During last night's first presidential debate, Senator John McCain made no fewer than four references to veterans’ issues. This is a huge development for a candidate who did not mention veterans once in his entire 50-minute acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, rather than offering specifics last night, Senator McCain simply made assertions that would require the willing suspension of disbelief for anyone who has taken the time to examine the candidates' respective records on veterans issues.
As if the Walter Reed scandal weren't enough. According to The Army Times, two major veterans' groups claim that the Pentagon's personnel chief has deliberately and systematically withheld benefits from wounded service members by redefining which injuries qualify as "combat related." Here's the article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/military_veteransletter_defensedepartment_082908w/
The groups, Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, cite a DOD memo that defines "combat related" for the purposes of the new severance pay waiver as limited only to those injured in a combat zone in the line of duty or as a direct result of armed conflict. In laymen's terms--if you receive a check upon separating from the military and then are later deemed eligible for veterans' health benefits, you might have to repay the first amount before you can start collecting the second if your injuries are not deemed "combat related." This may, quite simply, be impossible for a number of our veterans.
Although less reported in the media, the number of troops seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan far exceed the number killed. Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, and huge advances in battlefield triage, we are saving soldiers who might never have made it home in previous wars. This is good news, but it creates even greater demands on our veterans' health care and benefits system.
It would appear that DOD is trying to trim the ranks of those eligible for benefits in the face of a growing budget crisis stemming from providing care to our wounded warriors. This is unconscionable. If our nation decides to send our troops to war, then it must be prepared to take care of those injured in the line of duty. And guess what, John McCain is on record suggested that it might be necessary to such "rationing"of veterans' health care.
Barack Obama is firmly committed to improving the quality of health care for our veterans and rebuilding the VA's benefits system. That's on top of his efforts to combat homelessness among veterans and offer a real Veterans' GI Bill.
"Eight is Enough!" Vote for change, Vote Obama/Biden!!!
