The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing to examine and identify mental health challenges within the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, including increasing numbers of cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide, substance abuse, and homelessness. Witnesses included the parents of Specialist Tim Bowman (U.S. Army, Illinois National Guard, Bravo Troop, 106th Calvary), who committed suicide, authors with personal connections to the problem, and representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Due to the length of testimony some other witness were deferred to a later hearing. Penny Coleman is the author of Flashback: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide, And the Lessons of War, published by Beacon Press, Ilona Meagher is the author of Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops, published by Ig Publishing.