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VFA in the Media
Unfit for combat?
U.S. soldiers should not be deployed unless they are physically and mentally fit
U.S. Military: Combat-unready
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Here’s a surefire sign that our government doesn’t really care about what sort of war we’re fighting, just as long as we’re fighting: According to USA Today:
“More than 43,000 U.S. troops listed as medically unfit for combat in the weeks before their scheduled deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 were sent anyway.” Why? Well, Bobby Muller, president of Veterans For America, says it’s “a consequence of the consistent churning of our troops,” adding, “They are repeatedly exposed to high-intensity combat with insufficient time at home to rest and heal before redeploying.”
Good to know it’s not just felons and the functionally illiterate we’re sending into war zones, not to mention the security contractors we’re throwing money at to do the jobs for which the Army doesn’t have enough troops.
U.S. deploys more than 43,000 unfit for combat
Gregg Zoroya, USA Today
WASHINGTON — More than 43,000 U.S. troops listed as medically unfit for combat in the weeks before their scheduled deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 were sent anyway, Pentagon records show.
This reliance on troops found medically “non-deployable” is another sign of stress placed on a military that has sent 1.6 million servicemembers to the war zones, soldier advocacy groups say.
“It is a consequence of the consistent churning of our troops,” said Bobby Muller, president of Veterans For America. “They are repeatedly exposed to high-intensity combat with insufficient time at home to rest and heal before redeploying.”
New Policy Urges Soldiers to Seek Mental Health Care
PBS: The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
In a bid to encourage veterans to get needed counseling, the Pentagon said Thursday that most military and civilian employees will no longer be required to disclose mental health treatment when applying for government jobs. Experts examine the impact of the new rule.
Personnel Costs
George C. Wilson, the National Journal’s CongressDaily
Lawmakers found themselves shouting down a well when they urged the civilian and military picks of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to support a bigger Army and Marine Corps by raising their end strengths permanently.
Now young officers, sergeants and motivated privates will pay the price day after day and night after night of this shortsightedness at the top of the defense establishment.
VFA Blog
Initial Findings Released:
Alaska’s National Guard Has Reached a Crisis Point, Veterans for America Finds
The post-deployment challenges facing Alaska’s Army National Guard are more daunting and widespread than any seen by Veterans for America (VFA).
VFA’s National Guard Program just completed a week in the state reviewing the needs of Alaska’s citizen-Soldiers and the resources…
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