VFA on the Afghanistan Announcement
Veterans for America (VFA) has spent years tracking the strain our troops are suffering as a result of repeated deployments with too little rest, or dwell time, in between. The strains are piling up. New deployments to Afghanistan are only likely to exacerbate the problems now making headlines: soaring military suicide rates and post-combat trauma in the ranks. Too many troops are returning to battle still hobbled by the wounds of their previous deployments. Our military’s own system for determining who is fit for deployment is apparently broken. Without concerted action by our leaders, our troops will continue to suffer long after their tours have ended, as will their families and their communities.
President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, which he announced today, includes 4,000 additional troops in addition to the 17,000 which he ordered shortly after he took office. It is likely that this deployment will include troops from the 10th Mountain Division and the 82nd Airborne Division who will be on their fifth deployment, and will be facing dwell time ratios of less than one-to-one. That means they’ve spent more time in combat than they have at home with their families.
VFA demands that our nation’s military leadership:
- Ensures every Soldier and Marine deployed receives adequate dwell time before shipping back to war. Active-duty soldiers who have had a dwell time ratio of less than 1:1 should be given more time before redeployment.
- Guarantees that every member of our all-volunteer military receives top-flight psychological and neurological care before they are redeployed.
- Conducts full mental health screenings on our returning troops so any psychological or neurological conditions can be treated early and effectively and military families can be made whole again.
Our contract with the members of our military is a sacred one which obliges us to honor their willingness to sacrifice and serve. Giving our troops adequate dwell time and the best medical care before sending them away is part of that obligation.
Please send a short letter to President Obama and Secretary Gates asking for sufficient dwell time and care for our troops.