Today is a day to honor the men and women in uniform who served their country.

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos says this Veterans Day is even more significant,  just days after the massacre at Fort Hood.

“It’s a very sad tragedy  … they’re preparing to go to combat operations in theater and this type of incident would happen on our soil at one of our largest military bases.”

Several Wisconsin soldiers are at Fort Hood as part of Madison’s 467th Medical Detachment, a combat stress unit, two of whom were killed and four wounded. Scocos says those stress units are very important in assisting members of the military with mental health issues, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Scocos, who recently returned from his second tour-of-duty in Iraq, says he was stunned when he heard about the tragedy in Texas.

“Yeah, I was very stunned. Dorrie, who is the federal vet center supervisor, I commissioned her in her direct commission to captain almost two years ago before my last deployment. I wish the very best [Read more...]