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WILMINGTON – In a continuing effort to help war veterans, Congressman Mike McIntyre is drawing more attention to improving the mental health support for the armed forces.

McIntyre, D-Lumberton, has two new bills under consideration by the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee.

The first is the Veterans Mental Health Screening and Assessment Act, a program of professional and confidential screenings to detect mental health injuries. This would include a face-to-face screening with a medical professional starting 90 days after the completion of a tour of duty.

"Not just merely filling out a questionnaire or answering an evaluation sheet, which has been the case in the past, but where they can really sit down and talk to a person," McIntyre said.

The second is the COMBAT Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Act, a bill that would expand the definition of "combat with the enemy" to include active service in a theater of combat.

"So often it's hard for them to point to one specific incident that caused them to begin having concerns," McIntyre said. "We want to make sure the definition is broad enough that includes anyone that has been in a theater of combat that they can get the help they need."

The counseling will be done in North Carolina.

"That they can get the screening done locally, hopefully at Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg, for instance, that they can see a mental health professional," he said.

McIntyre said treating PTSD and other service-related mental health injuries is one of the major goals.

Psychologist Rich Ogle supports the idea and thinks it will make difference in the long run.

"I see a bill like this really could reduce the suicide rate because we would get all those people that are in the dark about this and maybe hiding and are just unaware of it to be able to get help and resources," said Rich Ogle, UNC Wilmington psychology professor.

There are more than 200,000 U.S. service members currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many are serving their second or third tour of duty.