The Needs of Alaska's National Guard are Beyond Politics

by: Bobby Muller Veterans For America

Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 16:46:11 PM AKDT

Today, I am honored to have Bobby Muller submit a diary to Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. He is a legend in the veterans community, having founded Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) in 1978 and Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (later renamed Veterans for America) in 1980. His achievements are too extensive to list here, but can be read on his bio at the VFA website. - promoted by Celtic Diva)



Veterans For America has long been focused on issues surrounding our National Guard soldiers and assessing the problems that they face when returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq. Through VFA's nonpartisan National Guard efforts, the group has conducted reports and examined National Guard units on a state-by-state basis to determine their needs and analyze the issues they face.

On Wednesday, VFA released its most recent report that takes a look at the Alaska Army National Guard. The report has garnered plenty of media attention and The Minnesota Independent provided its own look at the report:

The latest iteration of this formula comes to us by way of Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell, commissioner of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, who groaned yesterday that a Veterans for America report constitutes a political "ambush" of the governor. Campbell described the preliminary report - which focuses largely on post-deployment problems, especially vets' insufficient access to health care - as "poorly written, lacking substantiation of allegations and basically filled with plain incorrect information." Veterans for America points out that it had begun its review of Alaska's National Guard more than a year ago, long before Palin became a national figure.

As indicated by The Minnesota Independent, this review was started over a year ago - long before most of America outside of Alaska knew who Sarah Palin was. The goal of this report isn't political. The goal of this report isn't to target a now-prominent political figure. The goal of this report was to address the needs of the Alaska National Guard and determine what is required to address those needs.  

Gov. Palin doesn't deserve a pass. Palin has touted since her entry into the presidential race that she headed the Alaskan National Guard. If that is what she wishes to tout, then she should be able to answer questions and address the problems facing her state's National Guard soldiers.  

But the issues with the Alaska National Guard are bigger than one person. These issues impact many soldiers returning home from deployments (and, at times, multiple deployments). Troops that are deployed face many obstacles in post-deployment life. Right now, the programs and systems aren't in place to address these obstacles. VFA concluded in the report that the United States should not deploy National Guard soldiers from Alaska any longer until these problems are remedied.  

With Alaska at the forefront thanks to Gov. Palin's notoriety, this is a time where we can really address how we are letting our National Guard fall through the cracks. Trying to pass off a sincere attempt to address the urgent needs of our soldiers returning home from multiple deployments as politics is a great disservice to our troops and veterans who face post-deployment obstacles upon their return and lack the necessary programs and systems to deal with these issues.  

I'd rather see the needs our National Guard met, even if it means suffering accusations of 'playing politics', than to not see them met at all. Again, these issues are bigger than Gov. Palin. This affects many National Guard troops and their families. These issues must be addressed before Alaska fails to provide the necessary services to those who have honorably and bravely served their country.  

Veterans of America is proud to sponsor the Our Troops Newsladder, a new tool to find the top news and articles in the progressive community by, about and for our troops.  

Gov. Palin's attacks on AK Guard study are a disgrace! Is this a sample of "our new Governor?"

by: Celtic Diva

Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 13:08:21 PM AKDT

So, what was "Lt. Gen" Craig Campbell's (i.e. The Governor's) response as head of the Alaska National Guard?  Concern over the findings?

Per ADN:

The commander of the Alaska National Guard swung back Monday at a report critical of his department, saying its claims were an unfounded, partisan attempt to "ambush" Gov. Sarah Palin in the final weeks of the presidential campaign.

Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell, commissioner of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said at a news conference that the preliminary report, released Oct. 1 by Veterans for America, was "poorly written, lacking substantiation of allegations and basically filled with plain incorrect information.

"This is a political hatchet job," Campbell said. "There are always things that we can improve on, so I'm not saying we couldn't use any help. I'm saying the VFA didn't offer any help."

