Nation Must Recognize Sacrifices of Troops, Families
(October 19, 2010) |
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U.S. Navy Adm. Mike
Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
addresses the audience at the USO of Illinois
Star Spangled Salute in Chicago, Oct. 17, 2010.
DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class
Chad J. McNeeley |
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2010
Americans must recognize the sacrifices and
struggles of today's troops and their families
and work harder to reintegrate them into their
communities, the nation's top military officer
said yesterday.
The past nine years of war and multiple combat
deployments have stressed the force, leaving in
their wake veterans and families who return home
only to have to start putting their lives back
together, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a USO Gala in
Chicago.
"These years of battle have steeled them for an
uncertain future, because when our men and women
come home, the battle doesn't end," Mullen said.
"Quite frankly, for many it's just the
beginning." |
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Mullen told the audience that one of the reasons he and his
wife travel the country speaking at local events is to keep
America connected to its troops. He said that many Americans
don't realize what the troops and families go through to
serve in the military, nor do they realize the value they
bring to their communities when they return home.
"We have to recognize our veterans and their families for
what they are: not a burden, but an opportunity," he said.
"They are talented, skilled leaders who have so much to
offer and contribute to their communities, not only during
their military service, but throughout their entire lives.
"I truly believe that today's returning warriors and their
families are the next great generation," Mullen said.
Mullen hailed the efforts of the USO and other organizations
who have mobilized to provide community-based support for
veterans and families. Still, he said, more needs to be
done.
"Even with all the generosity and good will, too many
veterans and military families still struggle to receive all
the support they need," he said.
Returning Military often struggle with physical
and mental injuries, anxiety and depression, he said. Their
family dynamics are changed by the challenges of
post-traumatic stress.
Mullen said some veterans find it difficult to translate
their military experience into viable jobs and careers,
noting that the job search is made even more difficult
during a struggling economy. The homelessness rates among
today's veterans are rising past those of Vietnam veterans,
he said, and too many veterans consider suicide an option.
"Not a day goes by that I don't think about the pressures on
these young men and women and the sacrifices of their
families -- challenges that all of us must help them
shoulder as they have already shouldered such burdens for
us," the chairman said.
And it's not just the returning veterans who need community
support, Mullen noted. The families of servicemembers killed
in combat also need help. "Not a moment goes by that I don't
think about the families of those who have paid the ultimate
sacrifice," he said.
The USO and communities play a vital role in tapping into
the skills of veterans, the admiral said, mobilizing support
for families and helping to build resilience against visible
and invisible wounds of war.
He recalled his time aboard ship as a young naval officer,
and said that at each port he would seek out the familiar
USO sign.
"It seemed as though the USO was always there -- everywhere
and anywhere," he said. "It felt as though the USO
volunteers were not just serving us -- they were serving
alongside us."
But for all of the comforts it provides to troops overseas,
it is the connection at home that makes the group most
valuable, Mullen said.
"It isn't just a taste of home that you provide. ... It's a
sense of appreciation," he said. "It's knowing that the
people you fight for back home are fighting for you too." | |
By
Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010
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