In Support of H.R. 1052 and Soldier Mental Health Privacy, this letter I created to our Oklahoma Senator below.

Dear Sen. James M. Inhofe,

I am a Army spouse. I am proud to be one too. My husband is deployed currently to Afghanistan. He will return home in one month or so. We have four boys, so I am delighted to say the least to have him on his way home.

Basically, I just want to get the message across that we are burnt out physically and mentally. My husband has served two tours so far. One to Iraq and currently serving in Afghanistan. He has come so far in his career becoming an Officer as a prior en-listed soldier. I am very proud of him. I am proud to know that this great country is in the hands of fellow soldiers as himself who are honest, humble, brave, dedicated, and loyal.

This email serves two purposes. I am trusting that you will do what is needed to get these bills passed. This movement on my behalf is part of my promise to love, cherish, and protect the soldier that I love.

First, I want to support H.R. 1052. I want my soldier, my friends soldiers, and all soldiers across America, to have more dwell time between deployments.

Second, I want you to come up with a Bill to protect the privacy of an returned war vet who is seeking out help for mental health. As the current therapy process goes, the soldier walks into a waiting room at the Behavorial Health Center and has to be seen by as many as 100 people. This irritates me to say the least. How is it that the government expects soldiers to seek help when they fear being seen by others that they work with in that very same waiting room? Or having fear that by seeking help, their job may be affected? Explain to me please in a detailed letter how you plan, if at all, to help these two particular causes? The suicide rate in the Army is currently at it's highest. Something has got to happen to prevent the numbers from increasing even more don't you think?

It is within my heart to beg of you Senator for your help. Coming from a military spouse, I hope that you take this email and put it to work. I choose not to give detailed accounts in this email but I know that there must be something done. There is no time to waste. We have been at war now for many, many, years. My husband gladly volunteers his service for this country. Now go do the same.

I would love to hear back from you. I have a blog that I started about my family. It is http://mattmeldecker4boys.blogspot.com and I would love to post your comments on there. Keep up the good work. It is a tough world out here.

Thank You Senator!