Next Meeting:

26 July at 7:00 PM

June Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 1900 by Vice Commander Graham. Opening ceremonies conducted.

Minutes of May meeting read, minor changes made and Minutes accepted.

Financial Report read and accepted.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

·       Update on removing display cases: Bill Graham to get this done before next meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Nothing to report.

NEW BUSINESS:

·       Discussion and planning for upcoming July 4^th parade with American Legion providing Honor Guard. Members will assemble at Post ~ 9 AM in preparation for parade kick off at 10 AM from Pine Hill Cemetery.

·       Motion to Conduct Veterans Appreciation Day made and seconded. Committee formed with Ben Perreault and Commander Wrigley to research, plan event and get ball rolling

·       Discussion about whereabouts of sign-grade plywood apparently missing from basement raised by Del Porter. Agree to check after meeting in basement and advise.

·       Discussion about Library use of Post for annual book sale. Commander Wrigley to coordinate.

·       Legion Baseball team: Advised Brookline did not field a Post team as was expected. Not enough players or interest.

·       Discussion, motion, and second to approach the VFW for sharing operating expenses. Ben Perreault to look into this and advise at next meeting. A letter of agreement between Post 74 and VFW is on file in the adjutant’s desk.

CORRESPONDENCE: None received this month.

SICK CALL: None to report.

There being no further business, the closing prayer was said, colors were retired, and meeting adjourned at 2010. The next meeting is July 26, 2007 at 1900.

Commander’s Comments

Greetings all, the 4th of July turnout was as always, great in Brookline. Thanks to all who marched. Again this month I will be TDY to San Antonio TX. If United out of San Antonio leaves on time and I don't miss the United Air connection in Chicago I will be at the meeting this Thursday.

But, Just in case I'm late and have been rescheduled an agenda will be at the Post with any correspondence to the Post.

I hope to see you all this Thursday.

Take care, and enjoy the summer.

Ruth

Do You Have An E-mail Address?

E-mailing the newsletter saves mailing costs. If you have e-mail access, send a message to Greg, at Gdarbo6844@aol.com. Addresses are for the exclusive use of the members to pass information and not to be sold or freely passed to others outside the Post without formal consent of the member. No funds solicitation is authorized via e-mail.

News of Interest to Veterans

Nicholson to leave VA and Return to the Private Sector

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Jim Nicholson announced today he has tendered his resignation to President George W. Bush, effective no later than October 1, 2007.

Under Nicholson’s leadership, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continued its evolution as a leader in health care innovations, medical research, education services, home loan and other benefits to veterans. He transformed the VA health care system to meet the unique medical requirements of the returning combatants from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In his letter of resignation, Nicholson praised and thanked the President for the honor of serving him and our Nation’s veterans in this key post at such a “critical time in our nation’s global war on terror.”

“The VA is a dynamic organization dedicated to serving our nation’s finest citizens – our veterans,” Nicholson said. “It has been an honor and privilege to lead the VA during this historic time for our men and women who have worn the uniform. We have accomplished so much and the VA is always striving to improve our services to veterans.”

Nicholson said he wants to return to the private sector. “This coming February, I turn 70 years old, and I feel it is time for me to get back into business, while I still can.” He said he has no definite plans at this time.

He also addressed an assembled group of Washington VA employees and those watching around the country on VA’s closed-circuit television. In his message to employees, Nicholson told them how privileged he felt to have worked with them in fulfilling our nation’s promises and obligations to its veterans.

“VA has come a long way in meeting the growing needs and expectations of our veterans and you deserve the credit,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson, a Vietnam Veteran, was sworn in as Secretary of Veterans Affairs on February 1, 2005.

During Secretary Nicholson’s tenure at the Department of Veterans Affairs:

·       Directed each of our veterans of the global war on terror who come to the VA for any kind of care to be carefully screened for brain damage (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

·       Hired 100 new Outreach Coordinators to provide services to returning OIF/OEF veterans. The new coordinators are located in Vet Centers throughout the country especially near our military processing stations.

·       Created a new Advisory Committee on OIF/OEF Veterans and their families to advise him on ways to improve programs serving OIF/OEF veterans.

