Press Releases
Luetkemeyer Signs Onto Bi-Partisan Bill to Assist Fort Hood Victims
Washington, DC,
November 19, 2009
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) has signed onto bi-partisan legislation that would ensure that the victims of the Fort Hood shootings in Texas and their families receive the same level of benefits as those who died in an active combat zone.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) has signed onto bi-partisan legislation that would ensure that the victims of the Fort Hood shootings in Texas and their families receive the same level of benefits as those who died in an active combat zone. “This legislation is about putting our troops and their families first. We have a duty as a nation to treat the families who lost a loved one at Fort Hood with the same respect already reserved for those lost in combat in places like Afghanistan and Iraq,” Luetkemeyer said. “There is strong bi-partisan support for this critical legislation and I look forward to quick and overwhelming passage of the measure.” The legislation, sponsored by Texas Rep. John Carter, would convey combatant status for the victims that will allow military personnel to receive the Purple Heart, and civilians to receive the equivalent award, the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom. Combatant status would also guarantee that the beneficiaries of all military personnel who lost their lives in the attack would receive the maximum life insurance available, extended family housing privileges, and other benefits. Among those wounded in the attack was Army Specialist Keara Bono of Independence, who was shot in the back of her left shoulder. Bono is stationed with a unit out of Topeka, Kansas, who works in human resources and was supposed to arrive in Iraq in December. ###
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