Are Americans Becoming Apthetic To Soldiers In The Military?

Veterans Face Growing Apathy At Home After 12 Years Of War -- Tim Mak, Washington Examiner

This is the last Veterans Day that America will mark with combat troops still stationed in Afghanistan, and the country's sense of apathy over that war and those still fighting it has only grown over a dozen years of conflict.

Americans still readily and publicly display respect and appreciation for the troops. All of the first-class passengers on a recent American Airlines flight from Chicago to San Diego voluntarily moved back to coach so soldiers could fly up front. But polls show that Americans long ago stopped believing the war was worthwhile, and their growing apathy has trickled down to the treatment of the troops themselves.

As the last of the troops make their way back home through 2014, veterans will be returning to a bleak future, one where mental-health problems, unemployment, homelessness and a backlog of disability claims present stark challenges.

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My Comment: Fortunately .... there are moments when I do see people caring about our veterans .... and even for those who may think that they are alone.

ABC News: Top 7 Surprise Military Homecoming Videos of 2012

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Top 7 Surprise Military Homecoming Videos of 2012 -- ABC

Nothing is sweeter than seeing a soldier or sailor reunited with their family after a long deployment overseas. Embracing each other for the first time can often be a very intimate moment for these families, and one that some service members plan well in advance, making sure to give their loved ones a giant and welcome surprise.

In many cases, it’s the first time the entire family has been together in months, perhaps even years. We’ve rounded up the top 7 surprise military homecomings caught on camera in 2012.

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My Comment: There are some damn good videos here.

Operation Homecoming

For Troops, Many Happy Returns -- Washington Times

With drawdown from Iraq, volunteers ratchet up Operation Homecoming

Each time the frosted-glass doors leading out of the international customs area opened, a crowd of more than 200 people broke into cheers, waving handmade signs above their heads and jangling cowbells.

As military men and women carting piles of camouflage-colored bags emerged, leather-clad bikers and Boy Scouts alike clamored to shake their hands and welcome them back from military deployments.

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My Comment: It's always good to be back home.

How Do You Spell Love?

How Do You Spell Love? The Heart-Melting Moment US Soldier Returns From Iraq To Surprise Daughter As She Gets 'Sergeant' Right At Spelling Bee -- Daily Mail

Skylar Johnson had not seen her father since last Christmas when she stepped on stage for her school's spelling bee on Friday.

So when the moderator asked the nine-year-old how to spell 'sergeant', she was overcome with emotion when he appeared from behind the curtain.

Staff Sergeant Therron Johnson and his little girl embraced for the first time in almost a year at Boca Raton Elementary in Florida.

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Remembering A Fallen Hero

Army Spec. Richard C. Emmons III was killed in Afghanistan.

Soldier Who Was Killed In Afghanistan Becomes ‘Everyone’s Son’ In Woodstown, N.J. -- Washington Post

WOODSTOWN, N.J. — The silver hearse rolls out the main gate of Dover Air Force Base, where America’s war dead return to U.S. soil.

“He’s coming,” yells John Davis, a 73-year-old retired electrician and Vietnam veteran. He and about 20 other bikers scramble for their Harleys.


Davis has a droopy gray mustache, a small soul patch and trifocals. He swings an artificial knee over his bike, drapes an ice pack over the nape of his neck and fires up his black motorcycle. The bikers pair off, forming a line leading away from the base. The hearse falls in behind them.

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My Comment: A fitting tribute.

The Growing Problem Of Jobless Vets

(Click on Image to enlarge)

After Fighting for His Country, Iraq Vet Fights For A Job -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — Eric Smith calls himself one of the lucky ones, returning home from the war in Iraq in 2008 with two arms and two legs.

But his luck has yet to produce a full-time job. In the past year, the 26-year-old Baltimore veteran has found part-time work as a bartender — which paid $4 an hour, plus tips — and as a mail sorter, which paid $8 an hour. And when he was desperate enough for income, he volunteered to be a test patient in a drug study, which earned him $1,200 for a four-night hospital stay.

It's not exactly what Smith had in mind.

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My Comment: Mind you .... the U.S. economy has been in the toilet for the past 3 years. But .... as the wars wind down in Afghanistan and Iraq, I can only assume that this problem will be getting worse.

