The War in Iraq, Seven Years Later

In January 2003 I left home for combined basic and infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. I had every intention of going to Afghanistan with the army to fight the war on terror. Unfortunately the invasion of Iraq began half way through my training, and I knew then that Iraq was my destination.

Unlike the majority of Americans at the time I never believed any of the propaganda about Iraq. It was a war I did not agree with. Today, seven years later, it is known to everyone that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and Iraq had no ties to Al Quaeda. However, whether or not the war was necessary, we have accomplished as much as can be expected.

With the name of the war being changed from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn as of September 1 we are moving on from the war that has plagued the country for seven years to a time of new beginnings for a country that needs an era of peace.

The fact of the matter is that Iraq is a much more stable environment than it was when I was there in 2004 and 2005. Coalition casualties are minimal, the Iraqi government is taking on an identity of its own apart from the U.S., and Iraqi forces are taking over the duty of defending their country.

Many people still look at the Iraq War, as it is now, as a burden upon the U.S., but I remember being there in November 2004, the bloodiest month of the conflict, when we lost 141 coalition soldiers. I look at it now and see, with the month of February drawing to an end, the loss of only 4 soldiers in a month. As far as I am concerned the deaths of my brethren, or lack there of, is the most important point of the war. When soldiers are no longer dying, we are winning.

The post Hussein government of Iraq has faced assassination attempts and successes. When I was there the governor of Baghdad was killed in my unit’s area of operations after he refused our protection. Now the government is secured without the need for U.S. protection.

I remember the first government election in January 2005 when our patrols were spread out all over Baghdad in attempt to stop the insurgency from interrupting the election process. The violence continued the next day. Iraqis were afraid to vote. While there was some violence during the last elections which took place January 2009, there was no major violence reported.

Another election will be held in March, and while there is some skepticism about what will transpire the trend so far is that the violence will be minimal. Hopefully this will continue to lead to a more unified Iraq as has been built by Nouri al-Maliki over the last few years. While he has excluded Sunni candidates from this election due to their ties to Hussein’s Baath Party, he has also quelled secular violence by not siding through his actions with either Sunnis or Shias.

Although Sadrist candidates, candidates backed by Muqtada al-Sadr, have grown in popularity it is still likely at this point that al-Maliki or another non-Sadrist candidate will be prime minister and hopefully continue what has started with a U.S. allied, bi-secular government.

The Iraqi Army and Police have taken control of the majority of security throughout Iraq allowing coalition forces to ease back their role in the country. Many of Iraqis believe that this security is inadequate because of several bombings throughout the country, but violence overall is still down from what it once was.

These security forces, while not yet at the level of the coalition, are doing an excellent job compared to what they were capable of when I was working with them. They will continue to get better as they gain more experience that they did not gain when relying on coalition forces.

Iraq may not be where it needs to be in the end of all this, but it has advanced as far as the U.S. and its allies can take it. The death toll is down, the government is becoming self sufficient and the security forces have all but taken control from the coalition. It is up to Iraq now. As far as I am concerned this is a win for the U.S.

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs, America’s “Thank You” to Veterans

When my father returned from Vietnam he felt disenfranchised by American society. Most people in that time either did not respect Vietnam veterans or pretended like they did not exist, so my father kept his status as a veteran to himself even going as far as not putting on job applications. He never even looked into the benefits he could receive as a veteran.

When I was in Iraq my father spent a lot of time in the bars because he knew war and was truly understood what I was going through. This was his way of coping. The positive side of this was that he met a fellow Vietnam veteran who knew about the VA and what it could do for him. My father immediately started taking advantage of the benefits he had long ago earned, and when I came home he immediately got me involved with the VA. I was not sure about it at first, but it became a staple of my life that has made things easier for me.

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs was not established until 1989 by President George H.W. Bush as a cabinet level department, but it roots can be traced back as far as 1636 when the Pilgrims were at war with the Pequot Indians. They established that disabled veterans would be supported by Plymouth Colony.

In 1776 the government authorized pensions for disabled veterans of the Revolutionary War. The states individually were responsible for medical treatment of veterans. The first federal hospital for veterans was established in 1811.

With the end of the Civil War some states created homes for veterans. Hospital care for veterans became available regardless of whether or not the injury or illness was caused by military service.

Word War I veterans were given disability compensation, insurance, and rehabilitation services, but these were provided by three different government agencies. In 1930 these agencies all became part of the Veteran’s Administration. The Veteran’s Administration significantly increased the number of homes and treatment facilities for veterans.

