Take 'testvets' request, last sentence of posting, and make some contacts, Make It Happen!!
Or debates on Iraq, Military and Veterans Issues
by testvet6778
Fri Nov 23, 2007 at 04:33:00 PM EST
I ran across this website today, Military Spouses for Change and I agree that a debate on these issues should be held. Both partiesshould agree since they are going to keep utilizing the five militaryforces of this nation occupied in Iraq or Afghanisatn or both and maybenew ones during the next term of office.
Some numbers to think about active duty 1,380,082 number of living veterans 26,403,703 and the number drawing veterans benefits are 2,735,559 these are voting age people, that usually DO vote. Most are married andhave children many of them have adult children, like myself I have 3voting age children, and you all better believe I tell them myopinions. Does that mean they will vote that way, NO, but they willlisten to me and I will have an influnce on their decisions, becausewhat affects me affects them. That means there is a potential 100million Americans directly affected by policies these candidates canpossibly impact in their lives, veterans benefits, home loans, old agecare, medical care, etc.
This is their message about the desired debate and the purpose behind it,because it DOES affect them, personally and up close, they are the ones either going into harms way or waiting at home for their loved ones,the candidates should be able to face them, their questions and debate the future about the military, with them in the audience, and all of us as Americans might learn more about the people that was to be the'Commander in Chief' of the Armed Services in addition to their duties as President of the United States.
As much as individual presidential candidates talk about health care plans or personal values, the fact remains that we are electing a war president. We are electing a president who will probably spend the bulk of his or her first term managing military conflicts and performing extensive foreign policy damage control. In 2008, the next President will inherit at least two wars and the costs of those wars,internally as well as internationally, will continue to grow long after the last service member comes home.
Consequently, Military Spouses for Change[1] is inviting the presidential candidates from both parties to Fort Hood, Texas(Killeen), on February 1st, to talk about foreign policy, our military,our veterans, our wounded warriors, and our military families.
Fort Hood is the largest military installation in the United States.There are almost 46,000 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood and more than24,000 spouses. On any given day, at least a third of these soldiersare deployed to Iraq and every week at least two soldiers from FortHood (on average) are killed in Iraq. (I am 34 and I know more widowsthan my mother knows.)
This kind of event has never been done before and it needs to be done now. Not only because Americans on both side of the aisle need to be reminded (before Super Tuesday) that we are electing the next Commander-in-Chief, but also because our service members and their families deserve to be addressed and heard by the people who wish to be elected in that position.
We also think this country’s large veteran community should know which candidates truly value the military and veteran vote (if not for moral reasons, then for practical reasons). There are approximately1.4 million active duty service members in America and 1.2 million inthe National Guard/Reserves. If you include the spouses, that comes toa total of 4.1 million votes.
Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 8 adults wereveterans (26.4 million) in 2003. If we assume that at least half ofthose adults were married, then we have approximately 39 million vetcouples giving us a total of almost 43 million American adults who arecurrently serving in the military, have served in the military, or aremarried to someone serving or who had served. That is not aninsignificant number.
As an organization and as military spouses, clearly U.S. foreignpolicy is important to us. But the American public has an interest inthis as well, not only for fiscal reasons (e.g., we have spent 447billion dollars on the war in Iraq alone), but for national securityreasons.
Furthermore, what about the depletion of our states' National Guardand reserve units? How are we going to replenish those units so thatindividual states can respond to a natural disaster or, heaven forbid,another 9/11?
So far 1.5 million service members have been deployed to Iraq orAfghanistan. What are the candidates’ positions on the possibility ofreinstating the draft if, for example, we become engaged with Iranbefore he or she enters office?
Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Defense has reportedmore than 64,000 wounded and 4,000 killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. TheDepartment of Veterans Affairs, however, has reported treating 250,000Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, including 95,000 for mental healthconditions.
Meanwhile, an estimated 700,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans areexpected to seek care from the VA within the next ten years, at aprojected cost of 7 to 9 BILLION dollars. A recent DoD taskforceassessing the mental health capabilities of the military announced: 'The system of care for psychological health that has evolved overrecent decades is insufficient to meet the needs of today's forces andtheir beneficiaries, and will not be sufficient to meet their needs in the future.' ( MHTF Report Final in PDF )
What do the candidates propose to do for our returning wounded warriors and their families? How do we effectively identify their mental, physical, social, and financial needs and how do we effectively meet those needs?
The suicide rate is the highest in almost 30 years and the propensity to serve is at a 20 year low. Consequently, the Army and Marine Corps are relying on reenlistment and recruiting bonuses that will cost nearly 2.5 billion dollars next year.
Iraq is the defining electoral issue of 2008. Nothing can be done domestically until we have settled our foreign affairs in such a way that does not require a large military presence in hostile countries. Yet because Texas is not an early primary state, it does not warrant the attention of the Presidential candidates. Nonetheless, we cannot imagine an event more powerful than these candidates answering questions posed to them by the very people whose service and sacrifice allow forums such as these to exist.
Shouldn't we as certain which candidates are the most qualified (from both parties) to lead our nation and our military prior to SuperTuesday? And shouldn't this be done in front of an audience of service members, veterans, wounded warriors, advocates, and their families?
If you have any questions or are interested in being involved, please contact:
Carissa S. Picard
President
Military Spouses for Change
Please contact the campaigns of the people you support and ASK themto please commit to this group and see if we can enable a debatebefore Super Dooper Tuesday.
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