When young American men and women sign up to serve in the US military, our government makes a basic promise to them: that if they are wounded in the line of duty they will get the care they need. Unfortunately, for tens of thousands of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, that's a promise that only exists on paper.
Specialist Joshua Casteel: Abu Ghraib Interrogator Meets With the Pope
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Sergeant Todd Bowers: While I Was in Iraq, My Student Loans Were Sent to Collection
Sergeant James Dean: Afghan Vet Shot by Maryland State Troopers
Podcast URL:
http://warcomeshome.org/podcast
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This panel will cover how war policy in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to a weakening of the U.S. military. Testimonies will include the lack of training and equipment for the troops, overuse of military personnel in multiple deployments and the record number of officer resignations.
Former US Army Captain Luis Montalvan served two tours in Iraq. Before joining the officer corps in 2003, Montalván spent over a decade as a communications specialist, military policeman and infantryman in the enlisted ranks, having joined the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday in 1990. He personally witnessed the September 11th attacks in New York. He currently lives in Brooklyn.
Former Lance Corporal Matthew Howard served in Iraq. He says: "I find it amazing how people refuse to acknowledge that I actually went through a war. Society does not allow us any time to sit with what we just went through. Since getting out I have been constantly forced to justify my life to friends and family, they need to know the plan - what's next." Howard grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Vermont.
23 year old Lars Ekstrom is a former Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. While he was in Iraq, his commanding officer pulled a gun on a female member of his unit and asked her where he could find sexual gratification.
Kristofer Goldsmith is a former US Army Sergeant who has stop-lossed and sent on a second, 18 month tour to Iraq just before his service commitment was set to expire. Just before his deployment was set to start, he attempted suicide – after which the Army kicked him out with a “dishonorable discharge.”
Daniel Fanning of Superior, WI is a former transportation specialist with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, who was deployed to Iraq December 2004 to December 2005.
Steve Mortillo served in the US Army near Samarra Iraq from February 2004 until February 2005. He completed over 500 combat missions in Iraq and his platoon took heavy casualties. Mortillo says the memory of his friends that drives me. He lives in Pennington, New Jersey.
Selena Coppa is a Military Intelligence Sergeant in the U.S. Army, a patriot, and a mother. She will be testifying at Winter Solider about the breakdown of the military in recent years due to mismanagement in Iraq and beyond. She is in charge of active duty outreach and blogs from Active Duty Patriot.
