2009 – The Year of the Military Family
I just received this legislative alert from
Bobby Muller of Veterans for America.
Though I passionately support the
legislation, I do not endorse Blue Star
Families due to their past tradtion of
exclusionary policies meaning one has to
drink the pro-war cool aid in order to be a legitimate member of this organization, thus not liking cool aid, I took down our blue star banner. Despite that, if any Veterans of Military Family support organization does the right thing, I’m all for that regardless if I endorse them or not.
Working with Blue Star Families, Veterans for America members, that’s me, are not only getting behind this Year of the Military Family but endorsing a Military Family survey of attitudes that my military family personally took in order to review it for partisan political stands. We liked what we saw, and the nature of questions asked had nothing to do with a military families questions or views on the war(s) pro, con or otherwise. The total focus is on questions surrounding burdens placed on military families to include military retirees.
The definition of military family goes far beyond the much narrower and traditonal view of military families only being career oriented families. YOU are the member of a military family if you have ANYONE in the Armed Forces and can relate to the Global War on Terror regardless if you believe there is one or not.
I strongly endorse this Blue Star Family survey and sincerely ask that members of Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and most other veteran and military family organizations and groups excluded by Blue Star families please set aside our differences with this partisan pro-war group and TAKE THIS SURVEY.
Robert L. Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
Call to contact your U.S. Senators to pass The Year of the Military Family bill and take the Military Families concerns survey.
In the wars that America has been fighting since 2001, almost two million soldiers, marines, sailors and members of the Air Force from our all-volunteer military have served in Iraq and Afghanistan with courage and valor.
Less visible, but no less honorable, are
the sacrifices made by America’s military
families. The spouses, children, parents,
and grandparents of our men and women
in uniform endure sleepless nights and a
nagging dread lurking behind the quiet
pride in their loved ones who are serving
overseas.
It is in this spirit that the House voted
422-0 to pass H. Con. Res. 64 which
encourages President Obama to declare
2009 "The Year of the Military Family."
Formal recognition — and programs to address the needs created by — the sacrifice of the 2.9 million military spouses and 1.3 million military children, and millions of military parents is long overdue.
We at Veterans for America urge the Senate to pass this legislation.
V/R,
Bobby Muller
President
Veterans for America
P.S. Our organization and others have done extensive research about the needs of our returning servicemembers through initiatives like our Wounded Warrior Outreach Program, but much less has been done about the needs of our military families. Blue Star Families is conducting an extensive survey of the needs of military families. These results will be presented to the Obama Administration and Members of Congress. If you are a member of a military family please fill out the survey, or if you know someone who is please forward this email to them.
Robert L. Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
Military Families Speak Out – Ohio
Let’s encourage all military families to speak out and this survey from Blue Star Families is a giant step toward that.
Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.
My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.
Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.
I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.
I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.
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