newsobserver.com projects - U.S. Department of Defense - Comments

We need this, folks

scharrison — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:19:16 -0400

Right now around half of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are various National Guard and Reserve components, and North Carolina is getting ready to send 3,200 more of our Citizen-Soldiers over there. These men and women hail from nearly every one of the State's 100 counties, meaning that when they return home after combat, most of them will be too far away from major military bases to seek treatment there.

I know many reading this don't really understand what TBI is or how it can affect someone, but you should take the time to learn more. If it goes undiagnosed and untreated, it often results in job loss, families breaking apart, substance abuse and even suicide. Yellow ribbons and parades are nice, but those things are small comfort when you can't sleep at night, you have difficulty solving problems that used to be a breeze, you're constantly dealing with headaches, bright lights and noises actually hurt, you're constantly tired, etc. If neither you nor the people around you know what's causing these things, you're headed for a fall.

After all these folks have sacrificed for us, we can't leave them to struggle with this on their own. The vast majority of veterans who call NC Office of Citizens Services CARE LINE are asking if they are eligible for Medicaid. The answer needs to be a resounding "yes".

Thanks, Grier. You are the man.

Re: Bill would help wounded soldiers

AquaMan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:49:07 -0400

Thanks Grier. For more details on how we are 'Supporting The Troops'-- (Not) Aaron Glantz has an exellent book out called "The War Comes Home". Worth a read.

Blackwater runs deep

James_Protzman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:00:35 -0500

Erik Prince is an opportunistic war-profiteer who took advantage of his personal connections in Washington to create a mercenary army operating outside the rule of law. He recruited top military professionals, skimming billions out of the Pentagon budget, resulting people who remained on active duty working for chump change. Blackwater is (for now) a US corporation. Our court system can and should look into Blackwater's activities and hold both individual contractors and executive leadership accountable for whatever crimes they may have committed. The IRS should also be looking into Blackwater's payroll policies to determine if Prince is evading tax laws.

James Protzman
Veteran
2nd Anglico, Camp Lejeune (1974 to 1977)
USNA '72

Re: Price: Let courts decide on Blackwater

Dirigo01 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:50:32 -0500

Erik Prince is a hero who took the bull by the horns and provided a service that our Government could not. He protected arguably the most threatened targets in the world to day (Paul Bremer at one time had a $43 million dollar bounty on his head while travelling in Iraq!) and did not lose one! You people know that these cowardly terrorists hide behind women and children as a matter of policy as Hamas has recently proven. I hate that innocent people died to but you know these guys, some of the best disciplined in the business, did not just start shooting unarmed people. Moreover, State and DoD cannot simply rewrite policy retroactively and on a whim. By their own memorandum the courts have no jurisdiction here! I knew when the bookkeepers and accountants that make up the FBI got involved this would become a goat*&%*.

Gary A. Shaw
Veteran
Retired Police Officer

Re: Claims Dept: Dole on 'Fibber Kay'

blculbre — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:04:06 -0400

"Fibber"? Really, who says that? Liddy herself must have come up with this one. After that swell sock-hop at the malt shop...

Re: Claims Dept: Dole on 'Fibber Kay'

Real_Americans_Think — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:12:43 -0400

Liddy is desperate if she is resorting to childish name calling like "Fibber Kay." Do adults really talk and behave this way? why is it that Republicans resort to negative attack ads so quickly - is it lack of ideas? Lack of imagination? The ad says far more about the lack of ideas and principles of Liddy Dole than it does about Kay Hagan.

"Otherwise, it is accurate."

ThomasBrock — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:26:56 -0400

You mean to say...

Other than falsely implying that Hagan's campaign paid for the original ad...

Other than omitting details for the "Best in Congress award"...

and

Other than claiming a role in military support which can neither be proven accurate nor inaccurate...

The ad is accurate?

Wow. I wonder, Ryan, what would it take for you to say that the ad is one big whopper of a lie?

(edited for clarification)

Uh, thinc...

ThomasBrock — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:24:15 -0400

My point was that the DSCC ad was accurate, not that the Dole ad was accurate.

Perhaps my writing wasn't the clearest...

Watch your facts, ThomasBrock

thinc — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:40:03 -0400

The Hagan campaign didn't pay for the ad. The DSCC did.

Will you dig?

zoobatmania — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:18:20 -0400

The "Best of Congress" award was given to 10 Senator and 14 House members. Only 50 applied, how many of them were Senators?

Ten, maybe?