Why Young Vets Have Trouble Finding Work (Video)

Iraq war veteran John Kamin has skills that don’t pay the bills. He's out of a work after two tours overseas, and uses rap lyrics and meetings with congress to urge more support for unemployed veterans

My Comment: It took years for my father (when he left the military) to find a "normal" job. Bottom line .... knowing how to shoot a gun may get you a job in security or working for the police department .... but that is about it. Returning vets need support to go back to school, and for those who are not interested in going back to school .... they should receive support in finding work that they feel that they are qualified to do.

One Millionth Soldier Greeted By Volunteers At Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

Millionth Soldier Greeted by Volunteers at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport -- ABC News

Greeter Bert Brady and Fellow Volunteers Recognized for Their Work Today

Bert Brady doesn't know who exactly was the millionth soldier to pass through the Dallas-Fort Worth airport returning from duty, but to him it doesn't matter. The Army veteran greets them all the same.

For the past four years, Brady has been there for the nation's heroes as they arrive in the terminal on leave from places like Iraq and Afghanistan. He offers a smile, word of thanks, maybe a cell phone to call family or often just a hug. In the first days of 2011, Brady and his fellow volunteers at the 'Welcome Home a Hero' program reached that milestone, greeting their millionth soldier.

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More News On The One Millionth Soldier Greeted By Volunteers At DFW Airport

D/FW Airport ceremony to mark millionth soldier on break from Iraq, Afghanistan wars -- Dallas News
Special ceremony at DFW Airport salutes dedication of volunteers -- Star Telegram
U.S. military marks millionth -- Star Telegram
Millionth Soldier Returns to DFW -- FOX News
Volunteers welcome one-millionth hero at D/FW Airport -- WFAA

Are Returning Soldiers Naturally Inclined To Be Thrill Seekers?

Army Studies Thrill-Seeking Behavior -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Senior Airman Michael Kearns had been back from Iraq for only two months when he was pulled over on a Florida highway for going more than 120 miles per hour on his new Suzuki. He knew his motorcycle riding was reckless, but after living through daily mortar attacks on his base in Iraq, he said he needed the adrenaline rush.

“When you get here, there’s nothing that’s very exciting that keeps your pulse going,” Airman Kearns, 27, said in a recent interview.

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My Comment: Duhhh .... of course the Army study will find soldiers taking unnecessary risks when they leave the war zone and return home. My father was in the Soviet Army during the Second World War (4 years on the front), and growing up with him was quite an experience. It was only later (as an adult), that I realized how reckless his behavior was at times. Deserting the Soviet Army at the end of the Second World War and escaping to the West (risky, but fortunately for me it worked out), heavy drinking and driving, reckless business decisions (which also fortunately worked out), doing unnecessary work that was dangerous, and finally making a decision to join the Foreign Legion because he was bored with his life (he changed his mind at the recruitment door).

Sighhh .... and while this was my dad, his war buddies were even worse. My Godfather committed suicide while playing Russian roulette, others who were killed in reckless car crashes, alcoholism, crime, etc. etc. etc.

Is there a way to temper the emotions and drive that many of our soldiers have when they return home .... I have my doubts that the Army will find a solution when I think of my own experiences, but I certainly wish the Army luck.

What Our Returning Soldiers Are Facing When They Come Home

LEAVING IRAQ
U.S. Stryker armored vehicles with the 2nd Infantry Division’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team line up at a fueling site on Camp Taji, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2010, to fuel up before heading out on a two-day mission to leave Iraq through Kuwait. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth

No Brass Bands When Troops Return Home From Iraq -- David Wood, Politics Daily

U.S. troops returning home from war may be greeted with pay caps and increased health insurance premiums, and could even lose their jobs -- if Congress no longer wants to keep on the payroll all the soldiers and Marines once needed to fight both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Among other benefits at risk, troops and their families could lose their local military exchanges and commissaries, the large Wal-Mart-type stores where military families enjoy convenient and cut-rate shopping right on base.

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My Comment: I am sure that many returning soldiers will find alternative employment when they leave the service .... unfortunately .... for many .... the service is all that they have, and losing it will impact many.