Associated Press

U.S. Senate candidate Larry Pressler says that a national center for post-traumatic stress disorder should be located at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Hot Springs.

Pressler made the statement Sunday in reaction to an Argus Leader article that told the story of a 25-year veteran of the South Dakota National Guard who suffered from PTSD. Lt. Col. Tami Mielke recently committed suicide in Sioux Falls.

Presser says there’s been talk of creating about a dozen new PTSD treatment centers in quiet, rural areas of the U.S. He says instead of building a new facility, it would make more sense to use the existing VA hospital in the scenic Black Hills.

Pressler says that he himself suffered from PTSD after serving two tours of combat duty in Vietnam.