Fruitport native Marty Wills trekked 1,000 miles to Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina. He began the two-month journey in Muskegon on Memorial Day. Wills carried with him an American flag and a 50-pound pack containing a Purple Heart medal honoring his friend’s brother.

He used the walk to collect over $22,000 in donations for 22 Kill, a veterans organization that supports and raises awareness for former service members struggling with PTSD. The foundation’s name reflects the commonly cited statistic of 22 veterans on average committing suicide every day after losing their battle with PTSD.

“A lot of work needs to be done to raise awareness,” said Wills. “Many civilians don’t understand that you just can’t leave a military lifestyle and fit right in to civilian life.” He retired from military life in 2013 after 23 years of service as a U.S. Navy corpsman and a U.S. Army combat medic.

The veteran used Google Maps to plan his route, traveling 15 to 20 miles each day. Wills visited local Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Department of Veterans Affairs chapters to interact with veterans suffering from PTSD. Several veterans expressed their support by offering him meals and overnight accommodation throughout his journey.

The cornerstone of the act is the requirement that VA facilities provide authorization for veterans to seek private medical treatment if a wait time is longer than 30 days or if they live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.

According to Army Times, this provision is especially important because even as recently as July 2014, more than 30,000 veterans nationwide still faced wait times of more than three months.

Nonetheless, experts say that this change will not happen overnight. Ian de Planque, deputy director for the American Legion, told Army Times that he expects full implementation to take up to a year.

In the meantime, VA schedulers are contacting some waitlisted veterans directly to arrange for private medical care. The VA reports that it has contacted more than 260,000 waitlisted veterans nationwide to arrange timely private care.

The act includes a broad array of other requirements. Some relate directly to care — for example, the requirement that treatment for military sexual trauma be improved. The act also extends the existence of a comprehensive treatment program for veterans with mild to severe traumatic brain injury.

In addition, the act provides for a stronger school loan repayment program for medical professionals joining the VA. VA officials have pointed to a lack of medical staff as a leading reason for the wait times and ensuing scandal at the VA.

The act also provides the Secretary of Veterans Affairs much broader authority to fire executives who perform poorly.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald has set an initial 90-day benchmark to evaluate progress on the implementation of the act.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

Unfortunately, treatment does not ensure that veterans are feeling any better. A new study, commissioned by the American Legion, suggests that nearly two-thirds of veterans report no improvement or worse symptoms after treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The organization is calling for a larger, multi-step research program to confirm these findings and develop effective long-term solutions.  

But the study also found that 30 percent of veterans stopped treatment before the end of their treatment plan. 

The consequences of dropping out of treatment can be dire. A recent House Veterans Affairs Committee heard the testimony of parents whose sons, struggling with PTSD and TBI treatment, had committed suicide.

The American Legion has argued that more professionals must be trained specifically to treat PTSD and TBI. A new federal bill will provide loans for those pursuing a career in mental health with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Many veterans affected by PTSD and TBI do not even seek treatment. But getting more veterans into treatment may not matter if the quality of care cannot be improved. As veteran Army sergeant Josh Rensler testified before the House Committee, “[The VA] must dramatically improve its mental health care delivery. Access is an issue, but we have to ask ourselves, “Access to what?””

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

The veteran unemployment rate for those who served post-Sept. 11, 2001 is significantly higher than for civilians. There is also a “substantial disparity,” advocates say, between the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities and the unemployment rate for individuals without disabilities. Advocates for veterans also say that vets have earned the quota support.

According to Joe Sharpe, the director of the American Legion’s economic division, employers who put an emphasis on hiring veterans when possible are doing their own part to serve their country.  And vets, Sharpe argues, are at a disadvantage, pulled out of the workforce for extended periods of time to serve, which means they have less time and opportunity to gain valuable skills and network. The two regulations, slated to go into effect in March 2014, will set the benchmarks for hiring by government contractors to be at least seven percent individuals with disabilities , and the percentage of veterans determined by the number of veterans presently in the workforce. Currently, the percentage of vets in the workforce is eight percent. Those opposing the rule says that the goals are the same as a quota. However, if a contractor does not comply with the benchmarks for hiring, there are no predetermined fines or penalties.

Mark Perriello, the president and chief executive of the American Association of People with Disabilities argues that the rules are not the same as a quota. The rules, he says, are “an inspirational target” for government contractors. All that is needed is a “good faith effort.” Seven percent is not set in stone. It is a target.

But some advocacy groups are not comfortable with the rules. Contractors will be facing an increase in paperwork requirements.

The public was invited to comment for two months on the federal contractor restrictions. 

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800