Author Archives: Team VCS

Let’s be sure war vets get prompt, pro-active treatment I read with great interest and concern, the Feb. 17 article on page one which addressed the issue of “whether the current Veterans Affairs Department can adequately help troops who may … Continue reading →

Failing those who served Veterans enter new battle – for benefits Tens of thousands of veterans find winning the disability payments they’re owed is often doomed by lengthy delays, hurt by inconsistent rulings and failed by the veterans reps who … Continue reading →

Guard’s ‘draft’ duty in Iraq is backfiring Once upon a time, the National Guard’s job was what its name implies: Guard us against surprise disasters, organized violence or security threats at home, with short-term, relatively low-risk service. Not so any … Continue reading →

Iraq War Veteran Presents ‘A True Picture of Iraq’ U.S. unaware of realities of Iraq war, vet says Critical of the U.S. media and Bush administration, a veteran of the war in Iraq spoke Thursday night about the realities of … Continue reading →

I served on a U.S. Army Civil Affairs team while deployed to Iraq. Among other things, Civil Affairs soldiers are tasked with evaluating and repairing the local infrastructure and minimizing the effects of battle on civilians. Typically, CA operates in … Continue reading →

Dispatches From The Quagmire: Safe at Home, Ill at Ease The biggest group of Washington soldiers who served in Iraq are starting to return, and it’s not clear we’re ready for them. In the Seattle armory on a recent Saturday … Continue reading →

Homegrown Osamas Before the “Rev. Dr.” Matt Hale, the white racist leader, was arrested for seeking the murder of a federal judge, and long before the judge returned home last week to find her husband and mother murdered, I had … Continue reading →