The subject title and much of the reason about I placed in an open thread here last night and lead with, decided to expand on it for those especially who do New Years Resolutions.
Join the First and Second Ladies in their main cause started while on the campaign trail, most of which was off camera and out of any news reporting, and greatly expanded once this Administration entered the White House. Many have but way too many, again, just use words and symbols, when needed to show patriotism, whatever definition they thing that means, and that the country considers itself over Vietnam, like most of congress does.
Vets: Michelle Best-Ever First Lady
December 30, 2011 - She's best known as America's First Mom, the First Beekeeper, and Veggie Gardener-in-Chief. But first lady Michelle Obama is also getting quite a name in military circles: First Booster for the troops. "Certainly other first ladies and presidents have taken an interest," says Joyce Raezer, executive director of the National Military Family Association. "But to make supporting military families [a priority], and not just to make it one of the things you do, this is a game-changer," adds an appreciative Raezer.
Often teamed with her lieutenant, Jill Biden, the vice president's wife, Obama has organized and attended more events for and with military veterans and their families than any previous first lady, according to veterans groups. This year alone, for example, she's participated in 50 events, many out of the eye of the media, and even dedicated the White House Christmas tree to supporting veterans. "There is this sense that this is genuine," says Raezer. "We haven't had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever."
And it's also more than a simple stop-by to drop off gifts at a local Toys for Tots outlet, like she did the week before Christmas, or a quickie visit and speech to welcome home troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama and Biden are leading the charge to encourage businesses to hire veterans, an especially difficult challenge with unemployment sky-high, through an initiative called Joining Forces. Many companies like Google now have programs to hire veterans. The International Franchise Association credits Obama with boosting hiring efforts like its bid to get more veteran couples to become franchise owners. "The first lady's efforts accelerated those programs," says spokesman Matthew Haller.
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Sean O'Keefe, the former Navy secretary and NASA administrator, adds that Obama "has raised the visibility of the challenges confronted by the families of military service members—frequent relocation, psychological impact of children often raised by single parents due to long deployments, higher incidents of alcohol and drug abuse, and the often difficult access to healthcare." read more>>>
Photo gallery: The First Lady Reaches Out to Military Families.
And like we did during and after Vietnam the new generation takes charge of the same battles related to after our wars we're still fighting.
Veterans' New Mission:
As Veterans before them, especially those of us from Vietnam as we were the only ones to turn to with smaller numbers from the civilian population most could be found from the anti-war coalitions from then, the rest of the country didn't want to listen to us as shown with the past decade, who have kept their Oath to Country and Constitution but especially our Brothers and Sisters! There are many more civilians joining in to help this generations veterans, especially those who right from the beginning of these two conflicts finally listened to us as to PTS and more, but the Country as a whole has yet to Sacrifice, especially from their representatives, oh they may give a few bucks when these orgs come to beg for, and that was started clearly right at the beginning, especially the wealthy, as they describe themselves as supportive and patriotic, words and symbols only!!
Taking Care Of Their Own
December 31, 2011 - The founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War says while U.S. forces will no longer be deployed there, the mission of the organization continues. There's a new focus, though: Members want returning veterans to have an easier road to reintegration than those who returned from Vietnam. Elizabeth Fiedler of WHYY in Philadelphia reports.
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HOFFMAN: Some of us are going to remain politically active. Some of us are going to move on to completely different things. But we need to be there for the next generation of veterans, to help them and teach them the lessons we learned in opposing our war, but also be there for them so they don't fall apart. Transcript>>>
During this Administration many in it actually stepped up while the wars went on and were left to the incoming Administration to resolve, doing so according to those wants of the soldiers actually fighting in them not the officers corp nor the hawks who cheered them on, trying to end them and actually accomplish the missions if they can. The main mission of Afghanistan has been mainly accomplished, though the promises made to the Afghans hasn't as we walked away from that to invade Iraq, taking down bin Laden and much of the organization of al Qaeda before it expanded further and in new groups in other parts of the world due to the failed policies of the previous administration and their congresses.
"You walk into one of our rooms where ... decisions are being made about disabilities for veterans (and) see individuals sitting at a desk with stacks of paper that go up halfway to the ceiling. And as they finish one pile, another pile comes in," - U.S.V.A. Secretary Gen. Eric Shinseki, Feb. 10, 2009
Gen Shinseki ain't just blowin smoke in the above, that agency has been greatly under funded, while still sending soldiers into major and minor conflicts, since Korea. Reason for the backlogs on these returning vets who need the services, the technologies within haven't been upgraded as they advanced in the private sector, but that new administration has been trying hard to bring them into the 21st century, all that wasn't done costs much much more to catchup then if in place and just tweaked to maintain, wasting federal funds. Oh congress, especially the tepubs for years, will make like they care and pass bills for funding while at the same time removing money from the budgets, the bills for the patriotic photo ops, the removal buried deep in budgets. Even the 112th congressional house as soon as taking over tried cutting funding from the VA budget in the name of fiscal responsibility while touting their support for the troops and vets and still not demanding 'Sacrifice' from the country, a decade plus added to the previous decades. Nothing much was done in the administration and congresses that sent them to war, and not just as to the veterans of, till the 110th came in and tried to catch up on all that was ignored previously!
The Administration itself did what it only could, as they don't make the government agency budgets, they fought to get the stimulus, which many still say didn't work, and a chunk went to the VA where Shinseki and company are still doing wonders with, much for the new veterans as well as us older ones and some taking care of long needed and ignored by congress issues. While congress, and many vets, still lay blame on the agency when something negative comes out and hearings are held.
"And so what I've been trying to do and what Mrs. Biden and Mrs. Obama and the chairman and his wife - all these folks, are trying to do is to - is to try and get that other 99 percent to - they all say they support the troops, but it's not just enough to say it." - Defense Secretary Robert Gates - 23 June 2011 - PBS News Hour
Gates being very diplomatic as to the phony meme's and symbols of support he and many of us readily saw and still see and hear.
He found one of his biggest battles was connecting with Americans on the home front. "I was struck at how little they really did understand about what we've been through," Adm. Mike Mullen (retired) October 2, 2011 CBS Sunday Morning
Oh how quickly the country moved on as to thoughts about, oh they'll come out and wave the flag at moments it's called for, even before the previous admin left office and DC, many still profiting from the wars as I'm sure many in congress, with their insider knowledge, did and still are.
Why aren't the supposed new candidates for leadership of the tepublican party, don't forget even if no one see's or hears from him or about him the bush is still the head of that party he was for two terms and every move supported by those in and below that leadership rank, mentioning, no not mentioning Demanding, Sacrifice from the country including Paul, Romney and the rest as to the results of these two conflicts they oh so support even with viral names being used against those that didn't walk in lockstep with them, and yes I know Paul says he's against the wars but he hasn't stepped up as to those results of, long term, neither. And why isn't the media asking them about that lack of 'Sacrifice', how many episodes of these so called debates have there been, how many personal news appearances, especially on the fox and the sunday morning spin fests, have there been.
Why aren't those in congress, especially the house leadership and the new tepubs, Demanding 'Sacrifice' while fighting with obstruction everything placed in front of them especially taxing the grossly wealthy as they just showed they're ready to tax what's left of the middle class and masses below and will do so once again when they return.