Congressman Jodey Arrington is introducing legislation in memory of his Plainview High School classmate, a veteran who took his own life after he left the service.
Just over a year ago, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Bill Mulder, a friend and classmate of Arrington, took his own life.
“We didn’t know, no one knew,” Arrington said of the internal struggles Mulder faced when he returned to the United States.
Mulder struggled to adjust to life at home after he left the service.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 veterans take their lives every single day.
“He was strong, he was tough and he was a warrior’s warrior,” Arrington said.
In Mulder’s honor, Arrington plans to introduce the Transition Improvement Act of 2018 before Congress.
The bill would target active-duty service members one year before they return home.
In addition to providing money for job training, it would also connect them with support organizations within their communities.
Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke, a co-sponsor, said the bill would pair active-duty soldiers with a counselor to help them throughout their frequently difficult transition.
“It is literally going to save lives and give those lives greater purpose and function and ability to contribute to the greater success of this country,” O’Rourke said.
Arrington said he hopes to bring the bill to the House floor in the next few weeks.
“We don’t want to wait until they are homeless or they are suicidal,” Arrington said. “We want to get with them on the front end and earlier.”
