2014
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 14-008
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Cadman and Carroll, Aguilar, Balmer, Baumgardner,
       Brophy, Crowder, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Herpin, Hill,
       Hodge, Jahn, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, King, Lambert, Lundberg,
       Marble, Newell, Nicholson, Renfroe, Rivera, Roberts, Scheffel,
       Schwartz, Steadman, Tochtrop, Todd, Ulibarri, Zenzinger;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) McNulty, Becker, Buck, Buckner, Conti,
       Coram, Court, DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Everett, Exum, Fields, Fischer,
       Foote, Garcia, Gardner, Gerou, Ginal, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst,
       Humphrey, Joshi, Kagan, Kraft-Tharp, Labuda, Landgraf, Lawrence,
       Lebsock, Lee, May, McCann, McLachlan, Melton, Mitsch Bush,
       Moreno, Murray, Navarro, Nordberg, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen,
       Primavera, Priola, Rankin, Rosenthal, Ryden, Saine, Salazar, Schafer,
       Scott, Singer, Sonnenberg, Stephens, Swalm, Szabo, Tyler, Vigil, Waller,
       Williams, Wilson, Wright, Young, Ferrandino.
       
       
          CONCERNING PURPLE STAR VETERANS AND FAMILIES
       AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
       HOMECOMING-PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM IN THE
       DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, The sacrifices of the members of our military, as well as
       those of their families and communities, continue to be given willingly
       and selflessly to protect the freedoms that our country enjoys; and
       
          WHEREAS, This sacrifice can result in loss of life and permanent
       physical injury as well as significant emotional, mental, and spiritual
       stress for many who serve; and
       
          WHEREAS, According to a 2013 Department of Veterans Affairs
       report, every 65 minutes in the United States, a United States veteran dies
       from suicide; and
       
          WHEREAS, For every United States soldier killed in Afghanistan or
       Iraq, 25 military veterans commit suicide after returning home from their
       service; and
       
          WHEREAS, After their military service, veterans who served in
       Afghanistan and Iraq have a 75 percent higher rate of fatal motor vehicle
       accidents than do civilians, often thought to be linked to post-traumatic
       stress disorder; and
       
          WHEREAS, Purple Star Veterans and Families (PSVF) is dedicated
       to establishing formal training to assist service members on transitioning
       to civilian life and strengthening the homecoming safety net for service
       members and veterans and, just as importantly, for the families of service
       members and veterans; and
       
          WHEREAS, The vision of PSVF is national policy change at the
       military and governmental levels to dramatically improve the way military
       personnel prepares for the transition from military service to civilian life,
       including a program in the Department of Defense to prepare personnel
       for the transition to civilian life prior to their separation from service; and
       
          WHEREAS, PSVF hopes to reduce the incidence of suicide, accident
       fatalities, divorce, child abuse and neglect, alcoholism, drug addiction,
       incarceration, and homelessness among our country's military personnel,
       veterans, and their families; and
       
          WHEREAS, PSVF is focused on the Department of Defense's
       implementation of a comprehensive homecoming-preparedness training
       program for all active duty personnel before they leave the military,
       creating a standardized and readily available homecoming-preparedness
       guide and providing resources for families before welcoming their
       veterans home; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:
       
          (1)  Petition the United States Department of Defense to develop and
       implement a program of homecoming-preparedness training for all
       military personnel prior to and immediately following separation from
       military service, particularly for service members with combat and
       combat-related job specialities;
       
          (2)  Encourage the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans
       Affairs to work with national and local veterans organizations, including
       Purple Star Veterans and Families, to develop effective transition
       strategies for returning service members; and
       
          (3)  Commend Purple Star Veterans and Families for its work in
       supporting veterans and active duty personnel with the difficult transition
       home.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       President Barack Obama, the executive director of the Colorado        Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the members of the Joint
       Chiefs of Staff, the Colorado Congressional delegation, and Purple Star
       Veterans and Families.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Morgan Carroll                       Mark Ferrandino
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Cindi Markwell                        Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES