To Secretary Panetta: A Plea for Compassion in the Case of Desecration by U.S. Marines

To Secretary Panetta: A Plea for Compassion in the Case of Desecration by U.S. Marines

Last week, first lady Michelle Obama announced a renewed level of commitment to support research and aide for the mental health of America’s veterans. A growing number of those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and/or depression -- diagnosed or otherwise -- and an overall difficulty assimilating back into civilian life. While science is scrambling to understand these disorders (as well as the enigmatic conditions that sometimes result from brain injuries), alcoholism, divorce, unemployment and suicide statistics among veterans remain some of the highest of any other groups. Mrs. Obama’s focus was on medical educational institutions training new doctors in the treatment and understanding of these difficult conditions.

            Despite the First Lady’s efforts to call the attention of the nation to these issues, the prevailing story circulating the 24 hour news networks since last Wednesday is the apparent desecration of alleged insurgent dead by four US Marines in Afghanistan.  If it is, in fact, how it seems, anyone would condemn these actions as reprehensible. But no condemnation should be without compassion, and no compassion can be without an attempt at understanding.

            It is within the bizarre and cruel tableau of war that men do bizarre and cruel things to each other. But these Marines are not monsters; they are human. And despite what some would say, our adversaries in the Global War on Terrorism are human beings as well. It is precisely because of this humanity that war is such a horrible and tragic ordeal, and thus so mentally trying. As civilians, this now notorious act of desecration would have seemed unthinkable to these Marines. It is only after enduring constant combat operations day in and day out that such an immoral act could be considered acceptible, even humorous.

Indeed these Marines should have considered how images of their insensitive act would endanger their brothers and sisters in arms, and ultimately serve to weaken the efficacy of the American mission in Afghanistan. One moment of indulging in an act of sick gallows humor can partially undermine years of nation building. Whoever leaked the video, regardless of his or her intentions, should be reminded how the United States responded to the desecration of American bodies in Iraq in 2004. The US responded with the second invasion of Falluja. A single image can motivate thousands to act, and in this day and age someone is always watching. 

            But those who sit in judgment of these Marines and their wildly inappropriate actions should take a moment to remember that we ask more of them than we will likely ever ask of ourselves. Urinating on a dead human body is a deplorable act, but given the situation, the Marines likely regarded the act of taking the insurgents’ lives with more weight and severity. 

These Marines deserve admonishment, but not without compassion. Secretary Panetta, in his zeal to “punish those responsible” would do well to apply equal energy toward the identification and prosecution of those who desecrated the remains of U.S. servicemembers whose partially-cremated remains were so callously and improperly dumped in a Virginia landfill. These Marines who have been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, who may have never committed a crime, and continue to struggle with the ghosts of this war deserve our compassion most of all. 

 Once this story has played out, and the fickle attention of the national media has shifted to the next shiny bauble to catch its eye, perhaps we can all refocus on the truly critical tasks at hand: winning wars and caring for our warfighters.

           

Thoughts on Bin Laden's Death, Photos, and a 5/2 World

Yesterday AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop and I sat down to formulate AMVETS' reaction to the death of Osama Bin Laden at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs in the Pakistani suburb of Abbottabad.

Needless to say, there was such overwhelming emotion behind our discussion. I served a year in Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror, and Cmdr. Hotop is a veteran and a Blue Star Father whose son, Dean Hotop, also served in Iraq.

Thankfully, we were able to keep our thoughts fairly concise, as you can read here, but to me, this doesn't even scratch the surface on what this means for our nation.

Over the last day we've seen hundreds of analysts and pundits discuss how this most certainly is not the end of Al Qaeda or transnational terrorism as the network's weapon of choice. However, I feel this is a major symbolic victory for our nation that strikes at the heart of Al Qaeda's ideology.

September 11, 2001 has in many ways come to define my life and the lives of those closest to me--whether it was pulling emergency guard duty in the days after 9/11, deploying to Iraq for a year, working here in Washington, or losing friends and watching lives change forever. Though I never questioned whether or not our military was succeeding in the War on Terror, I had lingering doubts about whether we could translate our incremental success on the battlefield to success in the public eye, which seemed to be growing increasingly weary of the open-ended commitment. By hunting down Osama Bin Laden and putting a bullet through his skull, we've conveyed that ever-important message of success.

It was always a sore spot for me that we failed to catch Bin Laden. To me, he was going to be the one who got away, only emboldening our enemies. All the "key lieutenants" or "masterminds" that we've caught or killed over the years never seemed to resonate with the American public, and ongoing operations and successes in Afghanistan seemed to be continually buried in the headlines.

I was honestly concerned that we would soon learn that Bin Laden died back in 2007 of natural causes, surrounded by loved ones and criminal cronies. To know now that he died at the end of an American rifle, facing those he victimized, makes me feel as though justice has been served.

With that said, I feel it's time to release the photos. I'm confident that Bin Laden's corpse is already feeding the fishes at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, but one can already see conspiracy theories floating around the internet about whether it was really Bin Laden, or whether this was some kind of publicity stunt. I know this is garbage, but much like we saw with the death of Saddam Hussein, his sons, Mussaub Al-Zarkawi, and others, our enemies need to see proof to believe it's true.

To me, this proof cuts off the head of our enemy and strikes deeply at the morale of those who have sworn allegiance to Bin Laden. Over the last few months we've seen Al Qaeda significantly weakened ideologically by the nonviolent secular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia and the ongoing secular uprisings across the Arab world. The death of Bin Laden proves once-and-for-all that the end game for Al Qaeda is not the empty promise of a path to overthrowing nebulous tyranny, but rather brutal, violent, and meaningless death.



