News Analysis: February 19, 2009
After repeated deployments to war, returning home isn’t as easy as it seems — the stress of war does not remain on the battlefield. After the homecoming often finds our troops suffering desperately. They still need our help. A five part series on coming home…being an outsider in your own life is sometimes the least of the problems faced. The Library of Congress is collecting veterans’ stories.
A hardened war veteran before reaching the age of 20. The long, lonely road home for some of our battle-scarred troops leaves them vulnerable to their own demons. The Army says it is working to combat the soaring suicide rate in its ranks.
Another day, another National Guard deployment, and tearful goodbyes. They’re being prepped for more deployments soon in Iowa. It’s not easy for the deployed, or their families.
Two years after the shocking conditions our injured troops faced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, leaders at the Army post and Madigan Army Medical Center signed a covenant reaffirming their commitment to delivering the best care possible to our wounded warriors.
Another case of unpaid benefits from the VA. Another grim statistic on homeless veterans, this time in Louisiana, which leads the nation in homeless vets.
US troops are “stalemated” in Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent, adaptable enemy, according to Gen. David McKiernan, the top US commander there. Some 17,000 more US troops are heading for the fight there, which will bring the our troop presence to some 55,000 troops. They will remain near those levels for up to five years, McKiernan said. What should the principles for an Afghanistan strategy look like?
New lessons for the Army on Iraq duty…
The economic crisis and accompanying global unrest post new challenges to the security of the US, forcing the military to make “hard choices” about what to trim in the defense budget, according to Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. One help for the strained budget may have already arrived: the Air Force is paring its request for more F-22s, which cost some $350 million each when the costs of development and research are figured in.
Where in the world is Osama bin Laden? They say in Pakistan, which has already made a troubling deal with the Taliban giving them a safe haven in the Swat Valley. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is flexing its terror in Africa.