WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King asked a top Pentagon official about the Army’s current efforts to assist servicemembers with the transition from active duty to veteran status. In a conversation with General James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army, the Senator pushed for closer coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that servicemembers are prepared for the next chapter in their lives upon their return home.

“A question relating to my service on the Veterans Affairs Committee. One of the issues that we've identified with our veterans is the transition between active duty and veteran status and how we can facilitate that in a more active way. Suicide, the disproportionate number of suicides, occur within two or three years of separation from active duty. General, I hope this is something that you're focused upon, because it's critical to make sure that that transition happens smoothly and that the new veteran knows that there's available services and that there's somebody that cares about them when they leave the service” Senator King said.

General McConville replied, “Senator, as you and I talked about. I'm absolutely committed to that. I want to make that work. Transitions are the most dangerous time of suicides. They break my heart every time we lose a soldier, and they happen during transitions, whether it's transition in their relationship, transition in their job, transition in their financial status, or even transition out of the military when they leave that warm web of friends. And we have to do a better job of… we don't want to have a smooth landing, we don't have a smooth take off. How do they leave the Army or the military as a whole and get into that welcome that we talked about? And we have to manage that transition for them.”

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he has been among the Senate’s most prominent voices on the need to address veterans suicide, and has repeatedly pressed for action from top Department of Defense officials on this issue. Additionally, he recently spearheaded the passage of legislation to better track and study servicemember suicides by job assignment. Senator King has also worked to properly honor and recognize the sacrifices of Purple Heart medal recipients, protect veterans from fraud, and expand veteran assisted living services.

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