Letter to the Editor:

Veterans treated like second-class citizens

Frank Perna, Las Vegas

Friday, June 20, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

Your Monday editorial headlined “Keep sick soldiers home” should make us all sick to know our troops have been sent into battle when their commanders knew they had physical health problems that could significantly impair the performance of their duties.

Mental conditions were not mentioned, but there have been instances of troops being deployed from the U.S. who were suffering from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. This could explain why a Rand Corp. report estimated that 320,000 veterans are suffering from mental problems.

How can military leaders at Fort Stewart, Fort Benning and Fort Drum ignore the medical conditions of our troops? For political expediency, to maintain the all-volunteer military?

Is the Defense Department doing all it can to identify mental and physical problems prior to releasing our troops from duty? If it hasn’t been, and probably still isn’t, it is no wonder that we are hearing all the horror stories when our veterans apply to the VA for care.

How many of our troops have become homeless because of this disgraceful treatment? Our troops and veterans deserve better.

Discussion: 4 comments so far…

By Teaser

6/20/08 at 6:19 a.m.

Suggest removal

What is sounds like is that we really do not have enough soldiers to go around. The only alternative is a draft, which of course would be political suicide for all politicians. Frankly, I think that if we made military service mandatory for everyone - men and women - we'd have a whole different war scenario going on right now. This nation was all gung-ho to go to war with Iraq, but if it had been a nation that (at the time) faced the prospect of being drafted into that war, I'll bet support would not have been as strong.
By a_veteran

6/20/08 at 7:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

yes and not only current ones ,try doing anything and you are treated to a real sorry attitude from almost all whom you have contact with. Example: signing up for medical benefits is a real joke, no one knows how to read a DD-214. Th ey are very uneducated running those programs.
By uglygirl

6/20/08 at 9:48 a.m.

Suggest removal

I can't understand OUR country! OUR so-called good government and I mean so-called, because they aren't worth crap; Always talking about our soldiers and they don't even take care of them. Our veterans should be put on a pedestal and have everything in the palm of theirs hands. Senators, President, governor, WHO DO YOU THINK KEEP YOU SAFE, just like the rest of us that are not in the military. You let all these illegals here and stay, but you can't care of OUR VETERANS? iF THAT'S THE CASE LET THE ILLEGALS FIGHT ON THE FRONTLINE? Soldiers are dieing for an ILLEGALS to be here and take all their resoures where they should have help first(Veterans). OUR government should be ashame of them of themselves, but as long asthey get to sleep at night wiht their families everything else is A Ok isn't that right!
By Mag

6/20/08 at 10:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

The Bush administration has stated that the "War on Terror(ism)" was the greatest challenge of our time and that Saddam Hussein had to be stopped...well if that were true, then he would have called for a draft. But, of course, he didn't because it was all in his head! Besides, he couldn't allow his precious twin daughters to be subject to the draft.