IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 152 

Expressing support for the members of the uniformed services and their 

families, particularly those wounded or severely injured in service to 

the Nation, and support for the newly established Military Severely 

Injured Joint Support Operations Center in the Office of the Secretary 

of Defense. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2005 

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER (for himself, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. JONES

of North Carolina, and Mr. HOYER) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the members of the uniformed services and their families, particularly those wounded or 

severely injured in service to the Nation, and support 

for the newly established Military Severely Injured Joint 

Support Operations Center in the Office of the Secretary 

of Defense. 

Whereas all members of the uniformed services, regardless of 

branch of service and whether serving in an active or a 

reserve component, should be treated with the same degree of dignity and respect by a grateful Nation; 

Whereas, for those service members who are injured, wounded, or severely disabled, all steps necessary should be 
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•HRES 152 IH 

taken to assist them and their family members in navigating the complicated processes of medical care and 

treatment and transitioning back to duty or private life 

provided by the Department of Defense; 

Whereas all those who serve in battle to defend freedom and 

in doing so become wounded or disabled—whether active 

component, National Guard, or Reserve member and 

whether soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman—have earned the right to equal treatment; 

Whereas over one million members of the Armed Forces—active, National Guard, and Reserve—are currently serving 

on active duty, many of whom are deployed or forwardstationed in more than 120 countries; 

Whereas the Nation is currently experiencing the largest mobilization of the reserve components since World War II; 

Whereas the Nation’s Guard and Reserve forces are serving 

with great honor and distinction, in Iraq, Afghanistan, 

and elsewhere, in a manner equal in every way to that 

of the active components; 

Whereas the uniformed services, while comprised of different 

branches, serve one nation and one mission—to protect 

and serve the United States—and, as such, when a person takes the oath of office and serves in the Nation’s 

uniform, the Nation owes that person, and that person’s 

family members, equal assistance when that person returns home; 

Whereas over 11,500 members of the Armed Forces have 

been injured or wounded during Operation Enduring 

Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom serving the Nation and the Nation’s dedication to fighting for democracy throughout the world; 
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•HRES 152 IH 

Whereas medical advances on the battlefield and in rear medical support centers have resulted in many service members surviving wounds that in previous conflicts would 

have proven fatal, resulting in demands on military hospitals, care centers, and bureaucracies to process larger 

percentages of severely injured service members than in 

the past; 

Whereas the modern Armed Forces are more integrated and 

operate more jointly in the theatre of operations than 

ever before, through technological and logistical support, 

but personnel and medical support services for returning 

wounded, injured, and severely disabled service members 

are unable to transition those members back to duty or 

to civilian life with the same level of integrated systems; 

Whereas members of Guard and Reserve forces, in addition 

to the strains faced by members of the active components, face additional burdens from complicated and burdensome personnel systems that may result in long pay 

gaps, incorrect orders, and indefinite medical hold status 

ratings that, in too many cases, result in severe financial 

strains and even bankruptcies, long wait times for medical care, undue stress and strain on families, and uncertainty in returning to civilian life and employment; 

Whereas in response, on February 1, 2005, the Department 

of Defense established the Military Severely Injured Joint 

Support Operations Center in the Office of the Secretary 

of Defense, thereby providing a means for integrating the 

efforts of the Army Disabled Soldier Support System, the 

Marine for Life Injured Support Program, the Air Force 

Palace HART program, and the Navy Wounded Marines 

and Sailors Initiative; and 
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•HRES 152 IH 

Whereas that Joint Support Center, as originally conceived in 

H.R. 5057 of the 108th Congress and supported by a 

large number of bipartisan Representatives and Senators, 

seeks to provide a range of resources for severely injured 

members of the Armed Forces and their families by serving as a clearinghouse of advocacy, support, and information: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reiterates its support for all members of the 

3 uniformed services and their families, and particu4 larly for those members wounded or severely injured 

5 in service to the Nation; 

6 (2) applauds the action of the Department of 

7 Defense on February 1, 2005, in establishing within 

8 the Office of the Secretary of Defense the Military 

9 Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center, 

10 thereby providing a means to integrate the efforts of 

11 the separate service branches to provide resources 

12 for severely injured service members and their fami13 lies that are carried out through the Army Disabled 

14 Soldier Support System, the Marine for Life Injured 

15 Support Program, the Air Force Palace HART pro16 gram, and the Navy Wounded Marines and Sailors 

17 Initiative; and 

18 (3) expresses its strong commitment to that 

19 center and the accomplishment of the mission of 

20 that center and pledges to ensure that the center re-
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•HRES 152 IH 

1 ceives the resources required for it to fulfill its mis2 sion. 

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