Our Troops and Veterans
Honoring our Troops and Veterans means pfor our Veterans.
Iraq and Afghanistan operations are causing enormous increases in disabled and severely traumatized veterans. Are we ready to handle this obligation? VA is under funded and cannot handle existing need, educational benefits are cut, and extended families are denied support. We must honor our agreement and ensure that all our veterans are supported in every way possible and receive the benefits they have earned.
Services need to be funded while reducing overhead costs, and each veteran could be guaranteed the premium of health care through a single-payer system, and should be ensured continuing educational benefits, and their families provided resources. How can we turn our eyes, hearts or minds from those that have fully given of themselves for the entire country?
I will work hard to honor our troops and veterans by:
- Providing them with adequate gear and equipment before we send them into harm's way. Many underpaid military families have felt compelled to buy expensive supplies and gear for their soldier to outfit them for combat. This desperation was followed by insult when they were barred from continuing.
- Honoring a volunteer military by respecting, rather than involuntarily extending, their contracts. It is wrong and immoral to demand them to go to war and then add extensions when (and because) most Americans are unwilling to serve or sacrifice themselves. Furthermore, it is wrong to expect more of them if we are not willing to give more to them. We must provide more than temporary and insufficient pay raises.
- We should expect, as a nation, to support those who have made the honorable and noble choice to protect and defend this great nation. Those who have volunteered to make this sacrifice and take on this burden deserve our full and unconditional support. There exists no excuse not to support our troops. Support comes from us being there for those who serve, providing the care, benefits and resources that are needed by our troops. Support comes from us by not turning a blind eye to the needs of those who have served, sacrificed and suffered in the name of this nation, by not denying those who have served the medical care, mental health care and community support that they need. Support comes from us by not sacrificing these brave soldiers, sailor and airmen in vain by sending them into harms way to continue a war based upon lies and deceit. There should be no excuse for supporting our troops by bringing them home.
- Maintain and keep adequate National Guard for the home front.
