The Candidates and Our Veterans

Of the candidates running for our U.S. Legislative offices this year, two have presented clearly articulated campaign platform planks designed to address the huge and growing failings of our Federal government and Federal executive administration's elected officials and agency functionaries.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich held a press conference at UAA yesterday, proposing adoption of the new GI Bill, introduced early last year by Virginia Senator, Jim Webb, but still unpassed. Senator Murkowski supports the bill, Senator Stevens does not. It would vastly upgrade the post-service benefits available for our veterans.

To fully implement the bill, would be expensive. It would cost, per year, what the Iraq War costs in a week, an enormous sum.

I've taught at UAA since 1995. One of the classes I teach is a large lecture class - sometimes 200 students are allowed to enroll. Before the war, 15% of my students were serving military or National Guard. They were trying to get as much college in while serving as possible, so that they could obtain degrees and maximize earning potential later in life.

Now, the percentage of military students I have is about 2 to 3%. I have former students who returned from their first tour, inspired; from their second tour, wary; from their third tour broken in spirit, with 1,000-yard stares, and no interest in continuing their education. I know soldiers now on their 4th tour.

George Bush, Don Young, Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens are breaking these fine, young Americans, one soldier at a time.

Diane Benson has been working on programs that try to mend and fix these wounded warriors, one soldier at a time. Since late 2005, as she began meeting severely injured soldiers while helping her son recover from his grievous Iraq War wounds, she has been meeting with and talking to, hundreds of war wounded, one soldier at a time.

Last year, at the 64th National Congress of American Indians, Diane was asked to head a committee that is now looking into aspects of the care - or lack thereof - for our wounded and recovering First People Veterans. She realizes the impact the wounding of a soldier has, not just on that soldier, but on the soldier's family and community.

Historically, the effects on the soldier have been minimized by the VA or Department of Veterans Affairs, whenever possible. But the recent studies into post-traumatic effects of those soldiers' injuries upon the people around them are gaining the attention they should have gotten, long, long ago. That is why many key Veterans organizations, both in Alaska and nationwide, have endorsed Diane Benson over other candidates in the 2008 election. She's somewhat of a pioneer in this area, due to her unique background as a survivor of domestic violence and assault, her long-time involvement in helping abused women, and now the volunteer work she is doing with traumatized veterans.

I'm a veteran, so I pay close attention to how our vets are dealt with. I certainly hope that Senator Webb's legislation passes, and soon!

The author of this article volunteered for and donated to the 1978 and 1980 campaigns of Rep. Don Young (he was then a Republican), volunteered for and donated to the Alaska Democratic Party when Jake Metcalfe was chairman, has volunteered for and donated to Diane Benson since July, 2006; and has donated to the current Jake Metcalfe and Ethan Berkowitz campaigns. He has not donated to the current Mark Begich or Ray Metcalfe campaigns, but serves on the board of Citizens for Ethical Government, which is associated with Ray Metcalfe

images: Mark Begich, yesterday, with Iraq War Veteran and UAA student, John Roberson; Diane Benson with Veterans Aviation Outreach founder Maurice Bailey