Blog Post

IAVA Daily News Brief 12.21.11
Posted by Jim Drury on December 21 2011

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.

MUST READS

1) Reunited troops, families face stresses of reconnecting

Military families are thrilled to be reunited with loved ones back from Iraq, but many will face a turbulent reintegration period. The road home is fraught with “tremendous stress and challenges” for new veterans, says IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. For example, the military divorce rate is at its highest since 1999. IAVA has highlighted the challenges military families face in the new issue report, Unsung Heroes: Military Families After 10 Years of War.

2) Iraq War is over, but effects linger for veterans

Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began over a decade ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs has treated over 200,000 veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder. Increased awareness has made it easier for new veterans to seek treatment, but high medical costs and the military’s macho culture have prevented many from getting the help they need to get better.

3) The War is Over

The American war in Iraq belongs to the history books now, but the memories will forever remain in the hearts and minds of those who served. Read a haunting tribute to the fallen by IAVA Member Veteran Garrett Anderson, who will never forget the sacrifices made ‘over there.’

AFGHANISTAN

• On Wednesday, five Polish soldiers were killed by a massive IED explosion in eastern Afghanistan.

• Eight U.S. service members have been charged with the death Private Danny Chen, a soldier who committed suicide on October 3 after repeated physical and psychological abuse by his peers.

IRAQ

• The political crisis deepened on Wednesday, when the Shiite Prime Minister urged Kurdish authorities to hand over the Sunni Vice President, who has a warrant out for his arrest.

• The U.S. military may be out of Iraq, but strategic interest compels the United States to remain invested in the region, according to an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal.

• Behind the lens—images of Iraq are increasingly captured by professional Iraqi photographers instead of western journalists.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• After a veteran of Afghanistan pawned his Purple Heart in Michigan, the pawn shop owner was flooded with calls seeking to help the cash-strapped veteran.

• Significant progress has been made in the fight to prevent veteran homelessness, writes The New York Times, but VA Secretary Shinseki has a long way to go before he fulfills his self-proclaimed goal of eliminating vet homelessness by 2015.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• President Obama and Vice President Biden were on hand at Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday as U.S. Forces-Iraq commander Gen. Lloyd Austin returned the command’s flag to U.S. soil.

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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