Caring for the families of wounded warriors

From Sgt. Samuel Nichols, USMC blog

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Sometimes I wonder if our government leaders ever hear of the hardships and trials our military families endure when our troops are at war. Can they even fathom the sacrifice the spouses and family of our wounded warriors go through when these brave warriors come back from Iraq or Afghanistan with missing limbs, PTSD or traumatic brain injury? Are they aware of the financial burden on the families—not just the wife, but the mother and father–brothers and sisters? Do they care about the mental anguish that is involved in seeing our son’s come back with disabilities that may be with them the rest of their lives? And most importantly—do they understand their moral obligation to ensure the wounded warriors (and their families) have everything they need to care for their medical (mental and physical) needs?
go here for the rest
http://tneria01.wordpress.com/2008/03/17/caring-for-the-families-of-wounded-warriors/

Common sense and compassion is desperately needed in this country right now for their sake. It doesn't matter which side of the occupation of Iraq you may take because both sides feel they are fighting for the troops. So why don't we when it matters the most to them? Why doesn't the right and the left come together on wounded issue?

This boggles my mind constantly. I cannot understand how groups like Gathering of Eagles can mobilize against Code Pink and visa versa regarding the occupation of Iraq but they cannot mobilize the same show of force to make sure our Congress does whatever it will take to care for the wounded. The troops will not come home from Iraq tomorrow or anytime this year. This Bush has made perfectly clear. He has absolutely no intentions of even discussing it. What we do know is that tomorrow there will be more wounded needing help. There will be more wounded until the troops are out of Iraq and Afghanistan. They need to be the priority of all Americans. We ask so much of them and yet find it too difficult to fight for them.

I'm tired of fighting the right because I happen to be on the other side of the issue. I do not agree with some who calls for immediate withdrawal, but I call for a wise withdrawal. There needs to be plans, well formulated plans in place immediately to have this mess ended as soon as possible. The troops have done and are doing all they can but the rest of the steps needed for Iraq are not being done. Years ago the military leadership stated clearly Iraq cannot be made secure by the military alone, yet we ignore the fact the men and women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are the ones risking their lives and dying as well as returning home wounded. They need us. Plain and simply, they need us to make sure Congress takes care of them and does whatever it takes to accomplish this mission with absolutely no excuses.

We can debate all we want about Iraq but we cannot debate about the needs of the men and women who were willing to serve this nation. At this perilous time for them, we either stand up for them or we ignore them because we have an agenda to prove that we are right and the other side is wrong. When it comes to them both sides need to be for them when they need us.