Gary Sinise, the actor, singer and veterans advocate of "Forrest Gump" fame, is urging the American public to maintain awareness of veterans issues at a time when supposed war weariness following 14 years of U.S. conflict abroad is further distancing Americans from the problems facing those in uniform.

"There is a major epidemic within the military community," he said Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington. Sinise – founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, a partner of groups like TAPS and a frequent performer at USO shows – pointed to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries as among the mental and physical wounds suffered by U.S. veterans of protracted and bloody wars.



The effects of these treatment-intensive conditions have been magnified by the highly publicized dysfunction within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, he said, along with dwindling enthusiasm for supporting service members.



"This is where the challenge becomes greatest as we do draw down, as we leave the battle spaces, as we leave the front pages," Sinise said. "That's where somebody like me can come in and be useful."

Sinise is stumping for support for the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, designed to raise money for a new museum in South Carolina dedicated to the history of the military decoration. He was joined Tuesday by retired Marine Maj. Gen. James Livingston, a Medal of Honor recipient for valor during the Vietnam War and a member of the foundation's steering committee. Sinise said he hopes telling stories like Livingston's through such a museum might better educate the public about the service of veterans and the issues they face.

The actor did not serve in the military, and said he never heard family members who fought in World War I or II talk about their experiences. However, he later observed a stark difference between the better and prolonged medical treatment given to one brother-in-law who opted to stay in the military for 22 years following service in Vietnam and enjoyed active-duty benefits, compared with the lack of support given to another who left the military after completing his tours.

Sinise started volunteering to help with veterans groups in the 1980s. A decade later, he would play Lt. Dan, the grizzled combat commander turned mentally troubled amputee, in the Academy Award-winning 1994 film "Forrest Gump." He would receive a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the part, which lent its name to Sinise's musical act, the Lt. Dan Band. The group frequently performs for veterans.



Public awareness of the issues facing members of the military has improved since the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Sinise said, as seen in the vast numbers of nonprofit organizations designed to help troops, some of which sent delegations to Sinise's remarks. But the work of the military's now all-volunteer force also has created deep divisions in the U.S.

Sinise cited the findings of a 2012 Pew Research Center poll, which found 84 percent of modern-era veterans did not believe the American public understood the problems they faced. In turn, 71 percent of Americans felt the same distance from the troops.

"The need is enormous – there is lots of unmet needs out there and we continue to face these challenges," Sinise said. "The American people, we're tired of war. We've been at war for 14 years.



"Yet our military continues to serve," he added, "they continue to have challenges."

Sinise has received multiple awards for his service to veterans. Later on Tuesday, he was scheduled to receive the Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Education Foundation. Last week, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point's Association of Graduates announced it would bestow on the actor the Thayer Award for service.

As a part of his trip to the nation's capital, Sinise, a veteran of crime show "CSI: NY," is also planning to meet with FBI officials in preparation for his new role on a spinoff of the show "Criminal Minds," which will follow the exploits of a unit of internationally based law enforcement officers. The show will begin filming in late July.