Afghanistan And Iraq

Vietnam veteran John Otte did his best to forget the war. He got married, raised two sons and made a career working at credit unions. But as Otte neared retirement, memories of combat flooded back. Starting in 2005, he filed a series of claims with Veterans Affairs for disability compensation, contending that many of his health problems stemmed from the war. The VA agreed, and now the 65-year-old with two Purple Hearts receives $1,900 a month for post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes - and for having shrapnel scars on his arms.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan - They fly troops into combat, drive convoys down mine-riddled roads and take part in foot patrols in the heartland of the Taliban-led insurgency. For American women serving at military bases across Afghanistan, there was nothing extraordinary about the recent Pentagon decision to lift the official ban on women in direct combat roles. "We're already here," said Army Capt. Kelly Hasselman, 28, of Broken Arrow, Okla., who commands a company of female soldiers that deployed with infantry in the southern province of Kandahar to build relations with rural Afghan women.

Rambo sounds the warning as soon as the kennel door at Bolling Air Force Base creaks open -- a ferocious, thunderous bark as loud and persistent as a jackhammer. In nearby stalls, Rocky goes berserk, spinning in tight circles like a top, and Jess, ears perked, bounces excitedly up and down. Then there's Timi. He stays silent, his head bowed, ears bent. He stands motionless, averting his gaze. Timi has always been the oddball of the kennel, "the quirky one," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy Evans, his trainer.

The impromptu tributes began on a spring day in 2007 when church bell ringers stopped their weekly practice and tolled instead for two passing coffins carrying soldiers slain overseas. The rituals ended Wednesday with a sunset ceremony, as the town of Wootton Bassett said a solemn goodbye to its unique role in honoring Britain's war dead. The bodies of slain military personnel, which had been passing through the south England market town from nearby Lyneham air base, will now return to Brize Norton military airport close to the mortuary outside Oxford and Lyneham air base is to close this year.

The noxious smoke plumes that wafted over the military base in Balad, Iraq, alarmed Lt. Col. Michelle Franco. The stench from a huge burn pit clung to her clothing, skin and hair. "I remember thinking: This doesn't look good, smell good or taste good," Franco said recently. "I knew it couldn't be good for anybody." She wheezed and coughed constantly. When Franco returned to the U.S., she was diagnosed with reactive airway dysfunction syndrome. She is no longer able to serve as an Air Force nurse.

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq: Adriana Alvarez, 20, of San Benito, Texas; private first class, Army. Alvarez died Wednesday in Baghdad of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations. She was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Adam J. Ray, 23, of Louisville, Ky.; sergeant, Army. Ray died Tuesday in southern Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

As it rapidly expands its drone program over Afghanistan, the U.S. military is turning to the technology that powers NFL broadcasts, ESPN and TV news to catalog a flood of information coming from the cameras of its fleet of unmanned aircraft. U.S. military archives hold 24 million minutes of video collected by Predators and other remotely piloted aircraft that have become an essential tool for commanders. But the library is largely useless because analysts often have no way of knowing exactly what they have, or any way to search for information that is particularly valuable.

Re "Bush Hails Victory in Iraq," May 2: In what has to be one of the most silly stunts ever staged by a sitting president, Bush burns up countless taxpayer dollars to have some low-paid, hard-working Navy aviator provide taxi service. Meanwhile, what's happening as the press gushes over this newest legerdemain of distraction? Not much -- just a huge jump in unemployment, further bombings in the Middle East, continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The mind reels at the prospect of Bill Clinton doing the same thing; The media would have had their hammers and tongs out. For the record, I support our servicemen.

Re "Uncle Sam to the liberals: I need you!" Opinion, Aug. 13 An unwillingness to participate in the killing of innocent civilians, known in military parlance as "collateral damage," is a key reason for low enlistment rates among those who consider themselves liberal. Conspicuously absent from Rosa Brooks' recruitment broadside is any mention of such killing in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Having a different sense of compassion and a stronger belief in diplomacy, liberals share with revolutionary patriot Thomas Paine a distaste for what he called "offensive war" but would doubtlessly sign up if the American homeland is imminently threatened.

An interesting juxtaposition of front-page stories on Sunday: Donald Rumsfeld is one of the most powerful secretaries of Defense ever ("Pentagon Reform Is His Battle Cry"), and the Pentagon withholds its own analysis of Liberia from the president ("Team in Liberia Sought Fast Aid"). It's good that Rummy doesn't give President Bush too much information; he's easily confused. He already can't remember why we attacked Iraq -- was it an imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction, or was it Al Qaeda connections, or was it buying uranium for a nuclear weapon, or was it bringing democracy to the people, or We're lucky to have Rummy there running the show.

