Veterans

Happy Veteran's Day

Adam Doster — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:01:33 -0800

As we all take a moment today to honor those in the military who have and will continue to sacrifice for us, we urge everyone to chip in and support the 131,000 veterans across the country -- including over 1,500 in Illinois -- who lack even basic shelter. And for your holiday reading pleasure, check out this Washington Post profile of Illinois' own Tammy Duckworth, who is helping to reinvent the moribund Department of Veterans Affairs as its assistant secretary:

More than 24 million U.S. veterans are alive today, according to VA. Of those, about 1.5 million served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Duckworth, 41, knows that her age, gender and injuries set her apart from most of the veterans she meets. But part of her job is connecting older veterans with younger ones, traveling at least twice a week to visit VA facilities and speak before veterans. [...]

"I was in a different military, and I wasn't familiar with the combat capabilities of females," Joe LaPadula, 79, a Korean and Vietnam war veteran from Omaha, said afterward. "She's a good person," LaPadula said of Duckworth. "She saved somebody's life, and they saved hers."

"She is the face of the new generation," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "Iraq and Afghanistan veterans aren't old white guys."

Go read the whole thing here.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user lincolnblues.

Durbin Calls Veteran Homelessness "A National Disgrace"

Angela Caputo — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:50:03 -0700

Calling it "a national disgrace" that veterans still constitute such a large share of Illinois' homeless population, Sen. Dick Durbin and members of the state's congressional delegation met with Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth yesterday to come up with a plan to address this issue. Last year alone, veterans filled an estimated 18,000 shelter beds in the Chicago area. After meeting with Reps. Bill Foster, Debbie Halvorson, Mike Quigley, and Dan Lipinski, Durbin noted that it's going to require some creative thinking to stretch federal resources and begin solving the problem. The AP reports:

"A possibility might be to turn foreclosed homes into opportunities for training and employment for veterans — maybe even ultimately a residence that they can live in," said Sen. Dick Durbin, the delegation's chairman and the Senate's second-highest ranking Democrat.

"Some homeless veterans are struggling with addictive issues and issues of mental illness, and they need counseling, and that has to be part of it."

Encouragingly, the Obama administration increased spending on homeless veterans programs by $3.2 billion this year. A majority of the funding ($2.7 billion) will be used to fill gaps in medical care and counseling services across the nation. The remaining $500 million is earmarked specifically for homelessness initiatives. Because Illinois and the Chicago area in particular have been struggling with an affordable housing crisis for years, the state's share of the funding will only go so far. To mitigate the impact on veterans, Durbin is co-sponsoring the Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act (S. 1547), which would extend 30,000 federal housing vouchers to veterans in 2010 and phase in up to 60,000 vouchers by 2013.

Burr Abandons Inexplicable Duckworth Delay

Josh Kalven — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:18:10 -0700

A day after Tammy Duckworth's relatively smooth confirmation hearing before the Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) inexplicably decided to delay a scheduled April 2 vote on her nomination as assistant secretary for the federal V.A., citing his pursuit of "answers to some questions". Burr's action came among numerous other instances of GOP senators slow-pedalling Obama administration nominees. The fact that he provided no rationale for the delay only amplified the outrage among veterans groups.

Then, as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow reported on her program last night, Burr mysteriously green-lighted the nomination yesterday:

Once again, Burr's office has only said that his questions related "to confidential questionnaires Duckworth submitted to the committee." His spokesman also confirmed that the inquiries did not pertain to former Gov. Blagojevich, who appointed her director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in 2006.

Gotta love the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Burr Delays Duckworth Confirmation Vote

Josh Kalven — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:20:14 -0700

This morning, we wrote that Tammy Duckworth had "all but seal[ed] up her nomination to serve as an assistant secretary for the federal V.A.," after her confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Commmittee yesterday. Duckworth had been expecting a committee vote today, followed by a swearing-in ceremony tomorrow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C., where she recovered in 2004 after losing both of her legs as an IL National Guard major serving in Iraq.

But Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) scuttled that plan by blocking the committee vote this morning. Army Times has the details:

Burr aides said the senator is not blocking her nomination. They described the delay as a matter of paperwork and timing. [...]

Duckworth’s nomination won’t come to a vote until Burr gets answers to some questions, Senate sources said, without specifying exactly what Burr wanted to know. [...]

The Senate will be wrapping up its work on Thursday or Friday and will then take a two-week Easter recess, which means the veterans committee won’t be prepared for another vote before April 21.

Hmmm. Jon Soltz, Iraq War veteran and chairman of VoteVets.org, released the following statement in response:

"How dare Senator Burr needlessly delay the nomination of a war hero like Tammy Duckworth to perform critical duties at the Department of Veterans Affairs? The VA is overloaded with troops coming home, and needs all hands on deck, but as of right now, only Secretary Shinseki has been confirmed and sworn-in. Tammy Duckworth isn’t only qualified to take office at Veterans Affairs, she is exactly what we need right now – an Iraq veteran with experience in the VA system.