I am extremely proud to be an American today. I feel as though my sacrifices and the sacrifices of those closest to me who served in the military have been validated. Our decade of hard work has yielded the results our nation needed.

When Americans started to gather at the White House and Ground Zero, it was easy to see that the crowds were largely young and mostly college students. What surprised me, though, was how many had American flags readily available; and I was particularly moved when the crowd belted out the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic staples. These young Americans are much more patriotic than I ever gave them credit for and I think it's a testament to our nation's pride and unity--despite what we may have seen and read in the news in recent months.

Though I know this does not bring an abrupt end to our operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Horn of Africa, and elsewhere, I believe that this is the most significant victory for the United States since the demise of Adolf Hitler. This was justice. This brings closure to the families who lost their loved ones on 9/11 and the families who lost loved ones subsequently on the battlefield.

As President Barack Obama said in his address to the nation, this demonstrates that we, as Americans, can accomplish anything. To me, that means we can vanquish our enemies in preservation of the ideals that we cherish. Though we must still be vigilant, I'm personally looking forward to a post-Bin Laden world--a 5/2 World--where our nation no longer lives in fear and uncertainty, but once again prospers off of the ingenuity, pride and unwavering dedication of our citizens.

(Image: U.S. Marine Corps veterans Mike Demo, center, and Bill Cortese, right, drove 30 minutes to New York's Ground Zero, May 2, 2011, to mark the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Two of Cortese's cousins were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Randall Clinton. Video: Official White House video of President Obama's address to the nation on the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.)

UPDATE: Stop Loss Pay Deadline Extended AGAIN

Here's the latest countdown to the deadline:

More Info: www.Defense.gov/StopLoss

Last night, Congress passed legislation once again extending the deadline for Stop Loss Special Pay benefits until midnight, Dec. 18.

Many eligible veterans still have not claimed their $500-per-month benefit for involuntary extension after 9/11, which could be worth up to $3,500 or more, according to the Pentagon.

AMVETS encourages all potentially-eligible Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans to apply for the benefit. To learn more about Stop Loss Special Pay, Click Here.

For more about Stop Loss Special Pay extensions, check out Military Times' coverage by Clicking Here.

Cmdr. Hotop Remembers 9/11

Tomorrow morning AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop will join the AMVETS Department of Illinois for their 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, where Hotop will deliver his remarks on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that thrust the United States into the Global War on Terror. Here is Hotop's prepared statement on 9/11:

"Nine years ago today, many of us in this great nation awoke to the horror of American Airlines flight 11 crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Later, many of our worst fears were realized when three more planes were hijacked to be used as weapons against our peaceful nation. The attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the failed attempt in rural Pennsylvania began a new era in American history. This era is marked by a new kind of patriotism our nation has never known. Instead of the fear and hopelessness the terrorists of 9/11 hoped to plant, courage and valor have grown.

"Instead of hatred and instability, America has grown more compassionate and stronger. We have rebuilt and regained our strength. But through this renewal and growth, we must not let the images of the crashed planes, falling buildings and burning countryside fade from our memories.

"So, today we remember the morning of September 11, 2001, and the atrocities that were carried out on our soil.

"We must constantly remind ourselves of the bravery and heroism that was demonstrated by the flight attendants, pilots, and passengers aboard those hijacked aircraft. We remember great courage of the firefighters and police who came from across the nation to assist those in their time of need.

"Today, we should say a special prayer for those families who have lost a loved one and have spent the last five years learning to live day to day with this tragedy. We remember their pain, and today we will grieve with them. We will not let the memory of so many Americans be forgotten.

"And despite all of the dreadful memories we remember on this day, we should also stand proudly as Americans. We are proud to have remained firm in our beliefs and in our patriotism even in the face of terrorism.

"It is important for us to remember that today we are a nation at war. We must make a concerted effort to remember and honor those who carry out our noble mission: the brave service men and women who are fighting for our freedom across the globe, like Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, who we learned yesterday will be the first living service member in the Global War on Terror to be honored with the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

"Much in the way Giunta and his fellow paratroopers thwarted a kidnapping attempt and suppressed a Taliban onslaught in the mountains of Afghanistan, we must all remain vigilant in our fight against those who would take away the freedoms for which so many veterans have fought. We must not back down, give up or run away. We must remain firm in our support of American troops at home and abroad and never forget their daily sacrifices. After all, it is these brave individuals who have preserved the freedoms that Osama Bin Laden and his thugs sought to destroy.

"We should say a special 'thank you' to these members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and reserves who continue to defend our nation.

"America is truly the land of the free and the home of the brave.

"Please join me as we observe a moment of silence for those who lost their lives and those whose lives were forever changed on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001."

(Image: A New York City firefighter calls for additional rescue workers in the smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 15, 2001. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Preston Keres, released.)

BREAKING: Living Afghanistan Vet to Receive Medal of Honor

This morning, the White House announced that Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan in 2007. Giunta will be the first living recipient of the nation's highest combat award for valor from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama spoke with Giunta yesterday, informing the soldier that he will receive the medal.

Giunta was selected to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions on Oct. 25, 2007, while serving as a specialist with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion from the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade in Afghanistan.