·       Directed the Veterans Benefits Administration to give priority to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans in its compensation and pension claim system.

·       Launched a major information technology transformation in the VA with the way it uses and safeguards personal and health information of veterans.

·       Created a new Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness to deal with emergency planning and security.

·       Initiated the overhaul of the VA’s vast contracting and acquisitions systems.

·       Created a blue ribbon Genomic Research Advisory Committee to use the VA’s expansive medical data holdings to advance the science of predictive medicine.

·       Commenced a major campaign to reduce the high rate of diabetes in veterans.

·       Launched a national effort in the Veterans Health Administration to eradicate staph infections in VA hospitals.

·       Approved 82 new Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) to bring VA top notch care closer to the veterans who have earned it.

·       Created a new multi-campus Nursing Academy through partnership with the nursing schools throughout the country to help address a shortage of nurses within the VA and nationwide.

·       Directed the hiring of suicide prevention counselors at each of VA’s 153 facilities to strengthen one of the nation’s largest mental health programs. He also established a 24-hour national suicide prevention hotline that will be operational by the end of July 2007.

·       Hired 100 new Patient Care Advocates to help severely injured veterans and their families manage VA’s system for health care and financial benefits.

·       Led the President’s recent Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes to improve the delivery of federal services and benefits to Global War on Terror service members and veterans.

“This is a very big Government agency that, among many other things, sees over 1 million patients a week in its health care system, and is doing a world class job,” Nicholson said. “The American people can feel proud about the way we are treating our veterans. The President and the Congress have been very supportive and for that I am grateful as well.”

Nicholson thanked the President, “he has given me terrific opportunities to serve my country and under his strong and supportive leadership, it has been a real privilege.”

Nicholson left the private business world over 10 years, where he ran a successful residential development and construction company. He was elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 1997. Immediately prior to becoming Secretary, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Injured Vets Shortchanged Again

WASHINGTON (Associated Press, July 19, 2007) - Injured veterans could be shortchanged in their government disability pay depending on where they live because of wide disparities from state to state, an internal study concludes.

The 1 1/2-year investigation, conducted by the Institute for Defense Analysis, is the first to examine scientifically the reasons behind the Veterans Affairs' uneven handling of veterans claims for disability compensation. It was launched by the VA following reports in 2005 of wide differences in payments.

The 50-page report, made available to The Associated Press, found that average annual disability payments swung widely - from $7,556 in Ohio to $12,395 in New Mexico. Nationwide, the average pay was $8,890.

Illinois, which was the lowest in the nation in 2004 at $6,961, was the seventh lowest at roughly $7,816.

"The process by which VA adjudicates claims has potential for producing persistent regional differences in rating results," said David Hunter, who compiled the study. "For certain claims, different raters could reasonably arrive at different results."

Since reports of disparities emerged in 2005, the VA has struggled to explain them. It has largely blamed problems on demographic factors beyond its control; for instance, whether a particular state had more Vietnam veterans, who on average receive higher payments, or whether a veteran had legal help when making a claim.

But the study released to the AP found that roughly one-third of the problems could be blamed on poor VA standards and inadequate training. As a result, disability raters in VA regional offices often had too much power and discretion to decide how much pay a veteran was entitled.

The report also faulted the VA for not collecting data on certain types of claims, such as how many post-traumatic stress disorder cases are rejected. As a result, it was impossible to determine whether part of the disparity might be due to a VA office inappropriately rejecting a high number of claims for PTSD, a signature injury of the Iraq war.

Some Soldiers and veterans groups have charged that Army disability review boards, which are under the Pentagon's purview, unfairly reject PTSD claims to avoid paying disability pay. No data was available to determine whether that might be the case for the VA, the report said.

Among the findings:

·       PTSD claims generate among the highest disability pay, averaging $20,000 each year to more than 200,000 veterans. While VA staff expected PTSD claims would be more subjective from state to state, their ratings were actually more stable compared with other injuries and illnesses, such as cardiovascular problems.

·       Veterans who receive legal help or aid from advocacy groups receive on average $11,162, compared with $4,728 for those who go it alone. Currently about two-thirds of veterans get such advocacy help; the highest representation is in North Dakota (81.9 percent), while the lowest is in Maryland (44.8 percent).