“Tammy Duckworth was nominated a couple of months ago, and Senator Burr has had plenty of time to ask questions of her. Senator Burr is only hurting American veterans with this nonsense. He should stop playing petty partisan games, stop needling the White House for the sheer fun of it, and grow up.”

We'll let you know if we get any more details on those "questions" Burr wants answered.

Hare: Vet Care Should Be Top Priority

Adam Doster — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:09:38 -0800

Rep. Phil Hare knows a thing or two about service. The former factory worker spent six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and has served ably on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since joining Congress in 2006. In that capacity, he has sponsored legislation that would make VA health care a mandatory spending item within the federal budget and improve veterans' access to mental health care.

To commemorate Veteran's Day, Hare published a thoughtful op-ed in the State Journal-Register, detailing the significant legislation Congress has recently passed to care for returning soldiers and what still needs to be done. Here's an excerpt, but read the whole thing:

George Washington once said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.”

Our first president had it exactly right. On this Veterans Day, as we continue to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is more important than ever to honor our nation’s heroes by providing them the care and benefits they deserve.

Vets For Freedom Pays Fratboys To Support Iraq War

Angela Caputo — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:37:07 -0700

Here's a ringing endorsement for the ongoing war in Iraq. Despite describing itself as the "largest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organization in America," Vets For Freedom (VFF) had some trouble scaring up like-minded folks to rally at the vice presidential candidates debate in St. Louis tomorrow night. So they decided to offer some local frat boys money to pose as war supporters.

The Huffington Post reports:

In an email obtained by the Huffington Post, Vets for Freedom field staffer Laura Meyer offered a fraternity at St. Louis University a "sizable donation" -- plus free lunch -- if it could use their pledges to demonstrate outside the VP debate.

"I was emailing you today," wrote Meyer, "because I am trying to find people who would be willing to hold up signs for a few hours in the afternoon this Thursday outside the VP debate site. It's only for a few hours and you can gain a lot from it.... first off, lunch for any guys who agree to volunteer will be on me. Secondly, they will get lots of media attention! My organization did a similar thing in Mississippi last week and a ton of them were on TV. Meaning, the guys could wear their [REDACTED] gear while holding up our signs and get attention for their frat. Also, they will get to hang out with a bunch of really cool Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

"Lastly, and here's the kicker.... if you guys can get us at least 20 volunteers for those few hours, my organization will make a sizable donation to your fraternity. If you use pledges you could look at it as 'free money and free publicity'. If this sounds like something you may be willing to help us out with, please let me know ASAP!"

Ironically, VFF spent $600,000 on ads in September attacking Barack Obama for being out of step with America's troops. In one ad titled "Skipped," the group alleges that the Illinois senator opposed a 2007 troop funding measure. The smear isn't new. It's is a play lifted from the McCain campaign, which Factcheck.org has debunked. Still, VFF will drop $2.2 million more to spread the message this month as the ad begins airing in California today.

Marion VA Hospital Needs Work

Adam Doster — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:53:55 -0700

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration released the first portion of a three-part report on its Marion, Illinois VA hospital yesterday and found the facility was in desperate need of leadership and oversight.

In the last two years, there have been 19 deaths caused by substandard care at the hospital. Of those, nine have been at least partially linked to one surgeon, Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez, who administrators knew was not properly credentialed. The report also found that a former medical center director ignored troubling patient incident reports, failed to establish a follow-up process for patient deaths, and allowed financial considerations to predominate quality-of-care issues.

This follows a VA Inspector General's report that came to similar conclusions earlier this year. Both of Illinois' senators have continually pressured the VA to stop dragging its feet on the investigations into the tragedies of 2006-07 and the failed management-labor relationship at Marion. "This report confirms," Barack Obama said yesterday, "that a failure in leadership and a breakdown of safeguards allowed these tragedies to occur at the Marion VA." Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello and GOP Rep. John Shimkus joined the chorus as well.

Marion is a bad seed in an otherwise well-run system, so privatization is certainly not the answer. But to provide the care wounded soldiers deserve, the VA needs to send better bureaucrats to Southern Illinois.

VoteVets.org Blasts Ozinga Over Robocalls

Josh Kalven — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:45:18 -0700

Late last night, we reported that 11th District GOP congressional candidate Marty Ozinga put out a robocall attacking his Democratic opponent Debbie Halvorson at the same time she was visiting her stepson, Jay Bush, at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. Bush was flown there after being seriously injured while serving in Afghanistan.

Today, VoteVets.org -- a political advocacy organization headed by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- put out the following response:

“This is one of the most tactless moves I’ve ever seen in politics,” said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org. “The pain and anxiousness that family members feel when their loved one is injured, wounded, or lost in combat cannot be overstated. At times like these, military families deserve some time and space, even if they are candidates for office. It wouldn’t kill Ozinga to show some class by wishing Ms. Halvorson and her stepson well, and laying off the attacks for a couple of days. It’s just a simple sign of respect to do so when your opponent is going through a time like this.” [...]

