About one-third of America’s returning war vets are being initially diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder or another form of war-related mental health problem.

The statistics were released Wednesday by U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, and Lane Evans, D-Illinois. Evans is ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee; Michaud is ranking member of the committee’s subcommittee on health.

The Veterans Administration numbers showed that in the first three months of fiscal 2006, it saw a 21 percent increase in the number of veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who sought care.

Michaud said from 2002 to to 2006, the Togus VA Medical Center in Maine saw 166 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for treatment or evaluation for PTSD. Michaud has joined in calling for an additional $210 million more than the administration’s request for mental health services. – Doug Fletcher