According to the White House, when Giunta's squad was ambushed, insurgents split his team into two groups. In the firefight, Giunta successfully pulled a comrade back to cover, while continuing to engage the enemy.

While attempting to reconnect with his squad, Giunta noticed insurgents carrying away a wounded soldier. Giunta killed one of the potential captors and wounded the other, freeing the soldier, to whom he then rendered aid. Giunta then reconnected with his squad, which continued to provide security, defeating the ambush.

Over the last two years, AMVETS has questioned Pentagon leaders on why no living recipients had been selected for the Medal of Honor through nearly a decade of combat in support of the Global War on Terror.

AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop said he was proud to see that the President will honor Giunta, adding to the ranks of living American heroes, keeping with traditions of the Medal of Honor dating back to the Civil War.

Giunta and Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller are the latest soldiers to earn the Medal of Honor for their actions in Afghanistan. Miller, who will receive the medal posthumously, will be honored at the White House in a special ceremony on Oct. 6, where family members will accept the medal from the President.

This morning, Stars & Stripes published a letter from Miller's parents, Phil and Maureen Miller, expressing pride in their son for his actions, which helped to protect his team and a team of Afghan Army soldiers. To read more about Miller's award, Click Here.

(Image: Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, who will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving in Afghanistan as a specialist in 2007.)

Symposium Day Two: Compiling Reports

This morning, each breakout session for the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans reconvened to review yesterday's notes, discuss their findings and begin compiling the final report.

After yesterday's charged discussions on issues critical to Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans, the small subgroups are now comparing notes on veterans' health care, benefits, and transition assistance. This afternoon, the three breakout groups will come together to compile final recommendations, which will be delivered on the floor of the AMVETS National Convention tomorrow morning.

"Yesterday's subgroups really picked up the ball and ran with it, making this symposium their own," said AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley, who is facilitating this week's work. "AMVETS has taken a hands-off approach to these discussions in an effort to really learn what today's issues are from the veterans, themselves, and I'm happy to see it working."

Kelley went on to say that closing the sessions to the public helped to ensure candid discussion among participants--some of whom continue to serve on active duty.

"I've really learned something watching the conversations unfold," said Kelley, "and I'm eager to see tomorrow's final report."

Tomorrow's final symposium report is open to the public and will take place at 7:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Galt House in Louisville. AMVETS delegates from around the country will be on hand to listen to the recommendations and AMVETS will use this week's findings to compile a new report to bring to Washington.

If you were unable to join us in Louisville, but think there is an issue AMVETS should address at the symposium, please let us know by commenting on this blog.

For more updates on the symposium and this week's AMVETS National Convention, check back regularly with American Veteran Online.

(Photo: Veterans fill out name tags as the second day of the symposium convenes. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

Missing Sailors Identified; One Killed

This morning, Military Times reported that the two sailors captured last week by the Taliban in Afghanistan have been identified. One of the sailors was killed in the attack on the two men's armored sport utility vehicle in Logar province, Afghanistan on July 23.

The sailor who remains missing was identified as Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, Wash. The Pentagon said that efforts to find Newlove are ongoing.

The sailor who was killed in the attack was identified as Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheatridge, Colo. The Pentagon said McNeley's body was successfully recovered by coalition forces on July 25, two days after the sailor went missing.

Newlove is the third American service members listed as "Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown," or DUSTWUN, along with Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban last year, and Army Sgt. Ahmed Altaie, who disappeared in Iraq in 2008.

AMVETS leaders mourned the death of McNeley, but applauded the efforts of coalition forces ensuring he was not left behind. AMVETS also condemned the capture of Newlove and continued to call on the departments of Defense and State to do everything in their power to ensure the safe return of all America's missing service members.

"We owe it to our brave military men and women to ensure that no one is left behind on the battlefield and AMVETS hopes that the Pentagon and the State Department will exhaust any and all resources to make sure our POWs and those missing-in-action are brought home," said AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Petty Officers McNeley and Newlove, and we hope that Newlove can be found and brought home safely."

The Pentagon said that the July 23 incident is still under investigation and American Veteran will continue to follow the story as it continues to develop.

Trying to Wrap My Head Around Gen. McChrystal and Rolling Stone

In the wake of the damning publication of Michael Hasting's profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal in Rolling Stone magazine, America's top military man in Afghanistan had no choice but to tender his resignation.

Something still doesn't sit quite right with me about this situation, though. Upon reading through Hasting's "The Runaway General," I was left with more questions about the author and his work as a journalist than the leadership and candor of one of our nation’s top military minds.

Though the smoke is starting to clear and President Barack Obama has asked for Gen. David Petraeus to take over in Afghanistan, I still cannot comprehend the genesis of the Rolling Stone article.

A New York Times blog posting claims that Hastings may have inadvertently gained such in-depth access to McChrystal camp thanks to the Iceland volcano eruption that shut down the skies over Europe earlier this year, and Rolling Stone claims that all of Hastings' interactions with McChrystal were clearly on the record.

Unfortunately, even if more stringent ground rules were discussed for Hasting's profile of the general, nothing is ever really "off the record." Perhaps this is something of which McChrystal's inner circle should have been more cognizant. Nevertheless, to me, many of the frustrated quotes from "Runaway General" seemed to be water cooler chatter taken out of context and used to exemplify the author's personal feelings about counterinsurgency operations and the war in Afghanistan.