“We obviously wish Captain Bush a speedy recovery, and we thank him for his sacrifice to our nation and for our security. And, our thoughts are with Ms. Halvorson and her husband as they tend to their son,” added Soltz. “I only wish Marty Ozinga would have some class and show the same respect to our troops and military families.”

Iraq Vets Fall Through The Cracks

Adam Doster — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:06:43 -0700

Over the weekend, Chicago Public Radio's Chip Mitchell caught up with Jason, a 33-year-old former Marine from Wisconsin who served in Iraq. During the past four years, the veteran has lived on the streets in and around Chicago's Greektown, a life he thought unimaginable when he signed up to fight. After his discharge, he wasn’t mentally prepared to work and because his parents were gone and his marriage had fallen apart, he had no safety net:

JASON: I’m on food stamps, man. I have to live out of soup kitchens. I have to panhandle. I have to ask people for leftovers to eat.

Homelessness among veterans is not a new phenomenon. According to Mitchell's report, the VA estimates that on any given night 154,000 U.S. veterans lack shelter, most of whom served in Vietnam. And while a New York Times article from November 2007 found that just over 400 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have turned up homeless, that number will undoubtedly grow as more soldiers return from the battlefield:

Experts who work with veterans say it often takes several years after leaving military service for veterans’ accumulating problems to push them into the streets. But some aid workers say the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans appear to be turning up sooner than the Vietnam veterans did.

“We’re beginning to see, across the country, the first trickle of this generation of warriors in homeless shelters,” said Phil Landis, chairman of Veterans Village of San Diego, a residence and counseling center. “But we anticipate that it’s going to be a tsunami.”

So how is possible that someone who risked their live to serve their country could simply fall through the cracks? Untreated mental illness is one major problem. A Rand Corporation study from April found that while nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, only slightly more than half have sought treatment.

A shortage of affordable housing contributes as well. Horace Jones, who works with vets for a local agency called Inner Voice, tells WBEZ that "if you’re making minimum wage [or] $7.50 an hour, it’s kind of hard to support yourself and pay $650-$700 a month in rent."

Will veterans see support for their efforts grow with the election of a new president? Despite his deep commitment to military service, John McCain's record on veterans issues doesn't hold up to serious scrutiny. In May, The Nation's Brian Beutler dissected the Arizona Republican's tendency to work against veterans' interests in favor of privatization. On the other hand, a Barack Obama victory in November could help stave off the coming veteran crisis. Here's veteran John Hurley, writing about Obama's support for veterans rights at The Huffington Post in February:

Senator Obama, when he arrived in Washington, volunteered for the all important, but not very glamorous, Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs. In the wake of the housing and medical evaluation scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Obama introduced a sweeping bill, called the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act, calling for comprehensive reforms in how our combat veterans and their families are treated.

Vets support Obama because he will fully fund the VA healthcare budget, will bring Priority 8 vets back into the VA healthcare system, will expand the GI Bill to allow spouses and children to be eligible to use veteran benefits and will treat Guardsmen and Reservists equally, and he will comprehensively address the pain and devastation brought onto vets by PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

And of critical importance, Barack Obama has pledged a "zero tolerance" policy to end veteran homelessness. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans noted in Congressional testimony that "We extend our deep gratitude to Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) for catapulting homeless veteran issues onto the Senate agenda ...."

For more on homelessness among young veterans, be sure to check out the powerful documentary "When I Came Home" (pdf), which tells the story of Herold Noel, an Iraqi veteran who struggles to survive upon returning to his native Brooklyn.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user an0nym0usmuse.

Sun-Times Points To Potential Economic Benefit Of New G.I. Bill

Mose Buchele — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:36:03 -0700

Today the Sun-Times' editorial board came out in support of Sen. Jim Webb's (D-VA) legislation to modernize the G.I. Bill. The proposal (which passed the Senate last week) would offer increased benefits to U.S. soldiers returning from today's battlefields. Specifically, It would finance their education at a four-year college and provide them with a $1,000 bonus for every three years served. The measure is now pending in the House as part of the larger war funding bill. Meanwhile, President Bush has threatened to veto Webb's legislation, citing his preference for a separate, GOP-sponsored measure that features more restrictive education benefits.

The argument for Webb's G.I. Bill is essentially a moral one: our country owes a greater debt to veterans than is it currently paying. There are also practical considerations: our armed forces are increasingly stretched thin and the proposal would create better incentives for enlistment. Furthermore, the Sun-Times points to the potential economic benefit of supporting the legislation:

The original GI Bill, in the years after World War II, helped veterans forge careers and made our nation stronger.

For every dollar spent on those veterans, the government recouped $5 to $12 in taxes paid by college graduates with higher incomes, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Assuming such results could be replicated, the estimated $2 billion cost of modernizing the G.I. Bill should be though as a long-term stimulus plan -- not simply a one-time pay-off to returning soldiers.