Obama announces aid for wounded vets

ORLANDO, Fla. - President Obama on Saturday announced a new initiative to help treat veterans with brain injuries and mental health conditions, as he and first lady Michelle Obama paid tribute to disabled veterans before departing on their summer holiday.

Speaking to the annual conference of Disabled American Veterans, which represents 1.2 million people nationwide, Obama announced a $100 million grant to research centers, led by the University of Texas in San Antonio and Virginia Commonwealth University, dedicated to treating brain injury and mental health issues, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.

He also said his administration would launch a new effort to share research among the numerous federal agencies studying and providing treatment to veterans with neurological problems.

Brain injury and disease is one of the enduring legacies of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with significant numbers of veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the suicide rate among veterans has soared over the last decade.

"I'm not going to be satisfied until every veteran . . . gets the support and help they need to stay strong," Obama told about 4,000 veterans gathered here. "We've got to end this epidemic of suicide among our veterans and troops."

Obama addressed the group after his administration has faced withering criticism from veterans advocates for the backlog of claims from disabled veterans, which stood at more than 600,000 in March. The backlog had been an embarrassment for a president who had pledged to promptly tend to the needs of veterans.

But on Saturday Obama said his administration had reduced the backlog more than 20 percent and was on track to eliminate it by 2015.

"I'm going to be honest with you: It has not moved as fast as I want it. That's been unacceptable," he said.

Obama blamed the delays on an influx of new veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as new claims by veterans affected by Vietnam-era Agent Orange.

"We are not where we need to be, but we're making progress," he said.

Obama became emotional as he discussed his four-year acquaintance with Cory Remsburg, an Army Ranger who suffered a severe brain injury in Afghanistan but has slowly been on the mend. "The war in Afghanistan may just be ending, but for Cory and our disabled veterans, the work has only just begun," he said.