Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 03/17/2003

Dear Sarge:
First, thank you so much for all of your good work on behalf of the military and veterans. I am a retired CMSgt from the Air Force. Recently I have been communicating with several active duty military folks who are supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and or serving in the Gulf region because of Iraq. However, something very disturbing has recently developed. Our troops have been receiving anonymous pop up emails from individuals and groups in the United States calling the troops "baby killers”, Bush's Bandits, the real axis of evil - The U.S. Military, Bush, and Rumsfeld, etc. I don't have to tell you what kind of an effect this could have on morale at this crucial hour.

As a Wounded Vietnam Veteran who faced this same terrible tripe upon returning home ( I was hit in the head with a rock while laying on a stretcher being delivered to the Travis AFB Hospital.), the American people need to understand that only the Congress and the President set foreign policy or start wars, the military is only one of many instruments used.

People have a right to dissent, that is part of a healthy democracy, in fact, many of us fought for the right for our people to do this, but using the internet as a anti-war weapon against our troops is just flat wrong. I don't know if anyone else has written to you about this, but I just wanted to express my displeasure and concern how this type thing could affect troop morale, especially when in the middle of an email message by one of our soldiers to a loved one, a hate military message pop up appears.

I just wanted to express myself about this issue and thought you might like to hear about it. Thank you very much Serge for your time.

Sincerely,
Robert W. , CMSgt, USAF (Retired)

Dear Robert,
The poignant words of fellow combat vet, George Skypeck in his poem “Soldier” should ring loud and clear in their ears.

I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness ... should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of fear, and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.
I have cried, pained, and hoped ... but most of all, I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.
At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I was ... a soldier.
I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do.

I asked nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness ... should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of fear, and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.
I have cried, pained, and hoped ... but most of all, I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.
At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I was ... a soldier.

The President and Congress should take the necessary steps to stop the harassment of our troops via the information highway. In addition, when our men and women return home and begin attending colleges, they should be protected from harassment. Congress should pass strong legislation to prevent discrimination because of military service. 

Shaft Kudos
Congratulations to the House Veterans Affairs Committee for being honored for the design of their web site (http://veterans.house.gov). It has been honored by the Congress Online Project as one of the very best Web sites among all 610 congressional Web sites reviewed. In a comprehensive report issued this week, the Committee Web site received a grade of "A", making it one of 26 sites to receive a "Silver Mouse Award."

In the report "Congress Online 2003" (www.congressonlineproject.org), the Veterans' Affairs Committee Web site was cited as, "a user-friendly Web site filled with information about veterans' benefits and offering key services online. This content-driven and content-rich site serves veterans, Members, and staff alike."

"Last year, we set out to redesign our site in a manner that provided comprehensive and timely information targeted to our core audience of veterans, veterans' organizations, Members of Congress and other agencies involved in veterans issues," said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. "It is gratifying to see our efforts have been successful as recognized by an independent panel of experts," he said.

The Committee's Web site contains over 2,200 pages of information about the activities of the Committee and detailed information about veterans' issues, legislation, benefits, and news. The Web site also acts as a portal for other Web sites of interest to veterans. In order to improve its usability, a new navigation system was developed last year that puts the most sought after information within one or two click access of the homepage.

"One of the primary functions of our Committee is to act as a bridge from Congress to America's 25 million veterans," said Chairman Smith. "Our Web site has become a key component in facilitating communication between persons, agencies, and organizations working to improve the delivery of benefits and services to our veterans," Smith said.

The Congress Online Project is a two-year (2001 - 2002) program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and conducted jointly by the George Washington University and the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) to examine the use of Web sites and other forms of online communications by congressional offices. After rigorously reviewing all 610 Member, standing committee, and leadership office Web sites, they awarded 16 "Gold Mouse Awards", 26 "Silver Mouse Awards" and 33 "Bronze Mouse Awards" this week.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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