Veterans For America

The war in Iraq isn’t over. The main events may not even have happened yet? The top US commander in Iraq would like to see about 30,000 of our troops still there five or six years from now? Sectarian violence still plagues the shattered country. And in case Iraq wasn’t already real enough, is a reality check is coming in Afghanistan? RAND says a new strategy is needed. Civilian deaths in the country have soared 40 percent. The so-called Afghan surge will begin in a very dangerous region. Meanwhile, Pakistan is making a deal with the Taliban, and granting the Taliban a refuge along the border with Afghanistan. From Pakistan, the Taliban’s threats reach around the world — even into New York City.

With two wars straining the ranks of the military, from the active-duty on down, it’s been a long time since anyone made the mistake of calling a Guard member a “weekend warrior.” As VFA has long been documenting, our Guard forces are war-battered and strained. So too are our Guard families. So many of our men and women in uniform are under such stress that suicides are soaring in the ranks — prompting the Army Guard to hold a month-long stand-down to learn the signs of potential suicide and how to help those in need. Our Guard continue deploying…

Like never before, Mom is going to war. And it’s been hard on our military families. It continues to be hard to see Dad go to war — particularly when he doesn’t come home.

Dramatizing the solemn, final return home of a fallen Marine. Perhaps we will all soon be able to see the human toll wars are taking on our fellow Americans — as the new administration is reviewing the Pentagon’s photo ban on coffins carrying our war dead.

After war, more and more veterans are volunteering for duty…helping others. It’s an example set by, among others, Bobby Muller following his return from the Vietnam War.

We should have been using “science” earlier, it may help us find Osama bin Laden.

A little promise on the path to treating PTSD…More needs to be done.