I cannot take anything away from Hastings for agreeing to cover Afghanistan, where he remains today, or from his unwillingness to pander to his subject in the interest of future access. However, I'm certainly concerned about the lens through which he's portraying the war. Vanity Fair labeled Hastings as a "a perfect specimen of the new breed of journalist-commentator," which, to me, sounds dangerous. Journalist-commentators (read: Pundits) blur the lines between objective news reporting and subjective news commentary, sullying the public discourse on critical issues like the current wars. For example, many Americans today do not differentiate between the opinionated punditry of commentators like Glenn Beck and the dispassionate reporting of anchors like Shepard Smith, consuming both as objective sources of information.

Next, McChrystal and his team chose to speak with Rolling Stone--the same mouthpiece that has used its pages over the years to stew conspiracy theories over 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush Administration, the pharmaceutical industry, and so on, seamlessly interspersed with the latest exploits of Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga. To me, it seems highly unlikely that McChrystal's public affairs staff would agree to such a no-holds-barred exposé. Was McChrystal's staff fully aware of Hastings' intentions or his past body of work?

Given my prior experience working in military public affairs, I first thought someone along the way could have been duped. After all, Hastings was a freelance writer who had yet to publish anything in Rolling Stone. Unfortunately, Hastings is an easy man on whom to do your homework. He maintains a regular blog for the Entrepreneurial News Network True/Slant, where he regularly showcases his filters as a journalist. Though quick Web searches pop up with Hastings' work for traditional, reputable publications like Newsweek and the Washington Post, readers can also easily find Hastings' musings on why he chose to move away from traditional media.

Finally, I've been asked whether this ousting is something McChrystal actually sought all along. Was he so frustrated by the constraints of his position that he welcomed the abrupt, inglorious end to his military career?

Again, it doesn't make much sense. Gen. McChrystal will probably now be reassigned until he quietly retires in the not-so-distant future, leaving the prosecution of the war in Afghanistan to his successor. But bowing out like this would be a highly uncharacteristic move for a military man who has served with valor for more than 30 years--a soldier's soldier who many say was capable of establishing a rapport with the greenest of troops and the most seasoned veterans; a man who brought credibility to his post and instilled confidence in those he was tasked to lead. He was a Ranger, a Green Beret--the man was even instrumental in tracking down and killing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (I don’t really care that he closed the Burger King in Bagram). To me, it seems highly unlikely that he would ever simply quit--never mind quit so publicly and controversially.

I guess we'll see what develops in the coming days and weeks, as we learn more about Michael Hastings, the interview and Gen. McChrystal's intentions.

I remain confident in our mission in Afghanistan and I'm certain that Gen. Petreaus will be able to prosecute the war effectively. For now, though, I think I'll continue to beat my head against a brick wall asking myself how this could ever happen to a leader like Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

This is just my opinion and I'm still quite confused. What are your thoughts? Please share your comments below.

(Photo: Gen. Stanley McChrystal speaks with U.S. Army Capt. Joey Nickel during a foot patrol through Muqur District in Afghanistan's Badghis province earlier this month. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O'Donald, released.)

Rutgers Student-Vets Honor Fallen Classmate

Over the weekend, the student-veterans from Rutgers University in New Jersey hosted a benefit run to honor their fallen comrade, Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy Kane. More than 150 people--including veterans, civilians, campus leaders and local civic leaders--braved the rainy weather to honor the fallen Marine.

Kane, a student at Rutgers Camden who was enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, was killed while serving in Afghanistan when his team was hit by a suicide bomber in the Helmand Province last January.

Kane was an active member of the student-veterans' group at Rutgers, Veterans For Education, which was featured in the fall 2008 issue of American Veteran magazine discussing veterans' transition issues on college campuses.

Veterans For Education organized Sunday's 2-mile, in-cadence, military-style run raising more than $8,500 for a memorial at Rutgers honoring the school's fallen heroes.

“It was nice to be out there running in the rain again calling cadence,” said Bryan Adams, president of Veterans For Education. “We brought together several communities in a positive display of respect.”

The run started at Kane's high school, Cherry Hill High School East, and wound through his home town, ending at Congregation M'kor Shalom, where Kane and his family worshiped. Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.), who serves on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, joined his local student-veterans to pay his respects to Kane.

Last night, Veterans For Education and the Chancellor's office at Rutgers honored Kane and his family by presenting a posthumous degree and a memorial plaque dedicated to Kane, which will be on display at Rutgers Camden.

Since Kane made the ultimate sacrifice, Veterans For Education has also renamed its annual veterans' scholarship in their fallen classmate's honor.

To read more about the Jeremy Kane Benefit Run from the South Jersey Courier-Post, Click Here.

(Photos: Top: Veterans For Education pose for a photo at Cherry Hill High School East prior to the Jeremy Kane Benefit Run. Middle: Marine Corps veterans participating in Sunday's run gather in formation prior to the start. Bottom: Hundreds of supporters gather at Cherry Hill High School East to honor Jeremy Kane on Sunday. Photos courtesy of Bryan Adams and Veterans For Education.)

Live from Capitol Hill: House Hearing on Vets' Unemployment; AMVETS to Meet With Legislators on Assistance Dogs

This afternoon, AMVETS will be on Capitol Hill for a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee hearing on veterans' unemployment and for follow-up meetings with legislators on assistance dogs for wounded veterans.

Though AMVETS will not testify during this afternoon's hearing, AMVETS Deputy National Legislative Director Christina Roof submitted a statement for the record on behalf of AMVETS.

