DaveD of Gardiner, ME Rick - I have 8 years active duty and 4 years reserve in the US Navy.

My brother served in Iraq from 2004 through 2005 training Iraqi's and working entry control point. Yea that's the front line - rocket, mortar, sniper and car bomb attacks.

I think I have a good understanding of how the troops should be supported.

The war is there mission. They are essential in seeing it through. There is NO separation of troop and mission - they are married.report abuse

Rick of Winslow, ME "You claimed their war was illegal. You accused them of killing 100's of thousands of Iraqi civilians, you've put more US soldiers on trial than you have islamic terrorists...."

To be fair, Dave - the criticism has been directed toward the administration and not the troops or the military who have no say in the matter. If you have any military experience, you'd know that.report abuse

DaveD of Gardiner, ME Five years in to the war and all you people have done to discourage, minimize and ridicule the troops..... and now you are concerned about their health.

Many businesses in Maine have turned down vets for hire or worse, fired them upon their return from serving in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. Now suddenly you are interested in their health?

You've suggested these were poorly educated, rural people who couldn't afford college and decided to join the military for the money and free meals... all they were good for to you was to fill sandbags during a flood or plow roads during a big storm... now suddenly they are of such a concern to you that you'd like to find out why they die outside of combat?

Just another left-wing effort to humiliate and minimize the troops.

The real issue here is that you liberals just can't grasp the idea that someone would volunteer to serve in the Guard or regular services. It's just so far beyond your capacity to understand.

You claimed their war was illegal. You accused them of killing 100's of thousands of Iraqi civilians, you've put more US soldiers on trial than you have islamic terrorists....

Are you feeling guilty for your treatment of them? Or, is this just another avenue to critisize the war and further damage the reputation of those that served?report abuse

reader of Portland-Boston, ME "April 02, 2008
News-Journal
DELTONA -- In a rural neighborhood, a barefoot 21-year-old wearing a T-shirt and jogging pants stepped out onto a flag-draped front porch.

Sean K. Thornton, a former airman with the U.S. Air Force, is taking on retail giant Wal-Mart to get his job back after an early discharge from the military, and he has the U.S. Department of Justice on his side.

Thornton can't comment on the case, but the lawsuit filed on his behalf by the Justice Department claims the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 by failing to give Thornton his job back after the Air Force discharged him.

"No person should be disadvantaged in the workplace for serving our country in the military," Grace Chung Becker, acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement...."
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD04040208.htmreport abuse