Hey, people commit to our entire country when they join the military, so I feel we should commit to real support for military veterans. I take that personally.
Here’s Paul Rieckhoff from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America:
Whether it is 16 months or 18 months, the strain on our troops and their families will be tremendous. What no one is talking about is how our country will support these tens of thousands of troops when they do come home. The president’s new plan will create a “surge” of new veterans coming home in 2009 and 2010. Our duty to these brave men and women doesn’t end when they leave the battlefield, and America must do more to support them as they return home. The new GI Bill must be properly implemented, mental health resources must be expanded, and we must account for the toll the economic crisis will have on new veterans and their families. No veteran’s “welcome home” should come in the form of an unemployment check.
One way you can help is to get the word out regarding the veterans’ social networking site, CommunityofVeterans.org.