Indiana Accident News

Thought leaders speak up on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans

Posted on Jan 28, 2011

Several high-profile voices are speaking out to draw much-needed attention to the plight of America’s newest generation of veterans. On the same week that President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, longtime NBC anchor Tom Brokaw appeared on several platforms to discuss the plight facing veterans of the American military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We’re talking about, understandably, the state of the economy, and unemployment, and concerns about economic security and the rest of our lives. What are we not talking about? We’re not talking about the two longest wars in American history, the consequences for the country but, especially for the military families.” Brokaw said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday. “There are multiple tours for a lot of these people in the various branches of the service. And they’re coming home, a lot of them, gravely wounded, into working-class communities, because that’s where they come from. And those communities are going to have to help take care of these young men and women for the rest of their lives. And we owe it to ourselves, and to them especially, to have a national dialogue about that, about the war, what the conclusions may be, how we deal with Islamic rage. But, most of all, as fellow citizens, it’s not just unjust, I think it’s immoral, that we don’t have more of a connection to these families, who are paying such a heavy price.”

Brokaw joins a chorus of American thought leaders, including First Lady Michelle Obama, journalist Bob Woodward and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, aimed at improving the lives of U.S. service personnel, who comprise just 1 percent of the population, but do 100 percent of the work on the field of battle. The campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan began nearly 10 years ago, shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Each conflict has now lasted longer than both Vietnam and World War II, creating a population of veterans, many of them disabled, who must re-integrate into the civilian population.

According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the unemployment rate for America’s newest veterans reached 11.5 percent in 2010, up from 6.1 percent in 2007. While improvements in battlefield medicine have saved lives, they have also increased the population of disabled Americans, limiting their opportunities for gainful employment back home. The IAVA also reports that 1.2 million spouses and more than 2 million children have been affected by the current military campaigns. Many families will undoubtedly the federal benefits to which they are entitled on behalf of a service member.

In December, the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expanded mental health counseling by the Department of Defense, improved post-deployment screenings for traumatic brain injuries and established a comprehensive sexual trauma policy. Such measures will help American families cope with life after war.  The IAVA has urged the current administration to consider long-term care for veterans as part of the cost of the war. All Americans should do their part to help our military personnel who have sacrificed so much.

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