·       Vietnam veterans received annual awards of $11,670, compared with $7,410 for those who fought in other wars. The lowest pay was given to Gulf War veterans - $6,506.

The report comes as the Bush administration races to improve its veterans care system following disclosures earlier this year of shoddy outpatient treatment at the Pentagon-run Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

On Tuesday, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson unexpectedly announced he would step down by Oct. 1 to return to the private sector, leaving the helm of the VA's vast network of 1,400 hospitals and clinics that provide supplementary care to 5.8 million veterans.

Both Congress and a presidential commission are considering sweeping measures that could shift more responsibility for rating a veterans' disability from the Pentagon to the VA - a move that some veterans advocates say could further strain an already backlogged VA system.

In interviews, Patrick Dunne, VA's assistant secretary for policy, planning and preparedness, and Ronald Aument, the VA's deputy undersecretary for benefits, said they welcomed the findings and would take additional measures to improve training and oversight.

Beside hiring hundreds of additional staff, the VA is beginning to collect more data on the types of claims rejected, standardizing procedures from office to office and improving collaboration with its medical personnel to ensure claims processors have enough information to make a decision based on objective criteria, Aument said.

The agency also is doubling the size of its quality assurance program - currently 15 people - to review data and audit pay outcomes on a regular basis.

A separate review of the VA system for handling disability claims is also under way to determine how to cut through bureaucratic delays, confusing paperwork and long appeals processes as thousands of veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"If we work on accuracy, consistency will in turn follow," Aument said.

VA Must Pay Agent Orange Victims

SAN FRANCISCO (Associated Press, July 20, 2007) - An appeals court chastised the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday and ordered the agency to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and contracted a form of leukemia.

"The performance of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has contributed substantially to our sense of national shame," the opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals read.

It was not immediately known how much the department would have to pay under the order or how many veterans would be affected.

VA spokesman Phil Budahn said late Thursday that officials were reviewing the ruling, and declined further comment.

The VA agreed in 2003 to extend benefits to Vietnam vets diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, known as CLL. U.S. troops had sprayed 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides over parts of South Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1960s and '70s to clear dense jungle, and researchers later linked CLL to Agent Orange.

But the VA did not re-examine previous claims from veterans suffering from the ailment, nor did it pay them retroactive benefits, which was at the heart of the latest dispute.

Thursday's opinion was on a technical matter involving whether a lower court had properly interpreted a landmark agreement in 1991 on benefits, stemming from a class-action lawsuit originally filed in 1986.

The appeals court sided with veterans groups who said the veterans were entitled to retroactive benefits.

"We would hope that this litigation will now end, that our government will now respect the legal obligations it undertook in the consent decree some 16 years ago, that obstructionist bureaucratic opposition will now cease, and that our veterans will finally receive the benefits to which they are morally and legally entitled," Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the court's opinion.

Richard Spataro, a lawyer with the National Veterans Legal Services Program, said Thursday's ruling could finally halt years of legal battles - if the VA does not appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Spataro said if researchers link other disabilities to Agent Orange the decision will prevent the VA from denying retroactive benefits for those veterans, too.

Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007

On June 29, President Bush signed HR 692 ENR “Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007.”

The legislation amended Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1, Section 7, Subsection 7(m), to authorize the Governor of a State, territory, possession of the United States, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia to order that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, possession, or in the District of Columbia in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State, territory, possession, or in the District of Columbia who dies while serving on active duty.

Additionally the legislation specifies that when the Governor of a State, territory, possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues a proclamation that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, possession, or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the Armed Forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown at half -staff consistent with that proclamation.

VA Honors, Promotes Veteran Business

WASHINGTON (June 27, 2007) - Veterans who have started their own businesses will be among award winners when the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) joins other federal agencies and contractors at a small-business conference in Las Vegas for veterans June 25-28.

“VA is proud to be among the co-sponsors of this largest national event to promote business for veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “The information exchange it will create helps VA meet one of its goals -- to enhance the economic well-being of veterans and, thereby, their communities.”

