President Obama has signed an executive order aimed at reducing the rate of suicide and mental health disorders in veterans and troops by improving access to behavioral health care.

Addressing soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Friday, Obama said the initiative is part of an overall effort to maintain U.S. military superiority.

“We may be turning a page on a decade of war, but America’s responsibility to you has only just begun,” Obama said. “Just as we give you the best equipment and technology on the battlefield, we need to give you the best support at home.”

The order directs cabinet agencies, including the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services and Education, to work together to expand suicide prevention efforts and to fill vacancies for mental health jobs.

The “Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members and Military Families” order also includes actions to improve access to mental health services for service members and veterans, including enhanced partnerships with community providers, increased VA staffing, and mental health research.

“If you are hurting, it’s not a sign of weakness to seek help; it’s a sign of strength. And we are going to help you remain strong — ‘Army Strong,’ ” Obama said, referencing the service’s advertising slogan in his speech before more than 5,000 service members at the 1st Aviation Support Battalion hangar at Fort Bliss.

Under the directive, VA must expand its veterans’ crisis line capability by 50 percent by Dec. 31 and ensure that veterans who identify as being a danger to themselves or others connect with a trained mental health professional within 24 hours.

VA also is required to partner with DoD in developing and implementing a nationwide year-long suicide prevention campaign aimed at veterans.

The order also authorizes VA to expand programs based on veterans helping veterans, directing the department to hire 800 more peer-to-peer counselors, and it also directs VA to work with HHS to establish a pilot program that leverages community mental health resources to reduce the waiting times veterans often face when seeking mental health services.

VA has faced criticism for not doing enough to help veterans who need mental health treatment.

Members of the armed forces face a unique set of logistical challenges when serving in other states or countries: many lack the ability to simply go to the DMV to renew their driver’s licenses, filing taxes can be complex and voting in elections can be even more confusing.

"It is critically important to ensure that every voter entitled to an absentee ballot is given every chance to receive one,” said John Conklin, a spokesman for the New York State Board of Elections.

According to the 2010 Post Election Survey Report to Congress, 85 percent of active duty military members were registered to vote, compared with 65 percent of the civilian voting age population. Due to the dilemmas associated with members of the military voting, approximately 120,000 active duty military personnel indicated they never received the absentee ballot they requested.

The Constitution gives each state the right to determine the "time, place, and manner" of all elections, including federal elections. As a result, there is great variation from state to state.

“FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Program) strongly supports the adoption of the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA) as offered by the interstate Uniform Law Commission,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez.

“UMOVA sets uniform deadlines for receiving registration forms and ballot applications, and sets a minimum standard for electronic transmission of registration forms and blank ballots.”

Seven states — Colorado, North Dakota, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Virginia — and the District of Columbia have adopted UMOVA. In Hawaii, the measure has passed the legislature and is awaiting the governor's signature.