The House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity called the hearing in the wake of recent veterans' unemployment numbers, which point to an ever-growing crisis, particularly among young male Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

The hearing convenes at 1 p.m. in the VA committee chambers in Cannon 334. To view live video from the hearing, Click Here.

This afternoon, AMVETS members Luis Montalvan and his assistance dog Tuesday will join Roof on Capitol Hill for follow-up meetings on last month's visits with legislators to discuss assistance dogs for wounded veterans.

Montalvan and Roof will meet with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), the leading voice on veterans' assistance dogs on Capitol Hill, and Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, to discuss VA's pilot program funded through last year's military construction budget as well as the provisions in Title 38 allowing for veterans to receive compensation for assistance dog costs through VA's prosthetics and sensory aides office.

American Veteran will follow today's hearing and this afternoon's meetings closely. Check back later for updates.

Remember that Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl is a POW

Yesterday, the Taliban released a video of captured Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl. In light of the video's content, it's important to remember that any statements made by the young soldier were made under duress; under the constant threat of his life.

As Americans, we need to keep Bergdahl and his family in our thoughts and prayers throughout this ordeal until he returns safely.

AMVETS leaders continue to call on the departments on Defense and State to do everything in their power to find Bergdahl and ensure his safe return home.

Last year, AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner condemned the release of a similar video, calling a the video a violation of international law, and asking Bergdahl's captors to offer the same level of dignified care American service members provide to captured enemy combatants.

Bergdahl disappeared on June 30, 2009 from his forward operating base in the Paktika province of Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. Several videos have surfaced since his capture, including a message timed to coincide with Christmas.

To date, two soldiers remain missing in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Let us all take a moment to pray for the safe and honorable return of Bergdahl and Army Sgt. Ahmed Altaie, who is missing in Iraq.

(Image: Official Army photo of Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl courtesy of Fort Richardson Public Affairs, released.)

Women in Service: Marine Corps Lioness Program

Once Iraq transformed from kinetic combat operations into a stabilization effort in 2005, Iraqis quickly noticed an easy way to subvert checkpoints by using Iraqi females as suicide bombers and smugglers, exploiting American compassion to Iraqi cultural norms.

In an effort to counteract this exploitation of Iraqi women, while preserving cultural ideals that prohibit men from touching Iraqi women, American military leaders took a bold step, attaching female volunteer troops to combat units.

The U.S. Marine Corps was one of the first to formally implement its "Lioness Program," where female Marines could join combat troops at checkpoints and conduct outreach operations with Iraqi women. Initially, the primary mission of Lioness Marines was to search females looking to cross these checkpoints, but the mission has evolved over the years to include Civil Affairs-type operations and cultural outreach efforts.

From the program's inception, female volunteers quickly emerged from all different military occupational specialties looking to participate in the program.

In order to prepare volunteers for their cursory combat role, each female Marine was put through a week of special training in different weapons systems, language and cultural norms, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program tactics, and combat lifesaving techniques.

The Lioness Program--though not officially considered a "combat" role, considering it is constituted as a brigade-sized elementl--was the first time that female American troops served in the same capacity as their infantry and combat arms MOS counterparts.

The program has been credited with improving cultural relations in Iraq and was just expanded to Afghanistan this month.

Led by Marine 2nd Lt. Johanna Shaffer, the Afghan version of the Marine Lioness Program conducted its first mission as part of a cordon-and-search in support the recent Operation Pathfinder alongside 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.

In a recent interview with CENTCOM Public Affairs, Shaffer acknowledged that the Afghan version of the program varied greatly from its Iraqi counterpart, given the cultural differences, but that it remained a necessary conduit to reaching out to Afghan women and children.

“We also do not know much about the daily life of Afghan women,” Shaffer said. “This provides us not only the opportunity to learn about the women, but also to build and maintain faith and trust of the Afghan women.”

Military leaders have acknowledged how critical programs like the Marine Corps Lioness program have become to U.S. combat operations, with similar programs online in both the Army and Marine Corps, and expansion into both major theaters of operation.

Now in its fifth year, Lioness continues to raise the bar for females who wish to serve on the front lines.

(Photos: Top: Marine Cpl. Jacqueline Parker, a supply warehouse NCO, conducts AK-47 shooting drills during Lioness Program training in Iraq. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jessica Aranda, released. Bottom: Marine Cpl. Jennifer San Martin searches a women crossing a checkpoint in Haditha City, Iraq in March 2008. Photo by Cpl. Shawn Coolman, released.)

VA Announces New Presumptions for Gulf War/Afghan Service

Late last week, VA announced it will establish new presumptive service-connected conditions for veterans who served in the Persian Gulf and in Afghanistan, making it easier for veterans to receive care and compensation.

According to a VA statement, the new presumptions will include long-term health effects associated with nine conditions: Brucellosis, Campylobacter jejuni, Coxiella burnetti (Q fever), malaria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nontyphoid Salmonella, Shigella, Visceral leishmaniasis, and the West Nile virus.

VA decided to expand the presumptions based on recommendations from the VA Gulf War Veterans Illness Task Force based on a 2006 study from the National Academy of Sciences outlining the long-term health effects of diseases found to disproportionately affect Gulf War veterans.

Similar to VA's recent expansion of Agent Orange presumptions for Vietnam-era veterans, a veteran seeking care and compensation for the new conditions must only have a diagnosis for a listed disease and proof of service in Southwest Asia or Afghanistan. Presumptions eliminate the burden of proof for veterans who usually must compile evidence indicating that a condition is service-connected.