In 1944 towards the end of WWII the first G.I. Bill was signed into affect and administered by the Veterans Administration. It provided veterans with educational assistance and home loans. This bill was changed several times over the next several decades to better serve new generations of veterans.

Today the VA has three departments. The Veteran’s Health Administration provides veterans with medical care covering all areas of health. VA hospitals have been established in every major city and outpatient clinics have been and continue to be established in smaller communities. The Veteran’s Benefits Administration provides the G.I. Bill, compensation and pension, home loan guaranty, vocational rehabilitation and employment and insurance.

I personally have made use of the medical care which provides me with free medical care for physical ailments as well as mental health treatment which is a priority for veterans returning from combat. I also receive disability compensation for physical as well as mental health issues that I contracted during my service in Iraq as well as stateside. Every veteran with any health concern created by their service should take advantage of this compensation. It provides a supplemental income that veterans deserve.

With all the benefits that the VA provides every veteran’s life can be made easier as long as they pursue the use of these benefits. Every veteran has earned them through self sacrifice on behalf of their country. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs is a grateful nation’s “thank you” to veterans and is a great service to those who have served.

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Today’s Version of Yesterday’s Triumph

In 2002 I was looking for a change. I was sick of school and needed to do something exciting, so I enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. I was not sure whether or not I would ever go back to college, but when I was asked if I wanted to sign up for the Montgomery G.I. Bill I figured it could not hurt. It turned out to be the smartest thing I ever did.

The G.I. Bill originated as the Servicemen’s Act of 1944, known as the G.I. Bill of Rights, when President Roosevelt wanted to help soldiers returning WWII. It provided veterans assistance with education, house loans and unemployment compensation. It was a great thing for the country because more Americans than ever before attended college and the money received by these veterans was put right back into the economy when it needed it.

The G.I. Bill evolved with the Veteran’s Adjustment Act of 1952. This act extended the G.I. Bill to Korea veterans. Instead of paying tuition directly it paid each veteran $110 per month. Although veterans of the Korean War used the G.I. Bill less than their WWII counterparts this was a major step leading to today’s G.I. Bill.

The Veteran’s Readjustment Act of 1966  gave benefits of the G.I. Bill to veterans that served in peace. It gave an incentive for more people to join the military providing a building block to having the all volunteer Army we have today.

The Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 increased the amount paid to each veteran. This act also increased the incentive because it increased the amount enough so veterans could work less and still afford to go to school.

In 1984 Gillespie Montgomery a congressman from Mississippi created the Montgomery G.I. Bill. This version significantly increased the amount of the benefits. Montgomery set up the blueprint for today’s G.I. Bill. He set it up so veterans received a supplemental income that was truly significant.

James Webb D-Va wrote the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. The new bill pays a veteran’s tuition directly to the school. It also pays a veteran a monthly living allowance based  the zip code of the institution that the veteran attends. Each veteran also receives $1000 a year for books. This bill finally gives veterans what they have earned, a free education and money to support them while they attend school.

As one of more than 1,000 veterans at UH, I first used the Chapter 33 G.I. Bill in the fall of 2009 which was its first semester available. For a full time student at UH the monthly living allowance came to more than $1500. As a single male with no dependents I was able to concentrate on school without the distraction of having a job.

All veterans should take advantage of the G.I. Bill. It is the greatest asset one can acquire by serving in the military. It provides veterans with the support they need to readjust to the civilian life while getting an education.

Partisanship

One of the big points President Obama has been trying to make however unsuccessful he has been is partisanship. The idea of being against those who are not part of one’s political party has been around since the beginning of time, but has taken a turn for the worst in America. The current trend of Partisanship arguably started during Bill Clinton’s presidency, but flared up with George W. Bush and has now continued with Obama.

It is understandable to be against something or someone that does not hold the same beliefs as you, but it has come to a point where it is affecting the country. Everyone wants to blame this situation on politicians and the parties they are with, but it is not their fault. It is the fault of the citizens of this country.

Politicians presently are doing their best to keep things bipartisan, but in is their constituencies that allow them to do this. One must remember that all most politicians want is to be re-elected. They in order to accomplish this do exactly what the voters want them to do. When the Monica Lewinsky scandal happened Republicans and Democrats dug their trenches on either side of the scandal and went to war. Which as we know was won by the right. With their victory in hand and a Republican president in office things just got worse. First 9/11 happened then the ever popular Iraq War. This is were things really got bad. Democrats blamed Republicans for starting a bullshit war, and Republicans responded by calling Democrats weak at defending the country. Regardless of who was right, if either side was, the rift between the parties turned into an ocean between them. As I said this is not the parties fault. Blame for this is solely on the voters.

