02/07/12 - President Obama opened his State of the Union address paying tribute to our military and invoking the miracle of post-World War II America. Indeed, in a perfect world, the example would apply after every war and now. But, dreams and hopes aren’t the reality of today’s veterans.
It doesn’t take much imagination to conjure the specter of a generation of homeless and injured men and women sleeping on park benches. Indeed, they are already appearing. The Army is accelerating “administrative discharges,” which is a bureaucratic way of saying that soldiers are dismissed for misconduct and drug abuse in growing numbers. Once heroes, many might not even be eligible for veterans benefits.
We have heard heartrending tales about post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, suicide and homicide. Then, there are the realities — the economics of trimming budgets, global dangers and stubborn unemployment.
DOD is a complicated web of budget, readiness, equipment and personnel, to say the least. “Administrative discharge” is one of many insidious consequences of downsizing and budget cuts. Follow the money, and a smaller defense budget leads to rationalizations about keeping a “quality force.” Those rationalizations morph into almost immoral mistreatment of those who have served and who are now suffering as a direct result of their past service. read more>>>
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