Let me get this straight: you want Veterans of America to "help" while you tell them that the year-long study they conducted in order to provide help to those serving in the AK National Guard was a political hatchet job?

Veterans for America responded:

"Veterans for America first sent an employee of our organization to Alaska more than one year ago ... before 99.8 percent of the country had ever heard the name Gov. Sarah Palin," Forrester said. "It's disappointing to have such a defensive response from the leader of the men and women of the Alaska National Guard."

The report was the result of a year of research and a 10-day fact-finding mission in Alaska, he said. In addition to its claim that post-deployment programs are lacking, the report says about 25 percent of Alaska's Guard members live in villages without access to military health care providers, forcing them to travel long distances for health care -- and to front the money to do so.

The report calls for "radical changes" in the way the Guard is run, including mandatory face-to-face mental and physical health screenings following deployments and more time at home between them.

At the press conference, Mark Kelsey, the governor's assistant on military and veteran affairs, made this comment:

"(Palin) agrees completely with Gen. Campbell's assessment that Alaska's Guard troops are among the finest in the country," Kelsey said afterward. "So she appreciates his efforts today to provide some factual context to the baseless criticisms leveled by the Veterans for America."

Today, Veterans for America released their final report and also had a reponse for Governor Palin:

Per their press release:

Veterans for America, also known as Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, has a thirty-year history of working on behalf of America's veterans and servicemembers. Anyone with a modicum of understanding of and/or appreciation for the veterans' movement in this country respects the history of our organization and our unequivocal bona fides.

As VFA has made plainly clear to the Governor and her staff, VFA's findings are based on two extensive field visits to Alaska working directly with Guard members and their families.  We are sharing their stories and their concerns. Furthermore, the impetus for our work is VFA's Wounded Warrior Registry, where we assist soldiers with concerns and problems with access to care.

It is poor leadership and blatant political posturing at the expense of our troops to claim that our findings, based on testimonials and ground visits, are baseless.

"Yesterday's press conference was a political farce," said VFA President Bobby Muller. "Such stunts do a disservice to our troops and veterans.  Governor Palin should not deny the great shortcomings in post-combat care that the Department of Defense has bravely recognized for the past several years."

THIS IS NOT A SUPRISE to anyone who knows anything about veteran's issues in Alaska!  Veteran's Aviation Outreach grew out of the fact that Alaska has the largest number of veterans per capita (over 80,000) yet approximately only 10-20% of them are actually registered for their benefits!  Also, many of them are out in Rural Alaska and accessible only by plane! Sarah Palin knows this and I have proof of that...I met her at "The Gathering for Veterans" in April WHICH WAS COORDINATED BY VETERANS AVIATION OUTREACH!!!!!

IT'S NOT A HUGE SURPRISE to determine that those members of the Alaska National Guard serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered the same or worse fate than the other veterans in this state!!!

The fact that Campbell and Palin would react in this way is unbelievable and outrageous!  It causes me great concern for her return to Alaska.  Will the plight of veterans in this state go from a tragic issue we must all work on together to a blot on her resume for higher office that she must explain away or sweep under the rug?

Alaska National Guard: Better Understanding Their Sacrifice

by: Jason Forrester Veterans For America

Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 10:58:40 AM AKDT

As we have done in more than 12 other states, members of Veterans for America's National Guard Program recently completed an assessment of the needs of the Alaska National Guard, culminating with a week-long trip to Alaska, visiting a cross-section of the state to assess the needs of the Alaska National Guard.  Despite the dedicated and relentless work many in Alaska, VFA's findings indicate that the post-deployment needs of Alaska National Guard members and their families remain largely unmet.

The greatest challenge facing Alaska National Guard members is access to care. Guard members living in urban centers like Anchorage and Juneau have limited access to Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and Tricare (i.e., Department of Defense-sponsored military health care). When Guard members are deployed, their families are forced to switch to a very limited Tricare network, and often lose their health care.