VETERANS
As a Marine, I saw firsthand the effects of warfare on the mind and body. It is essential that we show appropriate gratitude to our veterans. Having dealt personally with the Veterans Administration for myself and in helping other veterans, I can tell you that the reality is a far cry from living up to the rhetoric.
In modern war, there are numerous hazards unknown to previous generations of soldiers. In addition to conventional enemy action, modern soldiers are exposed to unique explosive forces which have made Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the exposure to chemicals and biological agents on the battlefield, there are side effects of numerous vaccines to be dealt with.
Full healthcare for life is the least we can do for service members who have served in combat zones, and it should be budgeted for with any defense spending authorization that puts troops in harms way. We must work to reduce the obscenely high rate of veteran suicides today. It is time to fully incorporate the cost of taking care of our veterans into the cost of war.