Greg Valentini's room in Hollywood is bigger than a jail cell, but not by much. It's a home, though, and better than lockup. "I'm sick of going to jail," he says, telling me he can't even remember how many times he's been arrested since his second tour with the Army ended in 2004. Valentini is a tall, bulky man of 33, a die-hard Clippers fan who's fidgety as a kid. While seated on a chair, his feet tap, his weight shifts. It's as if he might run, or as if there's something in him that can't be quieted.

Pima County sheriff's deputies responding to the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had military-grade first-aid materials, which probably helped save the lives of some of the 19 shooting victims, authorities said Friday. The department held a news conference to tout the packages, which it distributed to deputies last June. Officials said they hoped other law enforcement agencies would start programs like theirs, which they say enables them to provide care in the critical minutes before ambulances arrive at shooting scenes.

Even after President Obama approved Medal of Honor awards last month for two soldiers who fought in Afghanistan, the number of such honorees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is far lower than for previous conflicts. Military veterans and at least one member of Congress have challenged the Pentagon to explain the discrepancy, and some critics have accused the military of politicizing the awards process. A study last year by the Army Times newspaper found that from World War I through World War II, Korea and Vietnam, the number of Medal of Honor recipients ranged from 23 to 29 per million troops.

The images are horrifyingly graphic: gaping, blood-gushing war wounds. The faces and voices of the military doctors display the strain of daily efforts at "damage-control" surgery as the doctors speak directly to the camera. "There are a lot of limbs lost," Air Force Maj. Mark Gunst says quietly. "The wounds are always dirty. They're always more extensive than you think they're going to be.... What it looks like on the outside may be only be the tip of the iceberg. " The images and interviews are contained in educational videos produced under a first-of-its-kind effort involving a dozen doctors from UCLA's medical school in cooperation with the Department of Defense.

The leaking of a trove of U.S. documents has put the Obama administration on the defensive about its Afghanistan policy and may deepen doubts in Congress about prospects for turning around the faltering war effort. The documents made public late Sunday by the website WikiLeaks included dozens of new disclosures about Pakistani intelligence agencies' assistance to Afghan insurgents, corruption in the U.S.-backed Kabul government, and incidences of U.S. troops accidentally killing civilians.

When Gen. David H. Petraeus took command of the war in Iraq at its low point in 2007, he sent a blunt e-mail to a fellow officer about the task ahead: "We're going to get one last shot at this and we need to make it really count," he wrote. "It's not business as usual." Petraeus could make the same statement today after being chosen by President Obama to take over in Afghanistan. Once again he is being put in charge of a faltering war by a president desperate to see quick results.

Re "Acting on their beliefs," Column One, June 22 This article illustrates the divide in this country between true Americans and those who wave the flag but only stand for intolerance and restrictions on free speech and expression. The kids "acting" to show what our brave soldiers are experiencing in Afghanistan and Iraq made me proud to be an American. The bad "acting" by the school principal and those who want to prevent others from voicing their opinions do not represent what our nation was founded for and is about.

The supine 110th Congress finally stood up and began to roar. By trying to keep lawmakers from doing what they must -- spending money to help needy people in an election year -- President Bush has created his worst nightmare: a hugely popular, hugely expensive “war” bill stuffed with goodies to delight just about everyone. Alas, it will leave the next president with a cracking debt hangover. Until now, Bush has managed to prevent the Democratic-controlled Congress from enacting most of its agenda.

As it rapidly expands its drone program over Afghanistan, the U.S. military is turning to the technology that powers NFL broadcasts, ESPN and TV news to catalog a flood of information coming from the cameras of its fleet of unmanned aircraft. U.S. military archives hold 24 million minutes of video collected by Predators and other remotely piloted aircraft that have become an essential tool for commanders. But the library is largely useless because analysts often have no way of knowing exactly what they have, or any way to search for information that is particularly valuable.

The Obama administration on Thursday released a sweeping statement of its national security goals, emphasizing a strong counter-terrorism effort but also citing the importance of government action on issues such as climate change and the economy. The 52-page manifesto, called the National Security Strategy, aims to draw contrasts with President Bush's 2006 version, which focused heavily on the anti-terrorism fight, and began by saying, "America is at war." The Obama plan says that the government campaign against radical extremism is "only one element of our strategic environment and cannot define America's engagement with the world."