Military kin split on Bush

When President Bush toured ground zero in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Donna Bramblett cried openly.

She liked that he mentioned God in his speeches. She was thankful she had voted Republican the year before.

"I am angry. I feel betrayed," said Bramblett, 41, a nurse from the small Emanuel County town of Adrian. "I won't vote for Bush again."

Bramblett plans to cast her ballot for likely Democratic nominee John Kerry, even though she and the Massachusetts senator are on opposite sides of many issues. As the wife of a National Guardsman, Bramblett cannot forgive President Bush for the war in Iraq.

As the first anniversary of the war approaches, disgruntled military families are speaking their minds on the justification of the conflict and the treatment of their husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who are risking their lives.

They say they are fed up with a war that some believe was unnecessary. They are frightened by a steadily mounting death toll. They are angered by tales of inadequate supplies — a lack of bulletproof vests, clothing or clean drinking water — for their loved ones and a belief that Bush reneged on campaign promises made four years ago to help overstretched and disaffected armed forces.

Supporters of the president, however, cite a recent Military Times poll of 993 active-duty troops that showed 56 percent backing Bush, even after a year of grueling tours and constant casualties.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said uniformed personnel and their families have traditionally voted Republican because national security is seen as one of the party's greatest strengths. But Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, acknowledged "there was a lot of discontent out there," especially among families waiting for their loved ones to return home.

"It's interesting, the men and women in uniform are so fired up," he said. "But when you talk to their spouses, that's where the problem is."

The National Annenberg Election Survey, an academic election poll, found support for Bush dropping among military families, from 62 percent in October to 59 percent in February.

Those are the people with the greatest potential for crossover voting, said Peter Feaver, a Duke University political scientist who studies military voting patterns.

"Military families are usually Republican but not solidly in the Bush camp," Feaver said. "While the morale of the soldier in Baghdad may be high, the morale of his wife in Alabama or Georgia may be the opposite."

The Web site for Military Families Speak Out, an anti-war group formed last year, is teeming with complaints about long deployments, budget cuts and "misinformation" from the White House.

"The war in Iraq has taken their loved ones from them," said Nancy Lessin, one of the group's founders. "So that is a very powerful motivator in terms of many things."

"If they know their spouse or father or child will come home, they feel better about things," Chambliss said.

The military bloc counts 2.7 million active-duty and reserve troops, 25 million veterans and roughly 3 million family members. They could be decisive in states that had close votes in 2000 and are expected to be battlegrounds again.

It's the widest opening the Democrats have had in a long time, said Diane Mazur, an Air Force veteran and law school professor at the University of Florida.

"I think there is a sense among military voters that they have been let down by the party they thought deserved their allegiance," Mazur said. "People are reconsidering that allegiance."

Barbee Smoot, a native of Blackshear, grew up in the shadow of Fort Stewart and met and married her husband there. But when Army Staff Sgt. Lawrence Smoot, now with the Fort Hood, Texas-based 4th Infantry Division, was sent off to Iraq a year ago, Barbee Smoot's political outlook changed.

"I have voted Republican all my life," Smoot said. "But I'm not voting for Bush again. He put American men and women in harm's way. And for what? Where are the weapons of mass destruction?"

About a fifth of the approximately 130,000 troops in Iraq now are Guard and Reserve forces, and the percentage is likely to rise considerably under a new rotation plan.

"My husband is trained to take care of hurricanes and tornadoes — not this," she said of the war.

"I consider myself patriotic," continued Bramblett, dressed from head to toe in red, white and blue. "But if I could talk to Mr. Bush, I would tell him about all the wives who cannot pay their bills, who cannot make it alone. And I would take my children with me so he could explain to them why their daddy is over there."

