Mother of veteran who killed himself testifies before Congress, blasts VA

By Rohan Mascarenhas/The Star-Ledger—

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Linda Bean went to Washington today on a mission.

Nearly two years ago, her son, Army Sgt. Coleman Bean, committed suicide after serving two tours in Iraq. As she grieved, Bean heard from her son’s former comrades, many of them describing situations they were dealing with, ones similar to those her 25-year-old son could not endure.

Recalling her family’s experience — the delayed appointments at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the “daunting” website she could not navigate — she worried about their futures.

Something had to change, the East Brunswick resident told herself.

“If Coleman were here, he would have wanted to do whatever he could to help his friends,” said Bean, who was featured in the Star-Ledger in November chronicling her son’s ordeal. “We owe them.”

In her pursuit for reform, Bean spoke at a congressional hearing today, offering a wide-ranging critique of the VA and the lessons she said she’s learned after the death of her son, whom she described as the “perfect soldier.”

“There are veterans who will tell you that they have had to scrap and fight for every VA service they’ve received,” she told members of the House Subcomittee on Oversight and Investigations. “The VA needs to be willing to say, ‘Even if you don’t come to us, we’ll help you.’”

During her five-minute testimony, Bean urged the military to join forces more with civilian counseling organizations and to establish a group of “feisty, tenacious” veterans within the VA that will help fellow comrades navigate its bureaucracy.

Today’s hearing came at a crucial time for the American military, which has struggled with a troubling wave of suicides among veterans and service members.

That group accounts for roughly 20 percent of the 30,000 suicides in the country every year, according to statistics from the VA. Last year, 334 service members killed themselves, eclipsing the number of soldiers killed in combat in Afghanistan.

During the hearing, military officials acknowledged the problem, but cited the growing success of outreach programs, including a suicide prevention hotline geared toward veterans.

The toll-free number, which can be reached at (800) 273-TALK (8255), has received more than 300,000 calls and led to 10,000 rescues, said Robert Jesse, an official at the Veterans Health Administration.

Lawmakers have also moved to close a gap highlighted by Bean’s death.

The South River man was part of the military’s Individual Ready Reserve, a pool of tens of thousands of service members not assigned to a particular unit. As a result, Bean said, her son was cut off from his former Army buddies, as well as counseling help.

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.) introduced legislation that would require counselors to call every member of the IRR who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan at least once every 90 days. The measure, named after Coleman Bean, passed the House, but bogged down in the Senate amid concerns about its cost.

Today, Holt called upon the Department of Defense to implement the program, which Linda Bean supports. When her testimony finished, Bean said a quiet “Thank you,” as congressmen and aides rose for a standing ovation.

She then headed back to Jersey on an afternoon train, her mission still incomplete.

The full text of Bean’s testimony can be read here.