Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan

Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan

consists of a growing number of veterans committed to showing Congress and the public the realities of the war. These vets have been traveling to Washington, D.C., testifying before Congress and meeting with Senators and Representatives. Their message: Rethink U.S. foreign policy to include non-military solutions for the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

                                       
ABOUT THE VETERANS:

Rick Reyes was born May 3rd, 1980. He grew up in the Boyle Heights area of East Los
Angeles. Reyes joined the Marine Corps in 2000. He signed up to be an Infantry Rifle
Man in the Marine Corps while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan
in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He returned from duty early 2004. Upon
his return Reyes started his own independent mortgage company. Father of 3 year
old Stephanie, today he resides in Los Angeles.

Jake Diliberto was a Marine Cpl. Who served with the 26th Marine Expeditionary
Unit during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and served on security forces
for II MEB in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. After serving in the Marines Jake
has finished his B.S. in Political Science from Illinois State University. Jake has
served on several political campaigns including President Obama’s democratic
primary campaign and currently is continuing his studies at Fuller Theological
Seminary in ethics and religion. Jake has finished his M.A. in Theology & Ethics
as of 2009 and is pursuing law school for 2010.

Devon Read was a Sergeant in the US Marines before he got out in 2008. He
deployed to Iraq for the invasion of 2003 and then to the Horn of Africa in 2006.
He believes that our continued occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan do nothing to
help our national security and cause damage to our image around the world. He
still has a number of friends in the Marines and does not want to see them continue
to be put in danger for policies that do nothing to improve or protect American lives.

Robert L. Hanafin

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.