“We recognize the frustrations that many Gulf War and Afghanistan veterans and their families experience on a daily basis as they look for answers to health questions, and seek benefits from VA,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki in an official statement on the new presumptions.

VA is expected to publish its final regulation on the new presumptions once the 60-day comment period has ended. Check back with American Veteran Online for updates on the new presumptions, as implementation of the new policy draws closer.

(Photo: Soldiers from the 5162nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment pose for a photo with their Stinger portable missile during Operation Desert Shield. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Corkran, released.)

This Holiday Season at American Veteran

It's back to work at National Headquarters this morning after a brief Christmas break!

This week, AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin will travel to the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, where AMVETS national spokesman Dana Bowman will jump in prior to the kickoff between the University of Houston and the U.S. Air Force Academy on Dec. 31.

Bowman, the inspirational double-amputee who was wounded in a skydiving accident with the Army's elite Golden Knights, came on board with AMVETS at the national convention last summer in New Orleans. Bowman's story will be featured in the winter issue of American Veteran in January.

Speaking of the winter issue, all content should be submitted no later than close-of-business Thursday, Dec. 31. If your post or department has photos you would like us to consider for Keeping Posted, please submit them now.

This week, American Veteran will also continue to follow the developments in the disappearance of Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held captive in Afghanistan since the summer. Over Christmas, the Taliban released a new video of Bergdahl, which AMVETS leaders have condemned.

We will also highlight AMVETS' work from around the country supporting today's military men and women who could not be home this Christmas season and supporting our veterans at VA facilities around the country.

Over the next couple of weeks, we ask that you bear with us, as the AMVETS communications department reconstitutes for the New Year. Blog postings may not be as consistent as you've seen over the last nine months, but be on the lookout for new features to kick up in mid-January.

We have a lot in the works and we're very excited about what the New Year brings, but we hope that you understand this may affect the blog in the short term.

AMVETS Response to President Obama's Afghanistan Strategy

Tonight, President Obama outlined his plan to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan with an ambitious plan to start withdrawing combat troops within 18 months. Below is the President's address in its entirety from www.WhiteHouse.gov:



AMVETS' interests have always been in preserving America's interests and holding those who attacked us on 9/11 accountable for their actions.

That being said, AMVETS leaders cannot speculate on whether or not the President's plan will succeed, we can only hope that his words are sincere, that our nation's top military advisors have prudently considered the options for success, and that, as a nation, we will consider the needs of these additional 30,000 troops now called to serve long after they have returned from duty.

The need for additional troops on the ground in Afghanistan only reinforces the need for timely VA and defense funding. Both the VA and Defense budgets are now more than two months late, and our leaders in Congress must act quickly to ensure that we meet the needs of those brave enough to fight our nation's wars.

As AMVETS Legislative Director Ray Kelley says all the time, "if you're going to fund the war, you have to fund the war-fighters."

Throughout our nation's history, we've proven time and again that our military men and women are capable of overcoming insurmountable odds against brutal enemies. However, American memories tend to be short. After nearly every conflict, our veterans seem to be neglected almost as soon as the last muzzle falls silent.

This cannot happen to today's veterans, which is why AMVETS will continue to fight for improved care for those on today's battlefield long after they have returned. We have made great strides over the last couple of years with the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, improved military mental health screening and treatment, and advance VA health care funding, but the work continues.

With tonight's announcement and the holiday season upon us, AMVETS thoughts and prayers remain with the hundreds of thousands of American troops serving in harm's way, those who will soon be called to serve, and their loved ones.

President to Outline New Way Forward in Afghanistan

Tonight, President Barack Obama will outline his new plan for Afghanistan in a prime time address to America. The address, which will take place at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point starts at 8 p.m. eastern time and will be broadcast on most major television networks.

The Pentagon has indicated that after months of deliberations that the President has decided to send more than 34,000 additional U.S. troops to quell the continuing violence in Afghanistan. The first new unit will consist of Marines who are scheduled to be in-country before Christmas.

AMVETS leaders have supported American action in Afghanistan since 2001 and have urged military leaders to do everything in their power to assure American military success in the region.

However, AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley cautioned that should the Pentagon continue to escalate America's presence overseas, Congress and the Administration must ensure they fund every aspect of the war, including the war-fighters.

"With more of our men and women going into harm's way, it's our responsibility to ensure they're properly cared for when they return home," Kelley said. "This means increased funding for VA and swift passage of the new VA and defense budgets, which are now two months late."

The President has heard sharp criticism over Afghanistan from both sides of the aisle, with liberals urging the President to cut off further escalation and conservatives urging the President to take decisive action to ensure the success of our men and women in uniform.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated that the President hopes to assure his critics that the decision to send more American troops into harm's way eight years into the conflict is the prudent and responsible decision to preserve American interests in the volatile region.

The additional troops are intended to flush out members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda sympathizers in an effort to stabilize Afghanistan and defeat those responsible for attacking the United States on 9/11.

(Photo: U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion 4th Marine Regiment patrol outside Now Zad, Afghanistan in Nov. 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel M. Moman, released.)

I Will Never Forget: My personal 9/11 story

I was an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island on Sept. 11, 2001. I was dating a girl, Kerry, at the time and she happened to stay over my dorm room in Fayerweather the night before. My roommate, Danny, had to be up early for an 8 a.m. class.

