News 12 at 11 o'clock, July 25, 2007

AUGUSTA, GA---Senator Johnny Isakson (R)-GA is bringing the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to Augusta for a field hearing.

News 12 has learned the Senate panel's hearing will be August 28th at the Augusta Uptown VA Medical Center. It will draw attention to something Augusta has that no other community does: the nation's only Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit within a VA facility.

The Senate passed a wounded warrior bill recently calling for collaboration between the Department of Defense and the VA, something that's already happening in Augusta.

News 12 sat down with the Active Duty Rehab Unit Director, Dr. Dennis Hollins, in March after the Walter Reed scandal. We asked him if Augusta could care for more wounded warriors.

"Yes, I'm sure we can," Dr. Hollins said. "You need staff who's aware of and is comfortable with and supportive of our military."

In addition to Senator Isakson, other senators on the VA Committee are South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, and presidential candidate Barack Obama of Illinois. We don't yet know which other committee members might come, but an Isakson staffer said we can expect several other members.