The Alaska Army National Guard: A ‘Tremendous Shortfall.’

Oct. 15, 2008 – Washington, DC – Veterans for America’s (VFA) National Guard Program releases its final report on the Alaska National Guard

“VFA agrees strongly with Lieutenant General (Alaska) Craig Campbell, adjutant general of Alaska, and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin that Alaska’s Guard troops are among the finest. VFA calls on them both to do right by our troops and to have the moral courage that their leadership requires to address the significant shortcomings in post-combat care that our report highlights.” Bobby Muller, President, Veterans for America.

Veterans for America, also known as Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, has a thirty-year history of working on behalf of America’s veterans and servicemembers.

VFA’s work supporting members of the National Guard began in response to our Guard deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan in incredibly high numbers, often without the programs in place to adequately care for our citizen Soldiers and their families when they returned from war.

In the words of retired Army Brigadier General John Adams, “the way we have used the National Guard, without properly preparing to care for them upon their return, is an egregious manifestation of a national crisis.

VFA has worked with Alaska servicemembers and veterans for more than a year. We have conducted two extensive field visits and have worked with many Alaska Soldiers and their families through our Wounded Warrior Registry.

Despite the unexpectedly harsh response from Lieutenant General (Alaska) Craig Campbell, VFA’s final report confirms its preliminary findings: the serious and growing needs of Alaska Guard Soldiers, their families, and communities far outstrips available resources and programs.

Many of Alaska’s Guard members have been deployed, and, in some case, deployed again, despite the absence of high-quality care and treatment after their return. It remains VFA’s recommendation that the United States should not continue to deploy the Alaska National Guard until this situation is remedied.

Under no circumstances is it acceptable to deploy a citizen Soldier to war knowing that they cannot receive adequate care post-combat.

VFA’s report can be found here.

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