The voters who are the on the bottom of the political pyramid had their say, and it rose through the parties causing them to become completely bipartisan. People became totally against anyone for believing different than they did. I personally have had many arguments over politics with my friends. I also have watched others become angry and spiteful towards members of the opposite parties. I have even seen people come to blows over this. It is sad. Arguing about politics is always going to happen, but these arguments need to come in good fun. They need to be for the art of the debate. Instead they are in some cases arguments about one side being better than the other and being on the wrong side makes one an idiot.

When will people come to the realization that people believe different things? This country was in fact founded on this premise. Everyone in this country is allowed to believe what they want, this being said people are going to believe differently. This country needs to get back to a time in which people do not judge others for their believes. Instead it is in a time where opinion talk shows are a dime a dozen, and the hosts of these shows come out with a book a week in their quest to rape the population of its hard earned money. It is good to have an opinion, but it is even better to have an opinion that everyone else buys into. Just ask Glenn Beck.

It the people did not want their party of choice to do everything they wanted them to do instead of compromising on less important issues then we will always have this rift. People need to quite thinking about their personal opinions. Everyone is not always going to get what they want. When people start worrying about what is good for the country(partisanship) then we will have a country of compromise that will allow the best ideas from each party come to fruition, instead of politicians voting against good ideas because the people who voted for them want them to go against any idea of the opposing party.

Mr. Buck and Mr. Horn

On the front page of the Houston Chronicle there is a headline that reads “Justice for ‘Mr. Buck’.” Yesterday Brandon Eugene Gregory was sentenced, after pleading guilty, to 18 months in state jail for knifing a deer named “Mr. Buck” that lived in Bear Creek Pioneers Park. The charge was taking a wildlife resource without landowner consent. Looking at the picture of a prosecutor holding up the deer’s head by its antlers brings to mind the name Horn which comes from another high profile shooting from awhile back.

Joe Horn is a man who shot and killed two men who were allegedly robbing his neighbors house on November 17, 2007 approximately a year before the shooting of “Mr. Buck.” He phoned the police to tell them his neighbor’s house was being robbed. After being told by a dispatcher to stay in his house he commenced to ignore what he was told, go outside with his shotgun and shoot the two robbery suspects in the back as they ran away. Horn was hailed as a hero by many and not even indicted for the shooting. In all reality Horn was just a gung ho yuppie who should not be allowed to own a gun let alone use one. He should have been indicted and convicted of manslaughter at the least.

Now after Horn got away with it we have a man in Gregory who did something that was legal in many places. He just made a poor decision that did not hurt anyone accept a deer. Why is it that a man that murders two unarmed men from behind get away with it, and a man that kills a deer in a place where he should not have get a year and a half in jail? This is another travesty of justice brought to us by fine officers of the law and district attorneys that have their heads up their own asses. Crime in this case pays and stupidity does not.

Baby DNA

In an article by CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen it came to my attention that state governments are taking samples of the DNA of newborn babies. Some of these states including Texas keep these DNA samples indefinitely. In states such as Texas there is a form  parents can fill out to have the sample destroyed, but most parents do not even know that the sample has been taken. These samples are supposedly well guarded, but the government has never been real trustworthy about guarding things such as this. This goes along with my finger printing post. How long will it be before laws are passed that keep these DNA samples whether the parents like it or not? How long will it be before these samples are shared with state and local crime labs? How long will it be before this country is completely fascist? This is just another freedom the government is in the process of stealing from United States citizens.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/04/baby.dna.government/index.html?iref=allsearch

Army ROTC and combat patches

As a former Army paratrooper while walking around the UH campus I have taken notice of the men and women in the Army ROTC. It is good to see that young men and women are doing their part to serve their country as future officers in the United States Army. However one thing I have noticed about their uniforms is the patch on the right sleeve above the American flag.

There are two types of unit insignia worn by Army personnel on their army combat uniforms. One is worn on the left shoulder. This patch is used to identify the unit that a soldier is currently serving with. Every soldier in the army wears one of these patches. The other patch is worn on the right shoulder and identifies the unit a soldier has deployed with to fight in or support those fighting in a combat zone. This patch is only worn by those who have earned it. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan most soldiers have earned a combat patch, and those who have not soon will.

The members of the UH Army ROTC wear patches on their right shoulder with a UH in a square resembling the patch worn by the 82 airborne out of Fort Bragg. I do not believe this ROTC unit has deployed to either war considering they are not officially soldiers yet. Therefore they should not be wearing these patches. They have not earned them.

