Freshman Rep. Patrick J. Murphy, D-PA is the only member of Congress who is also a veteran of the war in Iraq. He returned to Iraq last month and now he's back to tell us what he saw, and how he feels about how the President and the Congress are handling the war. What do you want to know about the Congressman's service as a paratrooper for the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and about how things look on the ground now?
Blog Of The Nation
from Iraq Veterans Against the War
3 Corporate profiteering is driving the war in Iraq.
From privately contracted soldiers and linguists to no-bid reconstruction contracts and multinational oil negotiations, those who benefit the most in this conflict are those who suffer the least. The United States has chosen a path that directly contradicts President Eisenhower's farewell warning regarding the military industrial complex. As long as those in power are not held accountable, they will continue...
For further reading:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0714-01.htm
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/
Congressman Murphy-
First, I'd like to thank you for your service, both during your military duty, and now in the congress.
As the mother of a soldier, I am pleased to see attention finally being given to the issues that affect our military personnel. The burden of this war has been fully carried by the men and women in uniform, and by their families.
In light of the current hearings on Walter Reed, I hope that the entire medical system is reviewed. My son has been stationed in Sweinfurt, Germany for over 5 years, and has deployed to Kosovo and Iraq from there. He was scheduled for his second 1-year deployment to Iraq in January 2006, but the deployment was rescheduled a few times. During a routine helecopter practice jump in January 2006, my son broke bones and tore tendons in his left wrist. However, because he was on call for deployment, his command refused to allow him to seek medical treatement. As his units deployment continued to get pushed back, he continued to fight, until finally, in By August, his hand had become so weak, that he could no longer fire a gun, which made deployment questionable at best. Because the military doctor would be another 3 months to get an appointment, his command finally allowed him to see an orthopedic "on the economy" in late August. He had surgery a few weeks later, but unfortunately, the length of time that had passed made his wrist unrepairable. We are greatful that he will be getting a medical discharge instead of coming home in a body bag. However, this lack of treatment has been disheartening for my son. The army was so concerned that they needed him to go to Iraq, because they clearly needed evey troop available, that they refused much needed medical treatment. Its absolutely shameful.
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