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Lagana: DOD Should Reconsider Vets4Warriors Program Suspension

(TRENTON) — Assemblyman Joseph A. Lagana (D-Bergen) had the following published recently in The Bergen Dispatch:

“We’re now past the Memorial Day weekend, which is widely considered the unofficial start of summer, but Memorial Day is, of course, about so much more. It’s about remembering that freedom isn’t free. That’s why it’s so sad to hear that even as we memorialize our fallen soldiers, funding for a reputable veterans’ assistance service in New Jersey has been suspended.

“The Vets4Warriors program was founded in 2010 to allow service members to access confidential assistance from other members and veterans, who of course have a greater appreciation of the adversity faced by our Armed Forces.

“Military suicides have been disturbingly high over the last decade, leading to an increased awareness that we must provide a higher level of mental health care for our service members. It’s our responsibility as free Americans and our moral obligation as appreciative citizens that we work to better the lives of our returning service members and be there for their families…”

To read the rest of Assemblyman Lagana’s letter to the editor, click here.