This week’s update takes a hard look at the two wars the U.S. is fighting right now. Aghanistan, on the back burner for so long, is now outpacing Iraq in both wounded soldiers & deaths. This should get the public’s and Congress’ attention! Meanwhile, VA must find a way to cope with all of the veterans coming out of both war zones who need assistance.
First, Afghanistan reached 500 dead soldiers in July,and casualties continue to climb. “June was the second deadliest month for the military in Afghanistan since the war began, with 23 American deaths from hostilities, compared with 22 in Iraq. July was less deadly, with 20 deaths, compared with six in Iraq. On July 22, nearly seven years after the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2001, the United States lost its 500th soldier in the Afghanistan war.”
Veterans for Common Sense publishes fact sheets every month tracking the true number of wounded soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are able to do this thanks to past successful Freedom of Information Act requests that gave us access to these previously unpublished numbers. Please, make a monthly contribution today so we can continue researching & publishing important statistics such as these.
This New York Times article examines how The Taliban, once thought defeated, is challenging our soldiers in Afghanistan. “Six years after being driven from power, the Taliban are demonstrating a resilience and a ferocity that are raising alarms here, in Washington and in other NATO capitals, and engendering a fresh round of soul-searching over how a relatively ragtag insurgency has managed to keep the world’s most powerful armies at bay.”
Please remember VCS as the election draws near and the nation considers how best to care for our wounded veterans. We are a strong advocate for a VA that is ready, willing, and able to help our war veterans. We accomplish all we do with support from our members. Please, make a gift to VCS today.
Finally, we look at an examination of VA’s ability to handle the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. “As the VA struggles to revamp itself, groups like Veterans for Common Sense say wounded veterans are being turned away or asked to wait too long for care – especially mental health care.”
Veterans for Common Sense is here for our veterans. As the winds of change take our nation by storm, we shine a light on America’s veterans. Please, click here to contribute to our worthy cause today.
