A New Low—Insulting Our Troops to Score Political Points

A New Low—Insulting Our Troops to Score Political Points

As Election Day draws near, the campaign rhetoric has certainly heated up and in many instances turned negative. Last week, Senator John Kerry insulted the brave men and women of our armed forces who are serving in Iraq. He later tried to deflect criticism over his remarks and claimed his statement was a botched joke intended to demean the president's intelligence.

Speaking at a campaign rally, the senator told the audience, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Days later, after tremendous criticism and pressure, Kerry apologized. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. I am appalled and dismayed that he would stoop so low as to insult the intelligence of our troops in order to score political points over the war in Iraq. His assertion could not be further from the truth.

Our all-volunteer force is comprised of brave men and women who have answered the call to serve their country; they are not serving in the military because they didn't do well in school. According to the Department of Defense, over 90 percent of military recruits have a high school diploma—a credential held by about 75 percent of their peers.

The House Armed Services Committee released the following statistics last week:

• 97.2 percent of the men and women deployed to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have held a high school diploma or more. Virtually all active duty and reservists accessions (99%) had a high school diploma or equivalent, well above their civilian counterparts (80% of the 18-24 age group).

• 92 percent of active duty officer accessions and 96 percent of the officer corps held college degrees, with 15 and 38 percent of those degrees being advanced degrees, respectively.

• The individuals who volunteer to serve our country come from the upper level of high school graduates and routinely score above average on qualifying tests.

• The United States Service Academies are renowned for their exceptional and robust academic standards, as well as the rigorous competition for the limited number of available slots per year. For example, 9,601 individuals applied for admission to the Air Force Academy's 2009 class, and only 1,390 were admitted. Of that group, the average SAT score was 1295; the average SAT score for all college-bound seniors in 2005 was 1028.

Clearly, the men and women who serve in our armed forces are among the best and brightest of the United States. When I made my second trip to Iraq this past August and had the privilege of visiting with our troops, none gave the impression that they believe they are "stuck in Iraq." We should honor their service and sacrifice—they are bravely fighting terrorists in Iraq so that we never have to fight them here.

This week Americans will pause to commemorate Veterans Day, an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have served in America's armed forces and honor the courage and sacrifice of those who continue to serve today.

It is important to remember and honor the efforts and sacrifices of the veterans of long-ago conflicts, but it is equally necessary that we work to provide the best care and resources possible for our current military veterans.

The House of Representatives has been working diligently on behalf of veterans throughout the 109th Congress. The House has increased veterans spending by 18%, an increase of $12 billion, to approximately $78 billion for fiscal year 2007. Veterans medical care funding has increased by 16% as well as a 6.3% increase for mental health care. The House has passed provisions increasing the cost of living for veterans and survivor benefits by 2.6% in fiscal year 2007.

Additional accomplishments in support of veterans include:

• Enacting the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, which prohibits demonstrations at military funerals held at national cemeteries.

• Boosting GI bill benefits 59% since 2001.

• Doubling VA home loan guarantees. In 2004, Congress increased the maximum VA home loan guarantee to $417,000, an increase of more than 70%.

• Increasing Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) to $400,000 in 2005.

• Enacting the $22 billion concurrent receipt benefit. In 2004, Congress approved a concurrent receipt benefit for veterans to provide over $22 billion to more than 250,000 disabled military retirees over the next ten years. Effective January 2005, a retiree rated 100% service-connected can receive their VA disability and military retirement benefits concurrently.

Spending to assist our veterans has more than doubled since 1995. In fact, spending has increased from an average of $923 per veteran in 1984 to more than $2,934 per veteran in 2006.

For the men and women who have done so much to protect this nation, I would like to say thank you, not only for me, but for my family, friends, and constituents who continue to live in the peace and freedom for which our troops fought so bravely and continue to defend.

My staff and I work for you. If we can ever be of service, do not hesitate to call my office toll free at 1-800-288-8721.

http://bonner.house.gov/HoR/AL01/News/Columns/A+New+Low+Insulting+Our+Troops+to+Score+Political+Points.htm