Every year, we pause on Veterans Day to thank those who have so bravely served our nation. Never has it been more important to do this while our country continues to face threats abroad from those wanting to harm Americans and our allies throughout the world.
The sacrifice that is put in, day in and day out, by American soldiers is often overlooked, however, every Nov. 11, we take an extra second to say thank you for a job well done.
Delawareans are particularly familiar with the sacrifices of military personnel as the percentage of armed forces volunteers in our state is well above the national average. Veterans in Delaware and across the nation rightfully deserve our highest respect and appreciation for their incomparable service. Every single American has been directly impacted by the military, for without their brave service, we would not enjoy the freedoms that we do today. From the freedom of speech to freedom of religion, from the right to vote to the right to assemble, there is no aspect of American life that is not impacted by the actions of the military.
With over 80,000 veterans living in Delaware, it is extremely important that we provide our soldiers with the benefits and assistance they have earned. In Congress, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa of Texas and I sponsored the Model Programs for Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success in the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This legislation authorized resources for college campuses to establish veteran student support centers to better coordinate academic counseling, financial aid, veterans' benefits, student health and career advising services to meet the needs of veterans.
Over 250,000 Post-9/11 GI Bill claims have been filed since that law was enacted, highlighting the desire of many veterans to take part in the programs set up by Congress to allow for an easy transition to civilian life. We have found that over 40 colleges and universities could benefit from proper funding of veteran student support centers, making the transition to college for our veterans smooth and successful, and are currently working to secure such funding in the Senate.
While there are soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, tragedy also struck at home last week for our troops. In Texas, 13 members of the Ft. Hood community were killed, while 29 more were injured by the actions of one of their own. It is hard enough for our soldiers and their families to deal with life threatening deployments, but no one should have to fear walking around their own base. Therefore, I will be working with my colleagues to see what else can be done to make sure our active duty and veteran troops are all adequately cared for.
Also, on Veterans Day, we must thank the people who are all so integral to the success of those in uniform. From families, to civilian support staff to communities, without these people, it would be impossible to have the military successes that we enjoy.
