by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Hoping to address issues such as post traumatic stress disorder and the continuing need for service access for veterans living in Guam and in the region, Guam senators Frank Blas Jr. and Tony Ada met with Veteran Affairs officials during their trip to our nation's capitol last week.

The senators spoke with officials about the distance and time zone changes veterans have to contend with when trying to access service with the VA regional office in Hawaii and instead proposed utilizing the veterans services available in the Phillippines.

Blas asked, "It's very difficult for the veterans to come up with the $1,500-$1,600 up front just to get to Hawaii - is there a way we can be able to reduce not just the travel time but also the amount of money necessary to be able to get to the facilities to get their medical care?"

Because this proposal would require congressional action, the senators met U.S. Senator Tim Johnson's office to discuss and encourage possible legislation. As we reported yesterday, the senators were in Washington, DC to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures and were also able to meet with U.S. Senator Jim Webb and members of the Armed Services Committee.