As a former soldier who did a tour in Iraq I earned three different combat patches. While I was active I wore one of them proudly upon my right shoulder. The difference between me and the members of the UH ROTC is that I earned the right to where mine. Not to take away from what these future officers are doing, they need to remove these patches until they are given an opportunity to earn them like all other soldiers. By wearing them now they are taking away from all those soldiers who have come before them and earned the right to wear a combat patch. For them to wear them now is insulting to those who earned them.

Assuming that they all become officers after their time at UH they will get a chance to earn a combat patch and should wait until such time as they do. As of now I ask that they remove them and give credit to those soldiers who have earned the right to wear them by fighting in wars past and present. They are the future and will earn the right to wear them then.

UH and the GI Bill

At the beginning of the semester I signed up for the post 9/11 GI Bill. A week later classes started. Upon showing up to my classes I found out that I had been dropped from those classes. I needed a ninety day loan until the GI Bill sent the check to UH to pay for my classes. I asked the lady that helped when I turned in my GI Bill paperwork if there was anything else I needed to do. She told me that there was not. She was wrong. I made the mistake of assuming that someone there in the registration office would mark on my file that the GI Bill was paying for my school. This is a mistake I will not make again.

This is the second semester I have used the post 9/11 GI Bill. Last semester I did not register until the day school started because I had recently come back from an army recall. I had a few things I had to take care of with the school before I could get registered. When I did register I signed up for a ninety day loan to cover my tuition until I was able to see my counselor and get my GI Bill paperwork turned in. I did not know that I needed a ninety day loan to go along with the GI Bill.

With over a thousand student veterans attending UH why did this lady whose name I did not get not know that I needed a ninety day loan? In the past I usually dealt with the a different woman who apparently was the VA representative in this department, but with the little amount of time it would take to train all representatives in the procedures needed for the GI Bill why is it that all the clerks there did not know what needed to be done? The answer is that they should. Every clerk should be able to help every kind of student at the University of Houston especially veterans of the armed forces.

Why do I need a ninety day loan until the GI Bill pays my tuition? Is the U.S. government’s Department of Veteran’s Affairs not good for it? I think not. I think that the system at UH is not set up for the new form of the GI Bill properly and that someone working within the school found it easier for them to do it the way it is done. This is a flawed system that needs to be changed to support the men and women that have served their country so valiantly.

When I tried to get re-registered for my classes why was I told that because those classes were full that there was no way I could get back into them? The registration office should be able to make an exception to the rule or least know enough to tell me that I could go through the school of communications to fix the problem, but they could not and did not. I was able to find someone that could tell me to go through the school of communications, however, it was not someone who should have more knowledge on the subject than the registration office.

I was an airborne infantryman in the U.S. Army. I was in for three years, did a tour in Iraq, and was recalled for three months early this year. I expect to be able to use my GI Bill without any obstacles because I put forth the time and effort to earn it.

It is now my hope that the University of Houston can look into this matter and make some changes that will benefit the students more than the school.

Burn Pits an Outrage

Iraq is a country covered in trash. Their sanitation system is not one to be emulated. In the city of Baghdad trash is pretty much everywhere. We would call the goats “trash goats” because that is what they fed off of. I was stationed on a small base on the Tigris River. One of our duties was to escort the trash trucks from our base to the trash dump in Baghdad. This dump consisted of no more that an enormous field full of garbage. As responsible people we as Americans want to add to that as little as possible, and since most bases were far larger than the one I was on an alternative to dumping needed to be found. The military alternative is the implementation of burn pits until more suitable alternatives can be found. If this is the case why is KBR still being allowed to use these pits seven years later? Why have incinerators not already been built? Why are they being allowed to burn the trash so close to where are troops are living and working?

Seven years into this war the bases in Iraq have almost become as comfortable as bases hear in the United States. Short of being able to have one’s family there it is practically the same. So with all the money that has been spent making soldiers comfortable why has money not been spent to make them stay healthy? It is great for the government and the military to want to keep soldiers mentally healthy, but mental health means nothing if one does not have physical health. Incinerators should have been built long ago before the PX’s and before the game rooms, or at least no later then at the same time.

What should have been done before these incinerators could be built? Well for starters Iraq has miles upon miles of desert where no one lives that could have been the sight for burn pits. This may have been a major undertaking, but,since the main goal in wartime is to complete the objectives of the war while keeping soldiers alive when doing it, taking the trash away from where the soldiers are to burn it would probably have been a worthy task.

Soldiers die, soldiers get wounded and sick, but it should not be because our own people are trying to cut costs.