Esty Secures Replacement Medal for Farmington Veteran
FARMINGTON, CT – Today, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty announced that her office has helped secure a replacement Army Commendation medal for Farmington veteran Paul Sypek. Mr. Sypek earned his Army Commendation Medal in 1969 for his service in Vietnam. The medal was sent to Mr. Sypek’s home today.
“As the Representative for Connecticut’s 5th District, one of the greatest privileges I have is the opportunity to assist our courageous veterans,” Esty said. “I feel incredibly honored that my office was able to play a role in helping restore a medal that Mr. Sypek earned in service to our country. Most of all, I’m grateful to Mr. Sypek for his service. I urge veterans throughout the 5th District to contact me and my office for any assistance they may need in securing replacement military decorations or in dealing with a federal agency.”
In order to receive his replacement Army Commendation Medal, Mr. Sypek had to correct a clerical error in his service record. Though the error was corrected in November, 2010, Mr. Sypek contacted Esty’s office because after more than two years, his replacement medal still had not yet arrived.
“I was very impressed with the speed and attention with which Representative Esty addressed the issue,” Mr. Sypek said. “In my own case, after waiting over two years using normal channels, the situation was resolved within three weeks of contacting her office. I would like to thank the Congresswoman and her very attentive staff not only for helping me but also future veterans who may find themselves in this position."
Mr. Sypek is one of several 5th District veterans whose requests for replacement medals, and experiences of significant delays, helped inspire Esty’s PROMPT Act.
Under current law, the military offers a free, one-time replacement of military decorations to service members, veterans, or their next of kin who submit requests. However, there are no performance standards in place to prevent these requests from languishing in bureaucratic limbo. The PROMPT Act would ensure the timely replacement of military decorations for service members, veterans, and their families by enacting and tracking performance standards for medal replacement requests – requiring military decorations to be mailed within sixty days of verifying a veteran’s service record and requiring replacement requests to be completed within one year.
The PROMPT Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in June. It must be passed by the Senate and signed by the President to become law.
More information on the PROMPT Act can be found here.
5th District veterans seeking help with replacement medals or other assistance with a federal agency are urged to contact Congresswoman Esty’s district office by phone at (860) 223-8412, by fax at (860) 225-7289, by email atEsty.House.Gov/Contact, or by mail at 114 West Main Street #206, New Britain, CT 06051.