A resolution sponsored by New Jersey State Senators Sean Kean (R- Monmouth) and Jennifer Beck (R- Monmouth/Mercer) urging the federal government to establish a post-deployment assistance facility at Ft. Monmouth has been approved by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.
"The Congress and the Department of Defense have a unique opportunity to create some good out of the closing of Fort Monmouth for both our veterans returning from service and our community at large," said Senator Kean. "The U.S. Military Preparatory School or one of the nearby buildings are ideal locations to establish a facility that serves a critical need- post-deployment support for service men and women returning from combat. It is our hope that this resolution grabs the attention of policymakers in Washington and opens a serious dialogue about the proposal."
The resolution urges the United States Congress and Department of Defense to establish a federally funded post-deployment program at the soon to be closed military school. The program would be administered by local veterans groups and appropriate medical staff.
Since October 2001, 1.6 million American soldiers have been deployed to combat in the Middle East. Many return home needing counseling and other services to comfortably re-enter civilian life.
"The men and women of our armed services sacrifice so much for our freedoms. The least our government can do for these soldiers is help them re-integrate into civilian life after experiencing the trauma and stress of combat," said Beck. "It is both fitting and logical to locate such a program at this site as part of a larger plan to repurpose Fort Monmouth."
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