No matter how we feel individually about the Iraq war, Americans now agree: Our military troops and veterans deserve the best possible care.

Last week pressure mounted on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the quality of its mental health care. Defense Secretary Robert Gates promised the Pentagon will provide better mental health treatment for service members. And the Puget Sound Veterans Affairs psychiatric wards have come under serious scrutiny.

Now is also the time to examine the quality of the mental health programs at Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which serves Iraq and Afghanistan veterans returning to our region.

The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health found that 31 percent of Marines, 38 percent of soldiers and 49 percent of National Guard members report psychological symptoms within three to four months of returning from deployment. It describes the two “signature injuries” of this war: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Last week leaders at Spokane’s VA Medical Center described encouraging new plans. Its post-traumatic stress disorder treatment team will soon undergo new training. In April, the center adopted a new screening method for traumatic brain injury. And plans are under way to hire additional behavioral health staff and add a facility in Coeur d’Alene.

All of this sounds promising. To be successful, it will require that every veteran who needs treatment can quickly receive it. Snafus with missing combat records and bungled disability claims must be eliminated.

Veterans who need specialized care for traumatic brain injury usually travel to Seattle or Palo Alto polytrauma facilities. They should be able to continue their rehabilitation when they return to this region.

Concern for veterans crosses party lines. Sen. Patty Murray, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, presses hard for better diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. She points out the need for greater research on the treatment of traumatic brain injury, in particular. “What worries me more than anything is that we are so far behind the eight-ball on this,” she said last week.

In a recent e-mail from her office, staff members for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said she has written letters and expressed her concerns over availability of care and long waiting lists at the Spokane VA Medical Center in particular.

Now is an excellent time to ensure that the Spokane center has the resources, training and staffing it needs to best serve our region’s veterans.

Inland Northwest residents have been proudly displaying yellow “Support Our Troops” ribbons on the backs of vehicles for years now. How could those magnetic symbols stand for anything less?