All the reports from the Mideast show that our troops are doing magnificantly. They are brave, resourceful, and dedicated. If there is one quite common characteristic among our troops, it is that they believe in what they were doing over there; many, including many that have been seriously wounded, are longing for the day that they can return–return into an area of danger. Why would they feel that way? It must be because they feel that they are being given a chance, for once in their lives, to make a difference–to do something that can very well change the world for good.br /br /So, our troops, the best and brightest and bravest among us, have overcome the “entitlement syndrome” that seems to have overcome the rest of America. They are willing to give their very lives to do something good for someone else–and, maybe, in the long run, for themselves.br /br /In return we see all kinds of negative things happening in our military because it is much too small for the mission we have given it. We’re starting to see divorces spike, good middle-level leaders leave the service–to save their marriages, or just to have some time to breathe. Yes, post-tramatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is at an all-time high for all wars just now. br /br /Our active Army is one-third of the size it should be (the other services need to grow substantially, too) to sustain the military presence that will be required in the Mideast for a decade or more. This will allow military personnel and families a chance to de-compress and have some normality in their lives. This will also allow the National Guard and Reserves to return to their proper role of being our military back-up. Neither our president nor our congress has shown the leadership or the concern to take this necessary action. Let’s get some elected officials who will do what is right for both the country and for our troops and veterans.
We owe them better than this.
December 27th, 2007Veteran/Military oriented Charities
December 21st, 2007This month the news has been full of reports about a number of national charities that claim to support present and former members of the military and have been anywhere to inefficient to fradulant in their use of the funds that they have raised. While the reports are from a very valid agency and I believe them to be true, this does not mean that all such charities are unworthy. Some national charities got very high ratings. It does mean that donors should be wise before sending their money.br /br /However, local charities that focus on local veterans and local military members and families should not be tarred with the same brush as the unworthy national organizations. Local charities support such things as the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, Toys for Tots, and many others are very worthy and deserve the full support of the community.br /br /Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Our Intelligence Report is Wrong
December 11th, 2007It appears that the recently released National Security Estimate is somewhere between inaccurate and just plain wrong.br /British spy chiefs have grave doubts that Iran has mothballed its nuclear weapons program, as the US report claimed last week. Both the Brits and Israelis believe the CIA was hoodwinked by Teheran; they believe that Iranian staff, knowing their phones were tapped, deliberately gave misinformation. The timing of the CIA report has also provoked fury among British officials who believe it has undermined efforts to impose tough new sanctions on Iran and made an Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities more likely.br /It appears that our US spy chiefs were determined to avoid giving President Bush a reason to go to war – as their reports on Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs did in Iraq – that they got it wrong this time. A US intelligence source said that many middle- ranking CIA veterans believe Iran is still committed to producing nuclear weapons and are concerned that the agency lost a number of its best sources in Iran in 2004.br /Diplomats say the chances of winning Chinese and Russian support for strong sanctions in the UN are in freefall. One Western diplomat said that it has created a lot of difficulties because of the timing, just as we were about to go for a third resolution against Iran.br /Our military is still at about 1/3 of the size it needs to be considering how hostile the world is and how poor our intelligence is. We need a lot of ability to respond when things start happening. It’s time to reinstitute the draft now.
Get Congress off of their XXXX
December 1st, 2007This Tuesday, 4 December the Congress will return to “work” after a 14-day Thanksgiving vacation. Further, they intend final adjournment on 21 December. That leaves 17 calendar days for them to enact major money legislation to keep the government funded. Some of this important legislation includes –br /a. Legislation to again defer the mandatory 10% cuts in Medicare reimbursements that will otherwise take effect this 1 January 2008. Tricare reimbursement ratios are directly keyed to Medicare reimbursement ratios, so military retirees will take a hit whether or not they have Medicare. Many physicians have already stated that they will be unable to accept new Medicare patients and others will seek other lines of work.br /b. The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to authorize funding to the Department of Defense. At least one military department has already initiated planning to go to minimum manning by furloughing both civil service and contract employees.br /Certain factions in Congress seek to sabotage the 2008 NDAA by including controversial “hate crimes” legislation that has nothing to with National Defense. The reasons none of this important legislation has been passed boils down to petty politics where the anti-war “cut and run” faction has tied passage of just about all legislation to that issue whether or not that legislation has anything to do with the on going hostilities.br /So, beginning this Monday, 3 December, let’s begin a telephone campaign to support passage of this important legislation. Make the phones ring all day, everyday.
