‘Why do we wait until a tragedy?’ Gee and Ursula urge for better veteran support amid manhunt for Army Ranger

A manhunt is currently underway for Travis Decker, a former Army Ranger accused of kidnapping and killing his three daughters. According to court records obtained by KIRO Newsradio, Decker faced challenges after transitioning out of the military.

Gee and Ursula urge veteran support after Army Ranger allegedly kills daughters

“First, I want to just say this before we dig into this Ursula, it’s tragic that those girls are no longer here. Those precious lives are gone,” KIRO host Gee Scott said. “I think everyone who’s listening right now, you probably wish that there’s something that you could do to prevent something like this.”

As the search for Decker stretches into Day 10, with more than 100 local, state, and federal officers and agents actively looking for him, both Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, urged for better support when it comes to veterans.

“Let’s all want to do a better job of helping our veterans, helping our people that are really struggling in this country,” Gee said. “Let’s try to do less social programs being divested from. When you’re trying to trim the fat in Veterans Affairs (VA), you’re trying to get rid of workers and things like that, because you’re saying that potentially the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) comes in and does all these things. Let’s put more of a spotlight on the people that are struggling and understand, because what we can’t do is—we can’t wait until it’s too late.”

In the months leading to the three sisters’ deaths, Whitney Decker’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, requested a judge to order a domestic violence evaluation and a full psychiatric assessment for Travis Decker during a hearing evaluating his custody rights.

In response, Travis Decker acknowledged his struggle with housing instability and described the challenges he faced transitioning from his career in the military, where he served as an Army Ranger, into civilian life.

“When I was separated from active duty, I tried to figure out how to live as a civilian,” he told the court. “I didn’t have family, friends, or any support—especially moving to a state where I had no one to lean on or even a couch to sleep on.”

“Why do we wait until there is a tragedy, when this should be coming on the front end?” Ursula asked. “People have sacrificed their lives, their livelihoods, in service of our country, and they should not be forgotten.

“Now there are going to be a lot of people who say, ‘Look, a lot of people suffer from PTSD. That’s not an excuse. They wouldn’t go to the extent that this person did,” Ursula added. “But that is why I hope they find him, and I hope they find him alive, and he needs to pay the price. But it raises questions about what kind of help is there for our veterans. For people who put their lives on the line and can’t get help when they are suffering?”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.