If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Military action must be the last, rather than the primary, tool of foreign policy. While Chuck Hagel knows this, he also knows that the nation's military must be ready and able to deliver overwhelming force when required.
I've been an advocate working in the movement to prevent violence against women for many years, and I don't think I've ever seen a film move the needle on a social issue as quickly and decisively as The Invisible War.
Without a doubt, sexual assault crimes across the branches of our armed forces are occurring with shocking regularity. In order for practical changes to take hold and be effective, they must be accompanied by a universal culture change.
These days, we talk incessantly about living well and achieving life balance, yet we wear masks to hide our pain. No matter who you are, true wellness can never be achieved behind these and without facing our pain and stressors.
We have far too many people in uniform and they will all be defending their turf, not to mention their own military careers. In this battle, there will be many casualties and few heroes.
Clearly, there is a gap in the mental health care that we are providing for those who serve in the military. Why has media the remained silent on this topic, rather than exposing the underlying root causes of this wide scale tragedy?
Sikhs have a rich history of military service across the globe. Meanwhile, U.S. policies still bar turbaned Sikhs from serving in the military.
Have you deployed or have held it down at home during one? What suggestions can you give a first-timer just going through it?
Armed conflict in Kachin state is a hindrance to Burma's democratic transition. The conflict also damages Burma's credibility as it happens when the international community has begun to show great interest in the country.
It's not that the torture scenes weren't pretty bad. They were: the bruised face, haunted eyes, scarred skin, and gradual deterioration from arrogant jihadist to a helpless, broken body pleading for mercy.
Certain features of his past are being grossly exaggerated in order to cloak the real anxieties of Hagel's critics -- namely, the fear that Hagel is not a proponent of the Bush Doctrine.
The VA is getting a lot of good work done, using IT to much better serve veterans by helping address the disability claims backlog, maybe their biggest challenge. Sure, the tech is a work in progress, but the greater issue involves skepticism and low expectations.
In my humble opinion, the judges' ruling, granting Manning a 112-day reduction in any sentence he might receive, is welcome but far short of true justice. If the military broke its own laws and President Obama even declared publicly that Manning had broken the law, then how can anyone say that this could be a "fair" trial?
It's time for the Army, Navy and Air Force to set a similar precedent; it's time for religious leaders and every other American to welcome gays into our society as equals.
There's a growing consensus among military doctors, researchers, and veterans themselves, that conventional treatments aren't always enough to help vets navigate the consequences of PTSD -- from unemployment and domestic violence to substance abuse, anxiety, and suicide. In this week's issue, David Wood writes about a tool increasingly used to help veterans confront the many challenges waiting for them when they return home from war zones: yoga.
