Monday,  Jan. 27, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 195 • 6 of 34

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every veteran in South Dakota and to offer assistance with federal, state and local benefits. Along with staffing the table in the Capitol Building, the Department plans to host more than 130 open houses, including at least one in every county, reaching out to veterans. Upcoming events will be posted at vetaffairs.sd.gov under the "public affairs" tab.
• Recently, a veteran visiting the Capitol Building stopped at the Operation Reach All Veterans table. This veteran was suffering from injuries that occurred after serving, and the injuries were causing this individual a great deal of hardship. Because this person stopped at the table, the Department staff member determined the veteran was eligible to receive complete medical treatment from the VA.
• Had this person not stopped at the booth, this veteran may never have known about the earned benefits.
• There are 75,000 veterans living in South Dakota, ranging in age from World War II era veterans, to those who are currently serving. I'm willing to bet that many of them - like the veteran who happened to be at the Capitol recently - aren't aware of all of the benefits they're eligible to receive.
• I know there is no way to fully repay our veterans for all they have sacrificed to protect our freedom. Still, we should do everything we can to thank and provide for them. Operation Reach All Veterans is one step toward repaying just a small part of the debt we owe.

Playing Offense Against Sex Traffickers
By Rep. Kristi Noem

• Clemmie Greenlee was 12 years old when she was abducted and forced into the sex trafficking industry.  Now in her 50's, Clemmie recalls a tremendous amount of pressure to meet her trafficker's demands during large-scale events like the Super Bowl.  She remembers that during these times of high-demand she was expected to sleep with 25 to 50 men a day. 
• The Super Bowl is one of the great American traditions, but it has an ugly side:  It's commonly regarded as one of the largest incidents of human trafficking in this country every year.   While on a much smaller scale, we see surges in South Dakota during big sporting events too - namely, during hunting season and the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
• Earlier this week, I met with individuals from local shelters, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and community outreach organizations to talk more about what can be done to address this issue.   These advocates brought to the table a number of strong ideas I'll be taking back to Congress. 

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