterans returning from wars. What they write is that, for example, four of the 10 physical therapy consults the gao reviewed from one v. A. Medical center, no apparent actions taken to schedule the appointment for the veteran. For one of these consults, several months passed before the veteran was referred to care to a nonv. A. Health care facility. Officials cited increased demand for services and noshows that hinder their ability to meet guidelines of completing consult within 90 days of being requested. So a recent gao report, if you are interested in that. Also, a couple of tweets for you on veterans unemployment. Here is ben cardin, democrat from maryland, tweeting this out on the night. 270,000 veterans are waiting. Or the house to renew americans deserve for this to be brought up in the house. Here is a tweet from mark kirk, republican from illinois. Illinois has the nations fifth highest number of unemployed veterans. The higher more heroes act will help change that. Here is a tweet from stars stripes. Members of congress rarely hiring veterans. 3 of staff inp offices that responded to their survey. Ins hear from charles alexandria, virginia, a vietnam cold war era that. What was the transition like for you . Served duringi the vietnam conflict. I did not serve in vietnam. I want to state that for the record. In aved two years frontline nato base in germany during the cold war. My transition to civilian life was fairly easy. On the other hand, i have spent the last 10 years in iraq and afghanistan on various military projects as a civilian technician, and it has been a wonderful experience. It is important work, serious work, and it has been a privilege to work with the military on these different projects. Unhappily, i have lost two coworkers, and one of my Close Friends lost a hand, and it has been it has been with a great deal of sacrifice on account of the civilian technicians over there. Right now i am unemployed, but i iraq, for a project in but my firm did not get the contract, so i am not going on that project. I am going to be transferring to a project in liberia, west africa, and working on that project right now. You do not hear very much about the civilian technicians and the civilian engineers. The arrack and afghanistan iraq and the afghanistan conflicts have been unusual, in that there have been so many projects, so many of the tasks formerly done by uniformed military, eating done by civilian technicians, particularly electronic systems, Communications Host why is that, charles . Caller one of the reasons is it is more economical to have civilians do that kind of work trainingpend years uniformed military. Host what are the implications of that . When you come back as a civilian, are there issues that you think the American People, the government should be addressing for you . You have served as a civilian over there. Caller from your mouth the godsey are. From your mouth to gods ear. If the Defense Department would develop some programs and help to assist the civilian technicians and engineers with finding work thomas with getting their security clearances updated, and being able to find work in telecommunications, electronics, commuter systems computer systems. I have been lucky that i have been able to be picked up on this african project, but many tasks done bys military are now done by civilians. Done byalmost all civilians, by civilian personnel. The old days of the mail call and the corporal passing out the mail to private jones and private smith, that is going ne. Pumping fuel is almost all done by local nationals and supervised by civilian technicians. So much of the work in the arrack in the iraq and projects are being done by civilians. There is no support to help civilian technicians and engineers to find work in a civilian economy now that the war is wrapped up. Host unemployment for veterans here are the numbers. The bureau of labor statistics. 21. 4 million men and women were veterans. Unemployment rate for men, six point five percent for men, 6. 9 for women. Unemployment rate for vets with service disability, 6. 2 . That according to the bureau of labor statistics. We are getting your thoughts from veterans on postwar transition. We have divided the lines. Iraq and Afghanistan War 2025853880. All other veterans, 2025853881. The Washington Post our Veterans Mental Health needs being met . The fort hood shooter and thened questions about impact of Mental Illness and war injuries on the suspected shooter, identified as ivan lopez, a veteran of the iraq war. Foras undergoing tests posttraumatic stress syndrome. A new poll that many returning iraq and Afghanistan ServiceMental Health and anger issues. said their mental and Emotional Health is worse than before going to war. 36 say they often experience outbursts of anger. 32 with worst Mental Health say their mental and Emotional Health needs are not being met. Compared with 13 of all veterans. That is the Washington PostKaiser FamilyFoundation Poll on the issue of Mental Health. E more numbers for you according to the white house, this is what they say. The 2014 budget request for Mental Health services, the a Mental Health services, is 7 billion, from the white house. The request includes treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. The v. A. Collaborates with the pentagon and the human Health Providing these services, and the Services Include partnerships with Community Providers as well. Guest hereho was a on the washington journal this week, democrat of ohio, tweeted we need to start thinking differently about how we treat our returning veterans. The handle fore the lynch foundation, a Veterans Organization that takes a look at treating Mental Health issues. You can go to their website and follow them on twitter if you want more information. Rudolph in columbus, ohio, vietnam vet, go ahead with your story. Caller i am a vietnam vet. When we got back, people were spitting at us and stuff like this. How many babies did you kill today . SeeAmerican People today the vets in a different light m the 1960s and 1970s from 1968 to 1970. Host greg m preston, connecticut, also a vietnam vet. Go ahead. The of veteran, am a vietnam serving in vietnam postcollege graduate. Backtly worked on coming from vietnam in my own way studied a lot of history, read a lot of papers, newspapers, found 40 eventually that after years, it was admitted that the gulf of tonkin was a manufactured event. Nine 11, 2001, where a government manufactured event. Whether the elected government or the shadow government, the israeli controlled government. Host why do you say that . What is the proof of that . Caller what is the proof yucca go to architects and engineers , engineers who are saying that the three buildings that came down whereby controlled demolition. We will leave it there. Here is the latest in the papers on lois lerner, the former irs official that has been testifying, pleading the fifth before the house committees. The National Section of the new headline, with the gop pushes criminal case for x official at the irs. Writes milbank dave camp, chairman of the committee, republican from michigan who is retiring, had a secret. Host dana milbank calls at all a charade. This,e Washington Post on their front page says this. Host we will be covering that. Times the washington this morning. We will be covering the vote, so go to our website for more details. Times ashington host there is more on this. Or is the side story that issa and congressman cummings, aemocrat from maryland, iss charges cummings was colluding with the irs to attack tea party groups. Host the wall street journal andhs in with an editorial says that new evidence that lois lerner targeted conservative groups they also argue that the ways and Means Committee has the authorization to release this tax information, that they did so yesterday. We will have coverage of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee vote today to hold her in contempt of congress. That takes place at 9 00 a. M. Eastern time. Go to our website on more information of when the entire vote hearing will take place. We are phone calls, hearing from veterans only this morning. Lowell from orange, texas, a vietnam veteran. Caller yes, my experience when i came back in the country i thought to seek employment. There was a paper mill close to where i lived, and i went and put in an application. My brother in law worked there. They told me that because i wore corrective lenses, they could not employee me. I basically found employment through the years at the school district. I stayed there 15 years, tried to go from nights todays, and i could not from nights to days. I could not get a day job. They would get people off the street and put them in a day position before they would put me on days, but i was good enough to keep for 15 years. Worked foreventually a government entity. A lady there whose husband was a andran, she ran a mail room she told me, i would like to see you get this job because you deserve it. So she trained me for that particular job, and i can handle it inside out. She retired, she went to commissioners court, told them i was the best man for that job, but they hired someone who could barely speak enough english. I have found that orientals or other people who possibly were not even born in this country are given jobs over veterans and even promoted. I call it lipservice when they say hire a veteran, promote a veteran, because in my experience i have not even seen that in my transition back from overseas. It is a sad thing, but i have been struggling ever since i came back. Job. E always had a the only time i was unemployed was during the reagan years when the economy got so bad and people were being laid off. Host we told you a little bit earlier about the legislation that republicans are backing hire more heroes act. This is a press release from senator mitch mcconnell, republican from kentucky. The leader f