Shortly before nine, our phones started to ring. We thought nothing of it, let them go to voicemail, and rolled back over. But they both kept going off. Kerry and I were getting annoyed. After all, we had been up late the night before and neither of us had class until the afternoon.

Finally, I answered. It was Danny. He told us to turn on the TV. His mother in Hoboken, N.J. had just called frantic, saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

I was worried, but I quickly thought back to the 1994 attacks and how benign they seemed at the time. Regardless, I turned on the TV and saw the smoke billowing from the north tower. I was stirred, but not shocked--I still had no concept of what was actually happening. The shock came when the second plane slammed into the south tower as we watched live. Speculation over whether or not this was an accident could immediately be thrown out the window.

I turned to Kerry and said, "well, the shit hit the fan."

I had joined the Army Reserve just after graduating from high school in 1999, and we often used that phrase to describe the most unlikely of doomsday scenarios under which we could all be instantly called to go to war. I was now watching this unlikely scenario unfold right in front of me.

As the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 rolled on, the gravity of the situation became apparent. News came in that a third plane had struck the Pentagon and another was hijacked somewhere over western Pennsylvania. This was the real deal. How many planes were hijacked? America was clearly under attack, but on what scale? Were we even safe in Middle-of-Nowhere, R.I.?

Kerry and I were glued to the TV as innocent people jumped from the towers to avoid the horrors of burning alive. We heard reports from the ground that police and firefighters were running into the building and other first responders were thinking of ways to possibly evacuate those stranded above the points of impact.

This was all for naught. As reporters struggled for words to describe the situation that was unfolding, the south tower gave way, plummeting to the street below.

Smoke and dust quickly swallowed up downtown Manhattan and nobody could say for sure what just happened. Then came confirmation that the south tower had collapsed. What now? How many people were inside? How many people got out alive? Could the north tower possibly be saved?

The grim answer to that last question came a mere 29 minutes later when the top floors succumbed to the burning jet fuel, leading to another chain reaction as the north tower's internal support structure buckled, collapsing to the ground with thousands more innocent civilians and first responders trapped inside.

Danny finally returned from class and the three of us did our best to sort through what we had just seen. Danny, Kerry, and our other friends from the New York metro area scrambled to try and contact loved ones potentially caught in the mess. Cell phone lines were clogged and many of my friends were left wondering what exactly had happened to their families. Later in the day, we learned that Danny's mother had watched the towers fall from her office window across the Hudson River.

In an effort to calm down, Kerry and I retired to her sorority house and talked for the rest of the morning about what we had witnessed. Class was an afterthought. She finally managed to get a hold of her mother in northern New Jersey and her father on Long Island. Though they were never really in danger, it was comforting to know they were safe. That night, as expected, I received the dreaded call from my Reserve unit. They had put together a security roster and were calling us in for overnight rotations.

Upon hearing the news, I called my friend Rish, a member of the Rhode Island National Guard at the time. He had received a similar call. We talked outside of my dorm for about an hour amid the eerie calm of empty skies. I would get off easy at the time. I only had to pull about a week of overnight guard shifts at my Reserve center before they formally activated some of my fellow soldiers for 90 days of duty. Rish was not so lucky. He was put on orders from the National Guard to pull similar shifts at his unit, eventually forcing him to withdraw for the semester.

After 9/11, the fall semester was by far my worst at URI. With the war ramping up in Afghanistan, my friends working around the clock, and Reserve training kicking up about 10 notches, it was hard to focus on anything else. Eventually, I turned it around in the spring, but now Iraq was closing in our radar.

Fall 2002 I made the dean's list, but in late December my Reserve unit was put on alert. We were going to Iraq. I quickly withdrew from URI, made arrangements to move out of my house, and basically packed up my life for a year to go serve my country.

The moment the two planes hit the towers has now come to define the subsequent eight years of my life and great deal of my personal character--a week of balancing overnight armed guard duty at my Reserve unit while juggling fall classes, my year-long deployment to Iraq, my subsequent motivation to graduate upon returning home, my work at the Naval War College, my move to Washington, D.C., and my work today for AMVETS and American Veteran magazine.

As the war in Afghanistan continues to heat up, I implore all Americans to remember the mission at hand: Holding those responsible for the 9/11 attacks accountable for their actions. Osama Bin Laden remains at large, Al-Qaeda continues to carry out attacks on our allies around the world, and the Taliban continues to inflict harm on Americans looking to bring stability to Afghanistan.

Today, I hope we each pause to not only remember the victims at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa., but also the 2.5 million brave men and women who answered the call to serve our nation in the wake of 9/11--especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

To me, Afghanistan is a war worth winning--something that we must never forget, even in the wake of discouraging polls about the "value" of our involvement.

I will never forget and I will continue to support all the brave men and women serving in harm's way. This is my personal story of 9/11 and how it has affected me. We're eager to hear your personal stories on this blog.

-Ryan

(Photo: The World Trade Center towers burning on Sept. 11, 2001 with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. National Parks Service photo, released.)

UPDATE: Fox News unrepentant on Bergdahl comments

Last night, Fox News analyst Ralph Peters had the opportunity to back down from his heinous accusations against Taliban POW and Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl on Fox's O'Reilly Factor.

Unfortunately, Peters chose to reiterate his conjecture on the situation surrounding Bergdahl's capture. The video is available on YouTube.

Peters claims that the "Army knows" that Bergdahl deserted his post. However, the Army has refused to comment on the situation, citing operational security and concern for the Bergdahl family. In fact, in an effort to protect the identity of the missing soldier and his loved ones, the Pentagon deliberately withheld Bergdahl's name from the public for more than two weeks, until the Taliban released its illegal propaganda video of their prisoner.

