By Sen. Edward Kennedy / Guest Columnist
Saturday, May 29, 2004
On this stressful Memorial Day, we honor all those in our armed forces who fought for our country to keep it free and defend the ideals that make America strong. These brave men and women are the best of America and they have the well-deserved gratitude of our nation, regardless of our political persuasion.
The nation could pay no finer tribute to the courageous Americans who have lost their lives in past wars than to take immediate steps to reduce the burden on our troops of the current war in Iraq.
Our failure to plan adequately for winning the peace has placed a heavy strain on our military and on their families here at home in Massachusetts and across the country, waiting and praying for their return.
As of May 26, 2004, 798 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq, 24 of them from Massachusetts. Another 4,682 have been wounded.
The war is costing us $4.7 billion every month. More than a quarter of our forces in Iraq and nearly half of our forces in Kuwait are reservists. As of the end of April, 16 of our 33 active duty combat brigades were serving in Iraq. Serious problems of stress are temporarily being masked, because the Army is currently operating under a stop-loss order that prevents troops from leaving active duty for 90 days after returning from Iraq, and reservists are being barred from leaving the military.
As far back as last January, one general stated, "I have been in the Army 39 years, and I've never seen the Army as stretched in that 39 years as I have today."
The sad reality is that the administration has been unprepared since Day One for the level of violence and disruption that our troops face in Iraq. The insurgents are increasing the size of their bombs and future attacks, while we still struggle to protect our troops. The administration, another general states, is not getting the needed protection to our troops in the field fast enough.
For months, our forces were sent out on patrol Iraq in canvas humvees because the Army did not have the armor-plated version. Soldiers went into battle without the body armor they needed. In some cases, those shortfalls continue to this day. I hope I never hear a report again that family members on the home front are so alarmed by the shortage of needed equipment that they are desperately buying body armor in local stores to mail to their loved ones in Iraq.
These are the cold hard facts. They cannot be glossed over. They speak to the urgent need to involve the international community in Iraq in an effective way.
Our prayer on this Memorial Day is that help will be on the way as soon as possible, and that one day soon, Iraq will be at peace, and that no more of our sons and daughters and loved ones will have to give "the last full measure of devotion."
With all the drownings from vehicles falling into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, you would think he would be pressuring the Army to provide each soldier with a personal flotation vest.