On Veteran's Day, an appeal to President-Elect Obama

Today is Veterans Day in the U.S. This special holiday was set aside to honor our U.S. military veterans.

This is good, but we should honor our veterans every day, not just on November 11th. But the VA leaves much to be desired in that regard.

Our U.S. military veterans have it rough.

First, when Bush started the unnecessary Iraq war, he sent our troops over there without adequate equipment to protect them. Then, when they come home maimed, they have to wait for weeks to get the physical and mental health treatment that they need, and even longer -- sometimes up to a year or more -- to start receiving disability benefits.

Some cannot hold on that long, and so they commit suicide.

This is how we thank and reward our brave soldiers.

I hope that the Obama administration will give a high priority to veterans' issues. And to get the ball rolling, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) issued a press release after last Tuesday's election calling on President-Elect Obama to "act boldly on Veterans issues."

IAVA called for the Obama administration to convene a Presidential Summit of Veteran Leaders "to solicit input from the real experts: veterans."

And, in observance of Veterans Day, I would like to pass IAVA's message along.

Accordingly, below is the full text of IAVA's press release:

Today [November 5, 2008], Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, congratulated both candidates on a well-fought election and urged President-elect Barack Obama to move boldly to make veterans issues a top priority.

"President-elect Obama has a historic opportunity to lead America in supporting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. He has the power to finally turn the page on the way America treated veterans after Vietnam. In doing so, his first step must be to quickly convene a Presidential Summit of Veteran Leaders to solicit input from the real experts: veterans," said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). "IAVA is hopeful that the President-elect will make veterans' issues a top priority and reach out to legislators on both sides of the aisle to quickly implement our legislative priorities. IAVA looks forward to working closely with the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress to improve the lives of our newest generation of heroes and their families."

As the new President considers cabinet appointments, including the VA Secretary, he must bring together leading veterans' organizations, and specifically veterans of the current wars, to make sure he's getting the "ground truth". Candidates for appointed positions within the VA should have a proven track record of innovation and reform, and should be ready to address the urgent needs of new veterans. By having veterans involved in the decision-making process, we can ensure that potential contenders fulfill these qualifications and are best to lead this country forward.

In the coming months, the President-elect has the unique opportunity to make a series of critical decisions impacting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Here are the 3 critical policies veterans need to see from the new Administration in the first 100 days:

Advance-fund VA Healthcare

Year after year, the VA budget is passed late, forcing hundreds of veterans' hospitals and clinics to ration care. IAVA believes that veterans' health care should be funded one year in advance and we ask that the President present to Congress an advance-funded VA budget that continues to match the Independent Budget recommendations made by leading Veterans Service Organizations.

Implement GI Bill Transferability

While the new GI Bill was passed several months ago, the Department of Defense has yet to release guidelines for the transferability of GI Bill benefits from service members to their spouses or children. The President must take action and direct the Secretary of Defense to issue the appropriate guidelines, so that GI Bill transferability can be implemented by August 2009.

Aggressively address the lack of access to Mental Health Professionals

The military and the VA need innovative strategies to recruit and retain more mental health professionals to combat the high rates of PTSD and major depression among returning troops. The President should issue a national call, urging mental health professionals nationwide to make their services more available to military members and their families. Those who answer the call should receive incentives and benefits for donating time to this valuable cause.

Amen.

It's the least we can do for our veterans and their families.