Group calls for ‘radical changes’ to Alaska Guard
Published Sunday, October 12, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — A nonpartisan veterans group issued a report earlier this month heavily criticizing the ongoing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan of the Alaska National Guard.
Veterans For America, a Washington D.C. -based group that claims its primary purpose is to assist veterans of the two wars, released the report after a weeklong trip to Alaska.
The report states the Guard was deployed into combat without the proper programs in place to care for returning troops. It puts most of the blame on “inadequate leadership,” including Gov. Sarah Palin.
At the end of 2007, 80 percent of the Alaska National Guard had been deployed overseas since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. About 140 members of the 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment are scheduled to begin mobilizing in December.
The most pressing issue cited by the VFA is a lack of access to health care, noting guardsmen in major cities have limited access to Veterans Affairs benefits and the roughly one-quarter of guardsmen who live in rural areas must spend more than $1,000 to travel to Anchorage.
“The families of Guard deployed from rural Alaska were hit very hard,” the report states. “For instance, those on public assistance lost their food stamps and Medicare eligibility when their husbands were deployed because their household income temporarily increased.”
The report also refers to “anti-Native Alaskan racism” among some Guard leaders.
In its conclusion, VFA calls for “radical changes” in the way the Guard is run, including the Alaska Native Tribal Health Care Consortium ,accepting reimbursements from Veterans Affairs and mandatory face-to-face mental and physical health screenings. The group is calling for a halt to Guard deployments until the issues can be settled.
The state’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has scheduled a press conference Monday afternoon to discuss the report, calling its conclusion “unsubstantiated.”
“We need to set the record straight,” department commissioner Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell said in a statement.
“The Alaska National Guard is a professional organization that works hard to ensure its guardsmen and families receive the highest level of care, and this report has substantial claims that need to be corrected.”
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
Community Discussion
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Complaining because they lost food stamps. They have been activated and they are earning money. Now soldiers who are not making enough can apply for WIC. It sound like to me that people are complaining because there freebees are gone. They are making money. When in Iraq there are lots of additional money added like no tax COLA,iniment danger pay Family seperation pay. I mean come on. Now I have to admit the healthcare would be an issue since Tricare is not set up for the bush. I am sure like anything else there are issues that have to be addressed. But to blindly put blame like this is uncalled for. What Racism are they talking about? I know the National Guard has assistnace to help with issues.
Our soldiers need adequate care, starting with appropriate mental health care. DJohn, in your disrespectful response, you failed to note that it was not the soldiers or their families complaining--it is veterans who are championing this issue. Frankly, any soldier who has seen combat deserves far more respect than you have shown, and more compensation than any of us ever could give.
I would have preferred to see Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell express more concern about the allegations contained in the report rather than setting the record straight. I can't imagine that the Guard benefits are any better than those of other military branches or that funding for soldiers in the Guard is any more adequate than that of other military branches.
Rockee - I agree, the fact that they are dismissing all the claims with what seems to be very little regard concerns me. Ignoring anything else the report said, the issues with health care is something that is obvious to anyone and they do need to be dealt with.
I also want to know why the DNM has ignored the death of a soldier from Alaska with extensive family ties to Fairbanks.
I knew something was amiss when I read the part about loosing "Medicare" when family incomes rose. Yes, I checked on-line: that's what it said in the report. An outside group jaunts across Alaska (Anchorage, Kenai, Fairbanks, with a day or so in the Bethel area) for a week and doesn't seem to bring to Alaska an understanding of the difference between "Medicare" and Medicaid, and they have the gall to blame the Governor for their on-going ignorance. I'm no Palinista, but I don't accept this politically expedient nostrum of blaming her for everything. Since when does the Governor control who the Feds approve for TriCare? VFA insults Alaska's veterans and citizens with their faulty logic and cruel misunderstandings.
In regards to medical health care the need is across the board with all our armed forces, not just the guard, but I am really thrown by the comments about families losing state welfare benefits because their income has increased. Isn't that a benefit? To be able to release yourself from the bonds of the state support system by earning enough income to not need that additional assistance???? Isn't that a good thing? As far as health care in the bush villages, most of them qualify for native health benefits, which is also a federally paid program, so as far as I see .. the families are medically cared for, but it's the soldiers, airmen and others that I am concerned about that are receiving adequate treatment, including the mental health needs after returning from a war zone; as well as their family/spouse requiring psychological assistance in how to deal with a returning soldier from a war zone (the nightmares, night sweats and inability to communicate what's going on in his/her head and heart.
We owe the soldiers/airmen the necessary health care after they sacrificed so much for our country! But as far as the losing food stamps that one still has me shaking my head. I think the state should continue to pursue other means to assist people from getting off those 'far too easy' handouts that keep them from striving to be self-reliant to care for themselves and their families.
Burke,
I checked the URL you posted. This is very misleading. The Oaths taken by both Officers and Enlisted in the Alaska National Guard are the same EXCEPT the member also swears allegiance to the State and the Governor. The words inserted in parentheses on the Web Site are inserted by the author (these are not in the Oath). Take these words out, and the Oath is the same.
There are MANY things that the U.S. Government can do to better care for returning Troops who make tremendous sacrifices for our Nation and our State. However, the U.S. Military was enforcing integration and has been a champion of Racial Equality since long before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
I would like to see a little more about the roots of this Organization who claims to be so concerned about Veteran's Affairs. Veterans For America - I have never heard of them. But, rest assured, I will find out. Then I will repost what I learn.
BKB
the first thing i noted in the article was the group leveling the charges is a wash dc group which to me raised a red flag. their is no draft and nobody twisted anybodys arm to join. if their are inequites they need to be adressed but if they make too much in the guard to qualify for goverment programs get a life you are expected to work for what you get. i respect the military and served my time but the rules are the rules and if you make too much to qualify too bad.
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