The Costs of War: Votevets.org survey of Iraq/Afghan war vets

[TayTay]

This is a new story about a commissioned survey today (10/4/06.) This is a very sad story that among other things finds:

First Ever Poll of Veterans Who Served in Iraq and Afghanistan Finds Troops Suffered From Inadequate Equipment in Theater and Serious Health Problems at Home
Wednesday October 4, 1:00 pm ET
VoteVets.org Action Fund Launches Advocacy Effort to Give Voice to the 21st Century Patriot and Veteran


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- A new poll released today of American service men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that at the start of heavy combat (2003 and 2004), nearly half of our troops reported they did not have "up-armored" vehicles that would be considered mission capable. According to the poll, conducted by VoteVets.org Action Fund, the clear majority of veterans -- both active duty personnel as well as National Guard and Reservists -- believe the Army and Marines are over-extended in Iraq and Afghanistan, having endured extensions of duty and stop-loss orders as the U.S. military increased operations abroad. When the veterans polled returned home, many encountered emotional and physical health problems as well as economic hardship, indicating that the impact of their service extends beyond their tour of duty.


"The results of this poll should be a wake up call to every American. We are shortchanging our troops -- in combat and at home," said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, Co-Founder and Chairman of VoteVets.org Action Fund. "I am proud of my service in Iraq, but my job was made more difficult by the real life-or- death challenges I faced when it came to equipment and supplies that were inadequate or not fully operational. Our leaders should pay careful attention to the experiences of my peers -- the first batch of 21st century veterans to have served in an all volunteer army -- because they are telling us that problems exist. Today's military can only be successful if we have the support and resources necessary to fulfill our duties."

Key Findings

Veterans faced real challenges with equipment and supplies while in Iraq or Afghanistan.

• Nearly half of all veterans (42 percent) reported that their equipment did not meet the military standard that requires a unit to be at least 90 percent operational.
  
• Later deployments reported improvements in operational equipment: only 52 and 49 percent of veterans serving in 2003 and 2004 respectively reported their equipment was operational compared to 61 percent of those who served in 2005 and later.
  
• Thirty-five percent of veterans said their trucks were not up-armored at all and 10 percent said the trucks were up-armored with scrap metal.
  
  
  http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061004/dcw014.html?.v=76