What's worse about this second interview is that host Bill O'Reilly agrees with Peters' baseless assertions and suggests that the media is being too easy on Bergdahl. O'Reilly suggests that Bergdahl must be "crazy" for abandoning his post, expounding on his guest's speculation, and suggests that Bergdahl does not deserve our legitimate concern.

The hateful rhetoric spewed by Peters and O'Reilly has absolutely no place in this discussion and certainly cannot be construed as news. As Peters admits in his interview, he is not a combat veteran and he never commanded in combat during his 22 years in the military. O'Reilly has never served. How could either of these men know about being held as a prisoner of war? As a combat veteran of the war in Iraq, I'm personally insulted by their comments.

In my line of work, I've had the unique opportunity to speak with some of our nation's brave former POWs. Every time, I hear that there is only so much a prisoner can do to resist. Our enemies are brutal. As we saw in the Bergdahl video, this young soldier fears for his life. He was forced into making his statements about the U.S. presence in Afghanistan because American withdrawal is what the Taliban is demanding in exchange for Bergdahl's life. How dare anyone criticize a young man trapped in a situation that so few of us could legitimately empathize with.

I remember my own limited Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) training during Army AIT and prior to my deployment to Iraq. While it is true that it is our duty, as soldiers, to resist and escape, even the U.S. military acknowledges that everyone has a breaking point. Did Peters miss this block of instruction in his 22 years of service?

Bergdahl is a prisoner of war. Our nation needs to rally behind the young soldier, his unit in Afghanistan, and his loved ones in Idaho. We must continue to demand his safe return. Fox News should be ashamed for giving Peters and O'Reilly this kind of forum to propagate their unfounded and morally reprehensible messages.

For all we know, Bergdahl was taken against his will by the Afghan soldiers he was purported to have left the base with, and subsequently sold to Taliban warlords, as initially reported. During my time in Iraq, I know that many of our local "allies" liked to play both sides of the ball. Reporting that he is a deserter or a traitor is utterly tasteless--especially when you know that his parents and his girlfriend are probably watching.

AMVETS has drafted a letter of its own to Fox News executives demanding an apology for the network's continued skewed commentary on this issue, which will be available on the official AMVETS Web site later today.

Pfc. Bergdahl and his family remain in our thoughts and prayers today, and I leave you with this: Let's stop speculating on circumstances we know nothing about, and just remember that a young man from Idaho raised his right hand and swore to defend our nation in a time of war. He deserves our respect and he deserves to come home safe.

-Ryan

(Photo: Official U.S. Army photo of Pfc. Bergdahl, courtesy of Fort Richardon Public Affairs.)

UPDATE: Taliban release video of captured U.S. soldier

Over the weekend, the Taliban released a 28-minute video of the U.S. soldier captured in Afghanistan earlier this month. In the interest of good taste, American Veteran refuses to share the Taliban video on this blog.

The video has been condemned by the Pentagon as a violation of international law. AMVETS leaders have also condemned the video, which contains a statement by the captured soldier opposing the continued U.S. presence in Afghanistan--a statement AMVETS believes was clearly made under duress.

Since disappearing from his forward operating base in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has made a concerted effort to protect the identity of the soldier and his family stateside. However, the release of the video prompted the Department of Defense to acknowledge that the soldier is 23-year-old Idaho native Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, who was serving with the Alaska-based 1st of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. According to a Pentagon press release, Bergdahl's duty status was officially changed to missing-captured.

This morning, the Associated Press and Military Times reported that Bergdahl's home town was well aware of his capture, but citizens were respecting the family's wishes for privacy in the matter.

Reports conflict over how Bergdahl ended up in Taliban custody. At first, the U.S. believed he walked off of his base in Afghanistan with three Afghan soldiers, apparently leaving his weapon behind. Initial reports from the Taliban suggested that he was stumbling around drunk when they found him. In the video, Bergdahl claims he was lagging behind a patrol.

In the video, Bergdahl appeared to be in good health, though he seemed frightened over the prospect that he may not make it home and his statements sounded coerced. His head was clean-shaven and he appeared to be growing a beard--two traits consistent with the appearance of many Islamist militants.

AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner reiterated his call on the Departments of Defense and State to do everything in their power to safely return Bergdahl to his unit and his loved ones. Hapner also called on the Afghan government to hold Bergdahl's captors accountable for their actions.

In his open letter, Hapner said that the Taliban video was a clear violation of international law, and chided Bergdahl's Taliban captors for their violations. Hapner's letter will be posted to the official AMVETS Web site shortly.

As this story develops, check back with American Veteran Online for updates.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will continue to follow news out of Afghanistan of the captured American soldier being held by the Taliban. Over the weekend, a video of the soldier was released. We will post more details shortly.

We will also follow this week's hearings on Capitol Hill, including the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs' follow-up hearing on the Philadelphia VA brachytherapy issue.

Late last week, it came to the attention of AMVETS' leaders that the current health care reform bill may have unintended consequences for the veterans' community in its current form. AMVETS has drafted a letter to key legislators voicing these concerns. American Veteran Online will keep you up to date on the health care reform bill and its potential impacts on the military and veterans' communities.

As always, we are eager to see content from around the country for "Keeping Posted," and if you have any other ideas or thoughts that you would like to share with our editorial staff, please let us know.