VA’s Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) also will recognize groups and individuals who have helped expand opportunities for veterans and service-disabled veterans. Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield will present awards today.

Under presidential and congressional mandates to contract with service-disabled veterans, VA’s CVE, the Army’s Office of Small Business and 11 other federal agencies are co-sponsoring this annual gathering of veterans interested in business ownership.

Scott Denniston, director of VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and CVE, will be among presenters telling prospective entrepreneurs how to win contracts from federal agencies. “This conference is a concerted effort to reach out and offer the support and exposure that veterans deserve,” said Denniston.

More than 90 experts will discuss issues facing veterans who seek business in the public sector. The veterans will be able to showcase their businesses and hold face-to-face meetings with government purchasing specialists.

All federal agencies have a performance goal of spending at least 3 percent of their prime contract funds with businesses owned by veterans with service-related disabilities, but VA is the only cabinet-level agency that has met the goal.

VA Moves to Strengthen Suicide Prevention

Washington (June 14, 2007)- To strengthen one of the nation’s largest mental health programs and continue providing world-class health care to the nation’s veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced plans to hire suicide prevention counselors at each of its 153 medical centers.

“Many veterans have paid a high price for their service to our nation and have earned world-class mental health care,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “Every suicide is a tragedy that sends ripples of pain throughout families and communities. VA health care professionals are committed to provide timely, compassionate intervention, which might help prevent this needless suffering.”

The new suicide prevention counselors will join the 9,000 mental health professionals already employed by VA. The Department spends nearly $3 billion a year for mental health services. About 1 million VA patients have a mental health diagnosis.

Nicholson previously announced a four-day meeting here in July of mental health clinicians and researchers from across the country. This special forum will review all of the Department’s programs to care for the mental health needs of veterans, especially those returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Preventing suicides requires timely access to high quality mental health services, along with programs specifically devoted to suicide prevention,” said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA’s Under Secretary for Health. “Treatment works, both to save lives and to make lives better.”

Mental health services are provided at each of VA’s 153 medical centers and more than 700 community-based outpatient clinics. Last month, Nicholson announced an initiative to hire 100 new employees to provide readjustment counseling at each of the Department’s 207 community-based Vets Centers.

VA Announces $24 Million in Grants for Homeless Programs

Washington (July 11, 2007)- Homeless veterans in 37 states will get more assistance, thanks to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) selection of 92 community organizations to receive funds for transitional housing this year.

“Only through a dedicated partnership with community and faith-based organizations can we hope to reduce homelessness among veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. "These partnerships provide safe, comfortable housing in caring communities for veterans who need a helping hand."

VA has identified the public and community non-profit groups eligible to receive payments for housing and supportive services to homeless veterans through three VA programs:

·       Fifty-three organizations will receive $10 million to provide about 1,000 transitional housing beds under VA’s per diem program

·       Thirty-six groups will receive $12 million for programs for homeless veterans who are seriously mentally, women, including women with children, frail elderly or terminally ill

·       Three organizations will receive about $2 million for various technical assistance projects.

The grants are part of VA’s continuing efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans. VA has the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country. In many cities and rural areas, VA social workers and other clinicians working with community and faith-based partners conduct extensive outreach programs, clinical assessments, medical treatments, alcohol and drug abuse counseling and employment assistance.

Much work remains to be done, but the partnership effort is making significant progress. Today, it is estimated that fewer than 200,000 veterans may be homeless on an average night, which represents a 20 percent reduction during the past six years.

More information about VA’s homeless programs is available on the Internet at http://www.va.gov/homeless.

General Abrams salutes "Songs of the Soldier" and Altissimo! Recordings

Nashville, TN (SE-Enterprises) (May 14, 2007) - According to Brig. Gen Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., (US Army Retired) the latest release from Altissimo! Recordings, "Songs of the Soldier," will doubly please supporters of the planned National Museum of the United States Army.  With the May 15 release of the album, Altissimo! Recordings honors Army heritage and history through music and support for the new museum.

"We at the Army Historical Foundation appreciate Altissimo! Recordings' continuing generosity by once again donating portions of the sales of their latest album, "Songs of the Soldier," to the Capital Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army," said General Abrams, the Foundation's Executive Director.