Guard families were as unprepared for Iraq as the soldiers themselves, Bramblett said. Since husband James' unit, the 878th Engineer Batallion, based in Augusta, left in June, she has cared for four children and endured difficult surgery by herself. "My husband is trained to take care of hurricanes and tornadoes — not this," she said of the war. "I consider myself patriotic," continued Bramblett, dressed from head to toe in red, white and blue. "But if I could talk to Mr. Bush, I would tell him about all the wives who cannot pay their bills, who cannot make it alone. And I would take my children with me so he could explain to them why their daddy is over there."

As the wife of a Guard member I can verify that this is a bunch of BS. If she wasn't prepared for his deployment then it is either his fault for not connecting her the with the National Guard family program called Operation Ready Families (ORF), or she has ignored the ORF attempts to get her prepared.

The ORF sends out reams of information to the families, they make phone calls, invite the family to meetings, and most units have an annual family day to get the family connected with the ORF program. As part of the ORF every time a guard member is deployed he has to go through a deployment briefing. One of the components of that briefing is information provided by an ORF volunteer in ways that the ORF can assist the families during deployments.

ORF brings in meals (whether the guard member is deployed or not) when the family is in crisis. The ORF is a listening ear when their is trouble at home, they know of resource of various kinds to assist the families. We have even has ORF member or a guard member volunteer to go out and fix a car or an appliance.

There has been situations where the designated child care provider flaked out on a single parent guard member during a deployment. The JAG and ORF set to work (with several out of country phone calls and faxes) to get the child placed with a fellow guard member's family until Mom or Dad could come home.

When 9-11 occurred the ORF program kicked it into high gear. This is the situation that the ORF was created to handle and I can verify that they have done their job and done it well. The ones that are fussing are just like the supposed WTC family members that are against Bush. They are few in number, but are being used for political purposes. Now I am not saying that the ORF is perfect, and that families can't get lost in the maze of the ORF program. But that the program is available and that it is up the the guard member and their family to get educated and connected with the ORF program.

They are angered by tales of inadequate supplies — a lack of bulletproof vests, clothing or clean drinking water — for their loved ones and a belief that Bush reneged on campaign promises made four years ago to help overstretched and disaffected armed forces.

***Sigh***...

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: John Kerry’s attacks on the President are not supported by the facts or his own record.

The truth is that President Bush has delivered support for our troops fighting in the War on Terror. The Congress passed and President Bush signed an $87 billion supplemental that gave our troops the tools that need to get the job done. President Bush has delivered for America’s troops and veterans:

• The Administration has increased military pay by more than 21 percent over three years, expanded use of targeted pay and bonuses, and improved housing for men and women in uniform.
• The Administration has implemented changes to ensure that veterans receive timely, quality medical care; more than cut in half processing time for claims; and in 2004 will eliminate waiting lists for medical care.
• The President’s FY 2005 budget for VA medical care is more than 40 percent larger than when he took office – enabling a million more patients to receive treatment.
• The President took action to make concurrent receipt benefits law for our veterans.

Senator Kerry voted against the Iraq supplemental that contains the support on which he bases his attack. John Kerry has voted against body armor for troops in combat and health care benefits for active duty Reservists and their families. Additionally, he has a long history of voting against pay increases.

Senator Kerry’s position on the War in Iraq and claims of support for the troops contradict his own voting record. Kerry voted to go to war with Iraq, and then voted against providing the troops with the tools they need to get the job done. The fact is that Sen. Kerry’s position on disarming Saddam was the same as the President’s.

On NPR in March 2003, the OLD Kerry explained his vote this way:

“I think Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction are a threat, and that’s why I voted to hold him accountable and to make certain that we disarm him.” (NPR’s “All Things Considered,” 3/19/03)

According to the House Appropriations Committee, the funds in the November 2003 supplemental that Kerry voted against included:

