On Memorial Day, Americans remember those who fought and died for their country. Today, on Veterans Day, we also commemorate and honor those who served in the U.S. armed forces.
Their service is, of course, no less valiant for their having lived through it. Indeed, service in war is often difficult to survive, especially for those wounded for life. It is thus appropriate and fitting that, earlier this year, a monument was finally constructed in Washington to honor those who made that great, lifelong sacrifice for their country.
Most servicemen and women — even those who serve in wartime — never personally face the enemy on the field of combat. But Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to every person who served honorably. From the toughest special forces commandos down to the lowliest private washing dishes on base in Alabama, all play a part in making the world’s greatest military what it is. And the importance of their service should be clear to hawks and doves alike. Americans live amid a sort of peace and political stability that most of the world’s population has never experienced. As Islamic State fanatics rain death down upon much of Syria and Iraq, Americans should keep in mind that they could be in the shoes of the victims but for America’s military might.
Unfortunately, politicians in Washington have placed great pressure on the military since the turn of the century. This includes two lengthy foreign wars and, at the moment, indiscriminate budget cuts (known as “sequestration”) that fall equally upon wise and unwise uses of Pentagon funds.
Worst of all, the federal government has not lived up to its commitment to honor the service of veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has recently become one of America’s least trusted agencies, and for good reasons.
The most infamous scandal involved VA employees gaming the agency’s computer systems so they could create the appearance of meeting performance goals and thus receive bonuses. Meanwhile, veterans languished without care. Subsequently, it has been revealed that a top White House aide pressured the agency’s independent inspector general to exonerate the agency for the many deaths that VA neglect might have caused.
Even before the big scandal in Phoenix, VA management was caught rewarding failure, granting huge bonuses to hospital executives who were failing to get veterans timely care, who hid major disease outbreaks in their facilities, and who retaliated against whistleblowers, the only people standing up for veterans.
The VA’s immediate response to the avalanche of scandals has been completely insulting both to veterans and to taxpayers. In classic Washington style, the agency has “fired” officials who were about to retire or who had in fact announced their retirement already.
The deep corruption at the VA has not been rooted out, and it represents an ongoing betrayal of America’s finest and bravest. It cannot go on. This is not a partisan issue — it should be one of the first things the new Republican Congress and President Obama tackle together in January.
