While watching the senate begin debate on the Jim Webb (D-VA)amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill, I found myself once again screaming at the tube.
Senator Webb, along with Chuck Hagel, are offering a true test and measure of who "supports the troops". It is no coincidence that both of these men are the only combat ground veterans in the Senate. Senator Webb also comes from a military family whose father saw combat, the Senator has seen combat and his son just completed his first combat tour in Iraq.
The Webb amendment lays down the minimum benchmark of the same time home as time deployed in combat, a 1-1 ratio. His plan also supports the Guard by demanding a 3-1 ration for them. Who speaks for the riflemen? Certainly Webb and Hagel do. It sure as hell is not that weasel Mitch McConnell.
While Webb was offering his amendment, he yielded to Majority Leader Reid. He thought he had agreement with McConnell that both the Webb amendment and a GOP substitute offered by Lindsey Grahm would recieve an "up or down vote". It turns out that McConnell is filibustering both amendments by requiring a 60 vote cloture requirement.
You are reading that correctly. These false patriots of the right, these chickenhawks who never spent a day in uniform defending this country are filibustering the idea of not continuing to burn out the soldiers and Marines by requiring a minimum time to recuperate, reconnect with the family and and prepare for yet another tour in Bush's hell created in Iraq.
I am sure this will fall on GOP deaf ears, but I join General Wes Clark and Vote Vets in demanding that your Senator support the Webb amendment. It appears that we will need 60 votes to truly support the troops.
Our nation's troops need your help, right now!
This week, the Senate will consider an amendment offered by military veterans Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) that puts on paper one of the greatest things we can do to support the troops and the military -- guaranteeing them proper time on the homefront, to improve our readiness.
Call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support the Webb-Hagel Readiness Amendment.
Their amendment simply says that active duty troops should have as much time home as they had on deployment, and that National Guard and Reserve troops should have three years at home after their one-year deployment. Besides being a just and fair thing to do for those who are making tremendous sacrifices for all of us, it is just good military policy.
The war in Iraq is breaking our fine Army and Marine Corps. You've heard the stories about deployments being extended again and again, and troops coming home only to turn around and head right back. It has led to our troops being depleted and exhausted. Not only that, but it has seriously damaged our ability to defend this nation. Many units are simply not combat ready, and God forbid an attack by a rogue nation necessitates opening up a new war front, our forces would be unable to respond. Further, extended and frequent deployments of our National Guard has left us much more vulnerable at home.
As Major General Batiste, a former commanding general in Iraq said, "In addition to our country's lack of strategic focus and failure to mobilize the country, our military is at a breaking point. The Webb-Hagel Amendment is a step in the right direction to force our leadership to come to grips with the gross mismatch between capability and requirements."
Tomorrow, we're going to be on Capitol Hill, to speak out in strong support of this bill. But we need you to back up our efforts.
Call your Senator's office at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support the Webb-Hagel Readiness Amendment. If you served in OIF or OEF, be sure to note that to the staffer you speak with. Remember, be polite with the person answering the phone, but firm in saying you support the troops, General Clark's WesPAC, VoteVets.org, and Senators Webb and Hagel.
Let's make this happen, and really support the troops!
Sincerely,
Peter Granato
Iraq War Veteran
Veterans Outreach Coordinator, VoteVets.org