Washington Congressman Rick Larsen (D – Arlington) doesn’t have any specific concerns that possible forced cuts in future defense spending would dramatically impact Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

“The Navy has been very clear to me that NAS Whidbey is a major asset in terms of naval air assets and nothing would ever change that,” he said.

Larsen’s comment came after a forum Aug. 31 at the American Legion in Oak Harbor. The congressman was in town on the last of a four-stop tour across the second district, talking to veterans about issues ranging from jobs to homelessness, veterans benefits to the economy and the drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Approximately 40 people attended, in addition to the congressman’s staff members and representatives of the Veterans Administration and local agencies.

Before opening the discussion to questions, Larsen briefed the group on a project he’s been assigned to work on for the House Armed Services Committee which is designed to connect small businesses, including those owned by veterans, to available contracting opportunities at the Pentagon.

He also talked about the Veteran Employment Transition Act, House Bill HR865, which would provide an extension of the work opportunity tax credit to employers who hire combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

“Although the unemployment rate nationally is about 9.1 percent, the unemployment rate for Afghanistan and Iraqi war veterans is at least 13 percent,” Larsen said. “So the VET Act finds incentives for employers to hire combat veterans.”

Lisa Clark, the director of the Island County Service Center of the Opportunity Council, addressed the growing issue of homelessness among veterans and announced that Island County is among five counties recently awarded a grant through Housing and Urban Development for supportive services for veteran families.

“There are a lot of young families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness because of their transition out of military service,” Clark said. “This will help us stabilize them.”

Clark said Island County should receive at least $60,000, which includes $20,000 in matching funds from the Opportunity Council.

One lively exchange occurred when W.D. Mayotte asked whether there was a way to ensure veterans receiving disability payments related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder could be forced to undergo treatment. His question wasn’t immediately clear.

“About 85 to 95 percent of those who go into the military come home and reintegrate successfully back into civilian life with no issues,” said Raymond Miller, a clinical therapist at VA Puget Sound. “Those who suffer from PTSD, if you knew what they had to go through to get that $3,000 check; if you knew about the nightmares, if you knew about the guilt of being the only survivor in your unit, if you knew about having to kill young children because you were in a combat situation … it haunts you for life. It don’t go away.

“Those veterans earned that money by protecting our rights and our privileges,” Miller continued. “$3,000 a month is not a lot of money to live off of and if you think that’s a gift, it’s not a gift, they earned it.”

“You’re not hearing my question,” said Mayotte. “I did 22 years. I did four years of combat in country. I went through all that stuff. My question is, can the VA force someone to come in for mental psychiatric assistance instead of just sending them a check?”

In the end there was no answer for Mayotte’s question because the appropriate VA staff member was not there. Miller, however, said about 90 percent of veterans who receive disability for PTSD receive regular counseling and therapy.

Other concerns among those who attended Wednesday included questions on cost of living adjustments to Social Security, whether contractors would be used to fill any gaps left by the drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Larsen’s view of baseline budgeting and a flat tax rate and whether there is a mechanism in place to weed out redundant government programs.

The short answer to each of those questions was there is a COLA ahead due to an increase in the inflation rate; the U.S. will not drawdown the military in Iraq and Afghanistan and then pay contractors to go in; baseline budgeting is unlikely and a flat tax rate would eliminate deductions and exemptions people wouldn’t be willing to give up; and the Government Accountability Office conducts audits on various departments when requested to do so by Congress.

Larsen encouraged those attending to keep asking questions.

“You might be here next year and say ‘I’m going to ask that question again,’ and you should,” he said. “Members of Congress all over the country need to know what you all think, whether you’re a veteran, a retiree or the spouse of a veteran.”