Monday
Oct202008
Gates to wounded warriors: I thank you from the bottom of my heart
Monday, October 20, 2008 at 1:34PM
Secretary of Defense Robert M.Gates, speaking at a summit held at the Pentagon for wounded warriors and their families, said he wanted to reflect on an event a few months ago when Frank Buckles, a 107-year-old veteran, was present at a ceremony when a new exhibit was opened. Upon discharge from the military after World War I, Frank Buckles got “sixty bucks and a free pass to the Y[MCA],” as his severance.
To our wounded warriors, Gates said, I’ve been amazed by your grit and resilience. Part of my duties was to visit Walter Reed and other hospitals and I wasn’t sure I could keep it together and if I could handle it, to see the wounded. But I found instead that they lift me up, he said. Gates became emotional, his voice wavering, and looked solemn as he sniffled a bit and looked out at the audience. I will repeat the pledge I made to myself and everyone, he said, that other than winning the wars we are in, my highest priority is caring for those who are wounded.
Gates said they are now converting the disability rating process so that one service member has one exam, and one rating which will be shared between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Veterans Administration (VA). Working together, the DOD and VA can cut in half the time required to get to the disability payment process completed through the VA.
Many have returned bearing the scars of war, and some of those wounds are not readily apparent, Gates continued. In Iraq and Afghanistan, improvement in techniques and medical care has made it possible to survive an injury that many used to not be able to live through. This, however, has made evident how much we do not know about Traumatic Brain Injuries. We are poised to learn a lot more. We’ve also gone a long way to deal with the psychological effects of what has turned out to be a very long war.
As we all know, Gates said, not everyone returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is getting the mental health care they need. Too often people have avoided help because they were afraid of it affecting their security clearance or even their jobs. They are trying to remove the stigma by keeping counseling not part of the evaluation process, so that having it not affect their jobs is hopefully going to make it more likely to have men and women in uniform seek help.
Although we’ve made significant progress in the last year there is no doubt we still have a lot of work to do. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Gates concluded, and his remarks were received with a round of applause.
To our wounded warriors, Gates said, I’ve been amazed by your grit and resilience. Part of my duties was to visit Walter Reed and other hospitals and I wasn’t sure I could keep it together and if I could handle it, to see the wounded. But I found instead that they lift me up, he said. Gates became emotional, his voice wavering, and looked solemn as he sniffled a bit and looked out at the audience. I will repeat the pledge I made to myself and everyone, he said, that other than winning the wars we are in, my highest priority is caring for those who are wounded.
Gates said they are now converting the disability rating process so that one service member has one exam, and one rating which will be shared between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Veterans Administration (VA). Working together, the DOD and VA can cut in half the time required to get to the disability payment process completed through the VA.
Many have returned bearing the scars of war, and some of those wounds are not readily apparent, Gates continued. In Iraq and Afghanistan, improvement in techniques and medical care has made it possible to survive an injury that many used to not be able to live through. This, however, has made evident how much we do not know about Traumatic Brain Injuries. We are poised to learn a lot more. We’ve also gone a long way to deal with the psychological effects of what has turned out to be a very long war.
As we all know, Gates said, not everyone returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is getting the mental health care they need. Too often people have avoided help because they were afraid of it affecting their security clearance or even their jobs. They are trying to remove the stigma by keeping counseling not part of the evaluation process, so that having it not affect their jobs is hopefully going to make it more likely to have men and women in uniform seek help.
Although we’ve made significant progress in the last year there is no doubt we still have a lot of work to do. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Gates concluded, and his remarks were received with a round of applause.
Obama's new strategy will leave Iraq to be responsible
By August 31, 2010 the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end.
Today at a Press Conference held at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, President Obama addressed his new strategy to end the war in Iraq.
President Obama said that his new strategy would end the war by working on transitioning Iraqis to full responsibility. “To achieve that goal, we will work to promote an Iraqi government that is just, representative, and accountable, and that provides neither support nor safe-haven to terrorists...America’s men and women in uniform, so many of you, fought block by block, province by province, year after year, to give the Iraqis this chance to choose a better future. Now, we must ask the Iraqi people to seize it.”
The first part of Obama’s strategy is to responsibly remove our combat brigades from Iraq. “As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq.” Obama said that once the U.S. has removed combat brigades the next mission is to change from combat to supporting the Iraqi government and its security forces. “As I have long said, we will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi security forces as they remain non sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq.”
The second part of the strategy is to sustain diplomacy between U.S. and Iraq but Obama stated that since Iraq is a sovereign country, America cannot, and should not, take their place. “Diplomacy and assistance is also required to help the millions of displaced Iraqis. These men, women and children are a living consequence of this war and a challenge to stability in the region, and they must become a part of Iraq’s reconciliation and recovery.”
The third part of the strategy would be to help establish productive and normalized relationships with the Middle East region. “Going forward, the United States will pursue principled and sustained engagement with all of the nations in the region, and that will include Iran and Syria.”
Obama also spoke about working on the United States’ relationship with Iraq as well. “Our nations have known difficult times together. But ours is a bond forged by shared bloodshed, and countless friendships among our people. We Americans have offered our most precious resource, our young men and women, to work with you to rebuild what was destroyed by despotism...The United States pursues no claim on your territory or your resources...Going forward we can build a lasting relationship founded upon mutual interests and mutual respect as Iraq takes its rightful place in the community of nations.”
Obama went on to honor U.S. soldiers for their sacrifice and talked about implementing a 21st century GI Bill, and identifying and treating wounds of the war like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury that many soldiers endure after. “Your sacrifice should challenge all of us, every single American, to ask what we can do to be better citizens.”