As a collection of time honored Army-related music, "Songs of the Soldier" is the perfect purchase for anyone wishing to also support the Museum.  "This latest release includes familiar selections that are considered an integral part of the Army's rich and varied heritage and history. The album is bound to please supporters of the National Army Museum," the general added.

The National Museum, set to open in 2013, will be the first museum to tell the story of the U.S. Army from the earliest days of the colonial militia to the present.  Located on 100 choice acres of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in the Washington National Capital Region, it will include interactive displays, first person interpretation, hands-on simulator and four dimensional experiences and the largest collection of U.S. Army artifacts, art and material culture ever placed on display.

Like the museum, "Songs of the Soldier" is a historical collection of time honored Army-related music. Featured in the 26 tracks are the unit songs from infantry, field artillery, armor and cavalry divisions, and the United States Military Academy. There are also classics such as "Yankee Doodle" and "The Ballad of the Green Berets."  The album was originally recorded in 2006 by the U.S. Army Chorus and is reproduced for public sale by Altissimo! Recordings, the world leader in military music.

Altissimo! Recordings has donated proceeds from two previous albums, "Hero for Today" and "Forward March," available for sale from the foundation's web store at www.armyhistory.org.

"Songs of the Soldier" is available at www.militarymusic.com or by calling 1-800-365-7718. The album is also available through catalog sales and all online music retailers.  Altissimo! Recordings albums are also available at hundreds of retailers including military exchanges, Borders Books and Music, and United States National Park gift shops.

New VA Advisory Panel to Improve Services for Returning Combat Veterans

Washington - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson today announced the formation of a formal, 17-person committee that will advise him on ways to improve VA programs serving veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and their families.

"This panel will report directly to me,” Nicholson said. “I am asking for their ideas and input on how VA can consistently ensure world-class service to America's newest generation of heroes, particularly severely disabled veterans and their families."

The Secretary’s announcement about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) panel, called the Advisory Committee on OIF/OEF Veterans and Families, comes on the heels of his presentation April 24 of recommendations from a presidential task force to improve services to the nation’s newest generation of combat veterans.

"A number of panels already have been asking tough questions about our programs for veterans transitioning to civilian life,” Nicholson added. “This committee, to be chaired by retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, consists of OIF and OEF wounded veterans, family members, survivors, leaders of the major veterans organizations and long-time veterans advocates.”

“This group of people have experienced war and our system of care and can advise me from first-hand experience on how we are doing and what we need to do better,” Nicholson added.

The new OIF/OEF advisory committee will hold a three-day inaugural meeting, beginning May 14 in Alexandria, Va. The committee is scheduled to discuss its general work program, future meeting dates, and plans for site visits to VA facilities around the country.

The schedule includes briefings by senior officials of VA's key programs, comments by members of the public who register in advance with the committee, discussions about "seamless transition" goals and procedures affecting combat veterans moving from the military to civilian life.

Members of the VA Advisory Committee on OIF/OEF Veterans and Families are: Lt. Gen. Barno of Washington, D.C.; Dawn Halfaker of Washington, D.C.; Lonnie Moore of San Diego; Jack L. Tilley of Riverview, Fla.; Gary Wilson of Carlsbad, Calif.; Liza Biggers of New York City; Pam Estes of Dayton, Md.; Caroline Maney of Shalimar, Fla.; Kimberly Hazelgrove of Lorton, Va.; Michael Ayoub of Ashburn, Va.; Rocky McPherson of Tallahassee, Fla.; John Sommer of Annandale, Va.; Dennis Donovan of Atlanta; Frances Hackett of South Plainfield, N.J.; Paul F. Livengood of Manassas, Va.; Tim McClain of Alexandria, Va.; and Chris Yoder of Baltimore.

People seeking more information about the committee or who wish to register to make a statement of up to five minutes should contact VA’s Tiffany Glover by e-mail at tiffany.glover@va.gov.

The Registry of the American Soldier

The National Museum of the U.S. Army recognizes the service and sacrifice of the American Soldier at home and around the world, at war and during peace.

