Just a few days after taking office, Defense Minister Carlos Presti pushed for the start of an audit of the Social Works of the Armed Forces (IOSFA), the third largest in the state. IOSFA is one of the main demands from military personnel, who question the scope and coverage of the social security plan, which has 600,000 members. In the last two weeks, the deaths of three soldiers were being investigated as potential suicides. In an interview with NA Agency, an active-duty servicemember stated that mental health issues are not being addressed comprehensively. "The Army does not consider mental health, and IOSFA does not help at all," he stated on an off-the-record basis. Inside the ministry, Lieutenant General Presti says he is aware of the sector's demands and maintains that, in addition to his ministerial duties, another of his objectives is to take care of the troops and military families. Presti promised to address the complaint and activated the audit of the military's social security plan. Presti will present this Tuesday to the Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni, a proposal for the creation of a new social security plan for the Armed Forces, as learned by the Argentine News Agency from government sources. Presti seeks that the eventual new structure, as he announced yesterday in television statements, be headed by a military officer.
