Posted on 01/05/2015 9:34:40 AM PST by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — While it’s a new year, one constant Americans can count on every year is its military, Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley said.
But even that constant is going through changes with the reduction in its forces coupled with fewer citizens willing to to be part of the nation’s volunteer military forces, the commander of the Army’s Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca said Saturday.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Greater Sierra Visa United Veterans Council, Ashley said, “I’m here today in a very elite company. You are part of an honored few that were brave enough to raise their right hand and take the oath to defend the idea of freedom.”
Doing so is no small task “but is taken for granted by so many Americans,” the general said. “Ours is a brotherhood and sisterhood that spans centuries.”
And the special connection makes for strong bonds “as those of any family and our culture of service and sacrifice enables us to communicate across decades and generations,” he said.
Noting while he serves in the Army, Ashley said, “I am a proud Air Force brat and equally a proud son of a Vietnam vet.”
The general added his father first served as soldier during the Korean War before joining the Air Force and his brother was an Air Force C-141 pilot, who in the 1980s was in charge of a mission to return MIAs of the Vietnam War, and had an uncle who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
“Through my years of service I have developed a great affinity for all the services with whom I have spent years with in Afghanistan, Iraq and countless other deployments, Ashley said.
Of America’s armed services, to include the Coast Guard they are all the best, he said, noting “nothing is more assuring on the ground than to look to the left or right of your formation and see United States Marines.”
Vets have a mission
But he gave the nearly 30 in attendance at the meeting a challenge, or better, an operational mission.
For those who have served and are serving they must remain visible and connected “because our numbers are growing smaller and smaller daily,” Ashley said.
Only those who have worn the uniforms of a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or Coast Guardsman know what such service means, he said, adding “It is important that we share our story and we take care of those who have served the country not only in time of wars, but peace.”
A recent Gallup Poll once again found America’s military is the most trusted group in the United States and the second most trusted were mom and pop businesses and last was Congress, the general said.
World War II saw America’s military might reach 12 million in uniform or about 10 percent of the nation’s population in the1940s, but today America’s all-volunteer military numbers “is less than a third of one percent of the current U.S. population,” the general said.
Today an estimated 1 million World War II veterans are alive but they are dying at about 500 a day, Ashley said.
“As a smaller portion of the population bear the cost of serving in the military, civilians are increasingly disconnected from the civilians we defend. That is why it is so important that each of you tell the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps stories to friends and family,” he said.
The message can be best told by veterans groups “like the ones represented here today” who understand “the hardships endured by so few, in defense of so many,” Ashley said.
Includes homelesness, suicide
And the message must includes issues such as homelessness and employment for veterans to ensure “they are not forgotten,” he said noting throughout the nation there are 50,000 veterans who are homeless, he said. Those numbers would be nearly the strength of three Army Divisions.
Veterans groups exist to help their fellow veterans and that means ensuring not only agencies which provide support but the American public as well understand the needs, the general said.
In addition to shelter, an issue of concern is the suicide rate among veterans, especially when nearly 20 veterans take their own lives every day, of which about 15 percent of them are under the age of 40 and “almost three quarters of veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50 … primarily our Vietnam generation,” Ashley said.
Veterans have always been willing to raise their hands to assist those from their ranks who need help, he said.
“I don’t know where the next fight will be. But, I do know America will be involved in future conflicts,” to which America’s young men and women will answer the call, he said.
And the general said he does know when those who fight future battles come home it will be important “to have great veteran organizations like the ones represented here today who will be looking out for their well being.”
Hard to take such an oath when Obama is C&C.
Volunteerism declines when socialism thrives. This is as true for the military as it is for the PTA.
I joined when President Reagan was President and left when President Obama was president. Wow....it sure changed a lot over the years. Thanks for your service. I still think it is a worthwhile thing for the guys especially to do.
Maybe they don’t like the idea of the free butt rapes.
Considering the oath is to the Constitution and not obama it doesn’t seem hard to me. But since Barry is screwing things up that may make a difference.
I retired in June 2013. I’m glad to be out with all the crap happening within now.
Why serve under this pResident or under the past congress.They both have abused vets by stealing benefits from them instead of cutting spending in other social programs.
Today,if I had to do it again I would say to hell with Military service.At the rate things are falling apart here we won’t have a country to defend anyway.
Maybe they can get these illegals to earn their keep by joining the military services.
I won’t be recruiting for them though.
The US military used to get a lot of white Christians. Too bad they turned against Christians and normal people to dance with the global socialists, homo perverts and Muslims.
I’m surprised the zillion Muslims, homosexuals and transsexuals represented by the US military are not banging on the doors to get in. We all know there are more socialists than there are those idiots clinging to their constitution.
Culture wars targeted against the majority of the population, have consequences. Ask Hollywierd how it’s working for them.
Constant multiple re-deployments and terrible ROEs are no incentive to make anyone join. The more crap they add on the less people will volunteer. There must be something to this, like a plot to weaken the military?? Kinda like having brown shirts in the wings waiting? (Yes I know what they were, not going there.)
Women in submarines? When this was announced I knew that the idiots were in charge.
The Left has been transforming the military from a fighting force into a jobs program for the politically correct for some time and Obama has greatly accelerated the decline of the military.
The few and the proud is becoming the politically special and the perverted. The military at one time weeded out all manner of social deviants, now it recruits them and gives them special privilege. The more the military transforms to reflect the diversity of society good and bad the more the military mirrors society good and bad.
The military should be focused on one thing alone, fighting for and defending American interests, all else is secondary. The Left is transforming our fighting force into another Leftist social experiment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.