Veterans For America

With the third day of the Democratic National Convention featuring more discussion of the strain on our troops, Sen. Barack Obama was meeting with the family of a Montana National Guardsman who committed suicide after returning from Iraq. Post-traumatic stress disorder claimed Spc. Chris Dana less than two years after his tour ended. Obama has pledged more funding for treating PTSD. Obama is now the Democratic Party’s choice for president, having been nominated by a Republican and Iraq war veteran.

Iraqi forces are starting to lead on their own - but still rely on U.S. support, and even U.S.-supplied bottled water.  Someone has plans for a tourist resort in Baghdad called “Honeymoon Island.” There’s also a plan to build a giant Ferris wheel. This may paint a rosy picture indeed, but let’s not forget that Baghdad’s citizens are desperate for potable water and more than a couple hours of electricity every day – five years after the war began. We don’t know how things will turn out in Iraq, but we do know that continuing to deploy our troops, over and over again, will continue to destroy our military, spawn new waves of psychological and physical injuries and not necessarily bring the Iraqis any closer.

Troops from Oregon engage a new enemy: depression. Oregon troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to die of suicide than in combat.

With more National Guardsman deploying to Iraq, there’s yet more reason for them to be here at home: Gustav. Wildfires, flooding and tropical storms and hurricanes — these are just some of the reasons we’ve needed our National Guard protecting us at home this year.