The Registry of the American Soldier provides an opportunity for anyone who served in the U.S. Army to have his or her name and service history placed on record at the Museum. If you served, you need to be in the Registry!

You may also register the name of a family member or friend, if they currently serve, or have served in the U.S. Army, or submit someone from the past.

The Registry will be on permanent display at the Museum, and it will be accessible via the internet for those who cannot visit in person.

The Registry of the American Soldier is a publicly submitted listing of those who served in the U.S. Army. The Registry is not an official document of the U.S. Government.

The web site for the Army Historical Foundation is www.usarmyregistry.org

Points To Ponder

The views expressed in the following article were deemed interesting enough by me to include in the newsletter. I take full responsibility and the content does not reflect the opinion of the members of the Post. Please contact me if these articles offend you. – Greg d’Arbonne

Those Who Serve

Our latest generation of fighters by Michael Ledeen

I’ve spent a lot of time of late with military people, and I am reminded of Tocqueville’s observation that the best Americans generally do not go into politics or the academy; they go into business or the law or religion, and, in times of war, the armed forces.

Military people are not happy with the media or with the American public. Many of them say, I think quite accurately, that most Americans view them — the soldiers — as an annoyance. The people just want this Iraq thing to go away, they are tired of it, they are depressed by it, and they have tuned it out. Not that this undermines morale on the battlefield, mind you. Our fighters have a much better appreciation of the stakes than most of the scribblers and chatters; they have seen the terrorists at work, they know that if we fail in the Middle East, terrorism will get an enormous boost. They know that they, or their younger siblings, will have to fight again, closer to home or down home. So they do everything they are permitted to do on today’s battlefields.

I think the most impressive thing about this generation of fighters is their humanity, a point made to me by a senior official who has fought in many wars, and will soon retire. He points to the nature of the military community, which in many ways is the closest thing we’ve got to a classless society. If there is any group of Americans who truly believe in “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” it’s our soldiers. The officer corps brings some of our most talented and most fortunate sons and daughters into intimate contact with their less fortunate cohorts. Officers from wealthy families and elite universities live alongside kids from farms, bayous, and backwoods, and the sons and daughters of the rich and famous sleep, work, fight, and die with the children of the ghettos, slums and unemployed. It isn’t always that way, to be sure; the underclass kids fight their way to high rank, and some of the rich and famous leave the Ivy League and enlist, but the basic point remains: There’s little room for snobbery based on who’s your daddy, or where’d you go to school.

It works quite well, from all accounts. Our officers — this is holy writ for the Marines, but it is pretty much canonical in the other services as well — lead from the front. And the basic rule of the community of warriors is that you don’t want to let down the guy next to you. Everyone knows that, and so everyone works as hard as he can, not only to make himself worthy, but to be damn sure the guy next to him is up to the challenge. You don’t want the guy next to you to come back to base and expose your failures, and you sure as hell don’t want him to fail when you need him to save you.

So a community is created, and it’s a caring meritocracy far more than you’d imagine, certainly far more than I’d imagined before our kids headed off for Afghanistan and Iraq and we started to spend time with people in uniform, or with the parents of people in uniform. It’s totally counterintuitive, but I think it’s largely true. And it turns my stomach when the no-nothings start calling them “mercenaries,” as if they were in it for the money, and as if they were dehumanized killing machines.

Somewhere on the net I read an exchange between Milton Friedman and some general. They were arguing about the value of a volunteer Army, rather than the draft, which existed at the time. The general said he didn’t want an army of mercenaries, and Friedman hit the roof. He pointed out that, on that line of reasoning, we bought our meat from mercenary butchers, went for treatment to mercenary doctors, and so forth. There’s a big difference between volunteers and mercenaries. Our fighters are where they are because, by and large, they believe in something bigger than themselves, they have learned that you can live in a community where virtue does not equal narcissism, and they know that they are far more than a nuisance. They’re in it for all of us, and if they lose it’s going to be bad for all of us.

Machiavelli, the smartest of all of us, knew that true virtue is military virtue, because it enables virtuous people to work for the common good instead of self-indulgence.

And that is why I have a sneaking suspicion that we are going to hear a lot from this generation of fighters.