Change.org - Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans of America: General Fund

General Fund

Donations to the General Fund support the programs most in need of funding.

Recent Donors

Bryan D. Freehling

Lahaska, PA

The American casualties sustained by warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq are staggering, and will no doubt be chronicled in the blood-stained pages of world history as the physical aggressive confrontations of two opposing political (and religious-- some might argue) ideologies. These inevitable casualties-- accidents, injuries, traumas, and deaths--are byproducts of what this warfare has generated. However, I often quietly ponder the preventable and unnecessary casualties which our nation and the families and friends of our departed men and women in uniform, have had to sustain.

Many soldiers serving in our armed forces are doing so under serious distress. They are encouraged, and frequently obliged, to make lengthy repeated tours of duty. Some suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and often are prescribed antidepressants, pain pills, and sleeping pills to simply make it through the day. Many have lost their comrades to enemy artillery, many have suffered a permanent physical or mental disability, and some have even lost their domestic stability--jobs, marriages, homes, or loved ones--due to unpredictable circumstances.

Over two years ago, the US Congress ordered the Department of Defense to perform psychiatric screenings of all American combat troops; however, data secured from the Hartford Courant indicate that no such psychiatric screenings were performed. In fact, only a little over 1% of all deployed combat troops from 2008 and early 2009 were even referred to a mental health professional; and 9 out of 10 deployed troops, who desperately wanted to see a mental health professional, were determined to be ‘mentally fit’ by non-mental health professionals.

Statistics suggest that such unreasonable requests made of our service men and women have contributed to significantly higher rates of suicides among combat troops and homicides of civilians and American soldiers. The above statistics also suggest the possibility that a number of men and women--deemed mentally fit by non-mental health professionals--enlisted in the US armed forces with a an undiagnosed and subsequently untreated mental illnesses.

Perhaps the DOD simply revised its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to include mental health illnesses. If that were the case, that would be dreadfully unfortunate since the sexual orientation of a mentally stable soldier cannot cause harm, or God forbid death, to another individual or to oneself; however, a mental illness undiagnosed, untreated, improperly medicated, or tolerated has the potential to do exactly that--- cause harm, if not death, to one’s self or someone else. I am thinking specifically about the most recent incident of the GI who killed five American soldiers at a combat stress center in Iraq. I also wonder how many undisclosed incidents of suicides, killings of civilians or soldiers are documented and reported as accidents, hence simply unavoidable casualties of war.

I sincerely hope that the Obama administration does more than oust the top US commander in Afghanistan. I hope that President Obama in concert with Congress will fiercely pursue the Department of Defense, hold it accountable for its egregious failures to perform the mandated psychiatric screenings on all combat troops, and require that the DOD provide the professional services to treat all mental illnesses sustained by our troops while on active duty.

Likewise, it is imperative for Congress to secure the funding to provide our returning service men and women with the resources necessary for re-integrating into civil society. These resources should include, but not be limited to, adequate and reliable healthcare, medicine, and programs to address any psycho-social disorders such as homelessness, domestic violence, marital problems, joblessness, etc. However, above all, we need to remember what WE asked of our service men and women, and what they selflessly did for US.

Indeed there are many unavoidable casualties of warfare, but apathetic negligence should not be one of them.

Thank you Susan for highlighting a serious problem as well as giving hope to those in need.
Kim Voss

Union, KY

I want to do more than send care packages to the troops. Thanks for the opportunity to help.
Susan Bertolino

Philadelphia, PA
Alison Riedel

West Milford, NJ

Thankyou to all of the brave americans fighting for our freedom i hope everyone will get home safe to the ones that they love. You are always in my thoughts.
Paul P.

Rochester, NY
Kaya Hoffmann

Seattle, WA
Heather Mansfield

Springfield, MO
Janet Krueger

Seattle, WA

In our hearts forever, never forgotten. With Love and thanks on Veterans Day.
Thomas Delaney

Lynbrook, NY

If it were not for Ryan Conklin listing the org on his myspace page, I would not have know how to help our Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans.

Way to go Ryan
Sheri Hoyt

Lemoore, CA