This month's VFW magazine released the results of a Pew Research Center survey of current war veteran and public attitudes towards the notion of burden-sharing in the nation's defense. Per the VFW Commander,
An astounding 75% of Americans believe it is not unfair for the all-volunteer armed forces to assume virtually the complete burden of combating Islamic Terrorism. After all, said those polled, "it's just part of being in the military." In other words, the public is perfectly content to let a fraction of a percent of the population shoulder full responsibility for it's safety.
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84% of recent war veterans believe the public has no idea what they or their families have to cope with during constant overseas deployments.
More below the squiggly...
I suggest you read the article starting on page 16 of the VFW online magazine HERE
The VFW is also concerned that deficit hawk proposals forwarded to the now defunct Super Committeecalled on Congress to cut 10 specific military and veterans benefits to help pay for the past 10 years of war. These include increasing healthcare premiums and pharmaceutical fees, freezing military pay, ending government subsidies to military commissaries (that's where they can buy groceries and and other goods), eliminate the 20 year retirement plan...and so on. Each of these proposals would erode the quality/quantity of what we provide to those who shoulder our defense.
It's atrocious!!
The vast majority of our population has no idea of what it means to serve, and particularly what it means to serve in combat. We give our troops a lot of lip service and love watching the Budweiser commercial showing troops coming home and people in the airport clapping. I wonder how much clapping it takes to compensate out troops for what they've done and endured, and what their families have endured? I wonder how many members of the public have taken the time to actually pay attention to the war and the wounded and to protest to the chicken-hawk politicians who engage us in war but avoid military service like the plague? Not many. More folks here at Kos pay attention and are more appreciative than usual... I believe.
I believe anytime there is a war we should institute the draft and make damn sure eligible people can't avoid service simply because they or their family is well-connected or wealthy. If we had the draft, families from all walks of life would share the sacrifice and you can bet more people would be engaged, paying attention, and so-to-speak kicking congressional ass about taking us to war, how the war is conducted, care about the equipment our loved ones have to help them survive and be victorious, and how we treat our veterans. Seems only fair to me!
If you've never served, and you live near a VA hospital, go visit. See what it's like. See the people. See the facility. You'll come away with a view of how important this care is to so many...who might otherwise have NO care. Write your elected representatives and demand they not defund the very few privileges (commissaries, on base elementary schools, etc) that our troops and their families have.
Finally...find a way to be personally grateful to those who defend you. Don't just say "thanks for your service." Think about it...you'll find a way.