SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Today’s military can be an unsafe place, says U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (pictured) (D-Springfield). “I am deeply disturbed by the direction that Secretary Hegseth has been taking, the tone that he’s setting. I think the punitive actions he’s taken, specifically on women officers and also people of color, that sets a tone for the rest of the military which I think he is trying to base that off of, in my opinion, a lot of fear and intimidation.”

Budzinski spoke to reporters Tuesday morning, after a meeting with her veterans’ advisory council in Springfield. Women’s issues, as well as trying to help veterans work through sexual trauma, were major topics. She said more training specific to sexual trauma is needed. “What can happen is, if someone is not properly trained to work with that veteran, it can be retraumatizing,” said Budzinski.

Also on hand was John Lawson, superintendent of the Veterans’ Assistance Commission of St Clair County. He said different eras bring different challenges. “For our Vietnam veterans, we see a lot of Agent Orange exposure illnesses, mostly in the cardiovascular systems (such as) heart issues. Our next gen of veterans, from Desert Storm forward, we deal with a lot of respiratory illnesses, fourteen – and counting  – cancers.”

Lawson said mental health problems – attributed to changing forms of warfare – loom large for the more recent veterans.