Skip to main content

ATTENTION: This site is no longer active but remains as an archive.

Iraq Veterans Against the War has become About Face: Veterans Against the War. About Face can be found at aboutfaceveterans.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Join IVAW

Donate to IVAW

  • About
    • Founding of IVAW
    • Mission, Values, and Vision
    • War in Afghanistan
    • Why We Are against the Wars
    • Resolutions
    • IVAW Timeline
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Committee
    • Staff
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Operation Recovery
    • Winter Soldier
      • Breakdown of the Military
      • Civilian Testimony
      • Corporate Pillaging
      • Cost of War at Home
      • Crisis in Veterans Healthcare
      • Future of GI Resistance
      • Gender and Sexuality
      • Legacy of GI Resistance
      • Racism and War
      • Response to DoD
      • Rules of Engagement
      • Press Coverage
      • Press Releases
    • Right to Heal
  • Members
  • Resources
    • AWOL
    • Active Duty
    • Conscientious Objector
    • Depleted Uranium
    • History of Resistance
    • IRR Reactivation
    • Lariam
    • PTSD
    • Profiles of Resisters
    • Resources for Veterans
    • Stop Loss
    • Women's Resources
    • Mesothelioma
  • Press
  • Contact
    • Press
    • Speaker Request

Veterans Call President Out of Touch

published by Aaron Hughes on 01/26/11 3:52pm
Posted to: 
Staff

Veterans Call President Out of Touch

President Obama’s State of the Union Address last night praised the service of men and women in uniform, and promised veterans the treatment they need. But the speech showed the president is out of touch with the rough reality facing veterans, and failed to produce a plan to address their needs.  Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) represents the voices of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with bold solutions to cut the human and financial costs of war by meeting veterans’ needs that the president ignored.

President Obama grossly understated the heavy toll that the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are baring on troops and the economy. The Afghanistan War is now the longest war in U.S. history. Military healthcare costs are rising at twice the rate of the national average and occupy a major chunk of the Pentagon budget (USA Today 4/25/10). 2009 was the first year since recordkeeping began that mental health disorders were the major cause of hospitalization (USA Today 5/16/10), a grim symbol of compounding trauma. Obama declared in his speech that veterans are returning home “with heads held high,” a fable not reflected in the record suicide rates.

“President Obama, do you really think we are holding our heads high as we are watching our brothers and sisters suffer and commit suicide because they aren't getting the care they deserve? Troops need more than a long pause for applause, they need to be treated like humans,” said Maggie Martin of IVAW, two-time Iraq veteran.

Veterans of IVAW are currently leading a campaign, Operation Recovery, launched in October to end the military’s widespread practice of deploying traumatized troops back into battle. By heeding their call the President would back his promise of cutting healthcare costs. He would lower unemployment for veterans and help begin a process of national healing.

“Soldiers are being forced to redeploy into combat without receiving treatment for wounds suffered during previous combat tours. Military Sexual Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Traumatic Brain Injury are spiraling out of control as a result, with unacceptable human and financial costs,” said Jose Vasquez, who served 14 years in the United States Army and is now the Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Unemployment is another high cost of multiple redeployments and inadequate care. A January report released by the Bureau of Labor statistics shows recent veterans have an almost 12% unemployment rate — 2.3% higher than the national average. Mental and physical wounds suffered during combat make it more difficult for veterans to find jobs or start their own businesses.

“The president said withdrawal from Afghanistan will start in July, but when will it end? Let’s bring all the troops home immediately and invest in the care they have earned,” said Zach Choate, Iraq War veteran and IVAW member.

AP Interview with Joshua Shepherd and Matt Howard

Joshua Shepherd and Matt Howard of Iraq Veterans Against the War speak to the Associated Press about Scott Olsen at #OccupyOakland.

Keith Shannon on Countdown with Keith Olberman

Keith Shannon, the roommate of injured Occupy Oakland protester Scott Olsen and a fellow Iraq War veteran, shares what happened Tuesday night when the Oakland Police Department fired upon the crowd with rubber bullets, bean...

“I Risked My Life To Come Home To This?”

By Ryan Harvey (October 27, 2011) Scott Olsen served two tours in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps before coming home to a country lacking in jobs but thriving with high-level corruption. He “thought the banks pretty...

Amnesty International Urges Restraint as Police Clamp Down on Occupy Wall Street Protests

(New York) – Amnesty International urged authorities to ensure that police show restraint in their response to Occupy Wall Street protests, following critical injuries suffered by a man in Oakland, Ca. in clashes between...

Press Release: Marine Veteran Critically Injured at Occupy Oakland March

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact: Dottie Guy, Bay Area Chapter President (415) 290-5447, dottie.guy@gmail.com Jose Vasquez, Executive Director (917) 587-3334, jose@ivaw.org Keith Shannon, Deployed with Scott to...
IVAW Admin's picture

Take Action: Iraq vet critically injured by police at Occupy Oakland

Scott Olsen, a Marine veteran who did two tours in Iraq, was hit by a police projectile during last night's brutal police crackdown of Occupy Oakland.  He is in serious but stable condition at an Oakland hospital. WARNING:...

Pages

  • « First
  • ‹ Prev
  • …
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • …
  • Next ›
  • Last »

Supporter Newsletter!

Donations

Make a single donation or become an IVAW sustainer by making your donation a recurring one. Please consider making your generous gift right now.
Donate Online Today!

Speaker Request

Please be advised that we get many speaker requests, but regret that we are sometimes unable to fill them.
Speaker Request

Joining IVAW

Iraq Veterans Against the War is open to Active Duty, National Guard and Reservists who have served since 09/11/2001.
Join IVAW

Navigation

  • About
  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Committees
  • Chapters
  • Members
  • Resources
  • Contact