Force Protection—The conference report increases funds to purchase body armor Special Armor Plate Insert, to clear unexploded ordnance and to increase production of other force protection measures such as armored HMMVV’s and electronic jammers.
Tricare and Reservist Health Care Benefits—The conference report allows inactive reservist and their family members to become eligible for TRICARE health care coverage if they are receiving unemployment compensation or not eligible for any other health coverage. It also includes provisions that expands eligibility time periods for reservists and provides Medical and Dental Screening and Care coverage where appropriate.
Meal Allowances—Prohibits service members injured in combat or training from being billed for meals during their hospitalization. Makes this benefit retroactive to 9/11/2001 and provides reimbursement for those who have already paid meal charges.
Hazard Pay and Family Support—The mark includes a proposed provision which authorizes continued payment of per diem for travel of family members of military personnel who are ill or injured as result of active duty service and includes a provision to continue the increased monthly rate of Imminent Danger Pay and Family Separation Allowances through September 30, 2004.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Kerry has voted against support for our troops. During his time in the Senate, Kerry has voted at least 12 times against pay increases for service members.

• Kerry Voted Against FY 1991 Defense Authorization, Which Included 4.1R0pay raise. (H. R. 4739, CQ Vote #320: Adopted 80-17: R 37-6; D 43-11, 10/26/90, Kerry Voted Nay; “Congress Cuts Bush Defense Request, ” CQ Almanac, 1990, p. 671-687)
• Kerry Voted Against Allowing Defense Pay Increases If President Clinton’s Federal Pay Freeze Proposal Was Not Enacted. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #46: Adopted 69-30: R 31-12; D 38-18, 3/23/93)
• In 1993, Kerry Voted Against Increased Defense Spending For Military Pay Raise. Kerry voted to kill an increase in military pay over five years. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #73: Motion Agreed To 55-42: R 2-39; D 53-3, 3/24/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
• Kerry Voted Against Allowing Military Employees To Receive Cost-Of-Living Adjustment In FY 1993. (H.R. 1335, CQ Vote #98: Motion Agreed To 51-49: R 0-43; D 51-6, 4/1/93)
• Kerry Voted To Freeze Military Pay Freeze In FY 1994. (S. Con. Res.18, CQ Vote #72: Motion Agreed To 54-44: R 2-40; D 52-4, 3/24/93)
• Kerry Twice Voted Against FY 1996 Defense Appropriations Bill, Which Provided Increase Of At Least 2.4R0In Military Pay. (S. 1087, CQ Vote #397: Passed 62-35: R 48-4; D 14-31, 9/5/95; H.R. 2126, CQ Vote #579: Adopted 59-39: R 48-5; D 11-34, 11/16/95; “Defense Bill Enacted Despite Objections,” CQ Almanac, 1995, pp. 11-25)
• Kerry Voted Three Times Against FY 1996 Defense Authorization Bill. The pay increase of at least 2.4R0was also included in this measure. (H.R. 1530, CQ Vote #399: Passed 64-34: R 50-3; D 14-31, 9/6/95; H.R. 1530, CQ Vote #608: Adopted 51-43: R 47-2; D 4-41, 12/19/95; S. 1124, CQ Vote #5: Adopted 56-34: R 42-3; D 14-31, 1/26/96; “Goal Of Boosting Defense Budget Eludes GOP Lawmakers,” CQ Almanac, 1995, pp. 9-12)
• Kerry Voted Twice Against FY 1997 Defense Authorization Bill, Which Provided 3R0Military Pay Increase. (S. 1745, CQ Vote #187: Passed 68-31: R 50-2; D 18-29, 7/10/96; H.R. 3230, CQ Vote #279: Adopted 73-26: R 50-3; D 23-23, 9/10/96; “Clinton Signs GOP’s Fortified Bill,” CQ Almanac, 1996, pp. 10-33 - 10-38)

Source

(Credit goes to nikita_demosthenes for compiling this info).

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Links Below are links to groups that are actively opposing the rush to war. The United for Peace and Justice website has specific information about activities in local areas across the United States.
United for Peace & Justice	Veterans for Peace
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows	Veterans for Common Sense
Patriots for Peace	Veterans Against Iraq War
Traprock Peace Center	Citizen Soldier
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Whoops! September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows? The Kerry connection rears its ugly head once more! Who do these people think they're kidding? When will just one newspaper start doing their damned homework?