The outgoing US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has confirmed whispered rumors that the United States military is participating in talks with Sunni militias in an effort to turn the militias against Al-Qaeda groups operating in Iraq. The potential alliance between militias and the US military may signal a shift in the mindset of the Sunni militias that have been responsible for much of the continued violence in Iraq. For years the militias have been reluctant to work with the US military because their chief demand had been the immediate withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. This new alliance is possible evidence that the goal of the militias has shifted to fighting Al-Qaeda and ridding Iraq of the terrorist organization.

Al-Qaeda has been responsible for series of attacks in the Al-Anbar province of Iraq. Al-Qaeda has been actively intimidating Iraqis in the Anbar region through murder and kidnappings. US and Iraqis forces have launched an aggressive operation in the region to combat Al-Qaeda groups. An alliance with the Sunni militias would be an additional weapon in the fight against Al-Qaeda and its efforts to undermine security in Iraq.

What is so interesting about this alliance is that is demonstrates how far Iraqis are willing to go to defend their newly free country. That same determination has not been demonstrated by the political leaders of this nation. Sunni Iraqis who are feeling excluded form the Shiites dominated government and who still want the US to leave Iraq, are willing to set aside their differences in order to fight against the real enemy…Islamofascists who see a US defeat in Iraq as an opportunity to further their war against freedom and impose their own twisted views on the rest of the world.

It has taken years of violence, but perhaps this conversion of certain militias is a sign that the Iraqi people are finally prepared to take responsibility for the security of their country. Sunni militias that have fought so aggressively against our troops are turning their weapons against the terrorists who have moved into Iraq. Al-Qaeda is operating in Iraq, undermining our efforts, prolonging the violence and the suffering of the Iraqi people for its own perverted ideological goals.

As Americans, we must acknowledge that it is both eye opening and disturbing that our military can get the support and cooperation they need to defeat terrorists bent on our destruction from their former enemies, but not from the political body that sent them to Iraq in the first place.

After years of waiting and being ignored, attention is finally being focused on the dismal treatment of our wounded service members in government hospitals.  While these men and women bear the visible scars of their time in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, there are other veterans who are suffering in silence, carrying scars that can’t be seen. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the lingering effects many of our troops are facing after serving their time in war. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs has estimated that between twelve and twenty percent of troops who served in Iraq are now experiencing some degree of PTSD.   Service members who suffer from PTSD can be experiencing emotional numbness, isolation, depression and substance abuse.  Individuals with PTSD can be functional, living their day to day lives without any significant visible disruption, or they can be truly handicapped and unable to function normally.  Many troops with PTSD experience marital difficulties often leading divorce.  They may also experience instability in their careers and professional lives. 

With the current upsurge in troop deployments to Iraq to support the current security crackdown, many service members are facing a second and even third deployment to a combat zone.  These repeated deployments increase a service member’s risk for developing PTSD. 

Troops facing PTSD may not be seeking the help they need.  The American Psychological Association estimates that of the troops who meet the criteria for the disorder fewer than forty percent seek help.  There may be a number of reasons for this low rate of professional treatment for PTSD.  Many service members may fear the stigma of admitting that they need psychological help.  They may fear condemnation by their fellow combat vets.  They may fear that having PTSD is a sign of weakness.  As a result, many of our troops who need help dealing with the horrors they have experienced may not be getting it. 

The Defense Department is responding to the needs of our troops by sending mental health teams into the field to monitor our service members.  The military has also started a new program to screen troops three to six months after they return home from deployment.  It is important that our military and our healthcare professionals actively reach out to our vets and let them know that help is available.  They do not have to suffer in silence.  Our troops have gone through so much to protect this nation, it is imperative that we do out part to protect them.  

Our troops serving in combat zones know first hand the dangers they face.  The threat of injury and death is with them everyday.  When service member is wounded, their life changes forever.  Our wounded troops may face unexpected personal and financial hardship when they return home.  Their families also face the sudden upheaval of caring for their wounded loved one.  The challenges these brave men and women face are massive and it may be difficult for them to find someone to help. 

Operation First Response is an organization that is dedicated to easing the burdens faced by our wounded heroes and their families.  Starting at the combat hospital in Iraq or at the Army medical hospital in Germany, Operation First Response has member ready to come to the aid of a wounded service member.   They provide backpacks to the wounded troops filled with a change of clothes, hygiene products, calling cards and a hand made blanket. 

When our wounded troops return home, Operation First Response continues to be there to offer support and practical assistance.  Operation First Response will fly family members to military hospitals to meet up with their loved ones.  They will also provide transportation for troops and their families f they are going to a non-military hospital or rehabilitation facility.   Operation First Response also frequently visits military hospitals to deliver calling cards, groceries, hygiene items and books to wounded troops. 

Operation First Response is also available to provide financial assistance to wounded service members and their families.  Wounded troops may fins themselves facing unexpected and overwhelming financial burdens.  Family members may be far from home and may have had to give up their jobs or have to pay hotel bills to stay with their loved ones as they recover.  Operation First Response can help with utility bills, car payments, groceries, clothing and transportation.  Wounded service members can contact Operation First Response in a private manner to request assistance.  Operation First Response can also help put wounded troops in touch with organizations that can provide long term financial assistance or monetary grants. 

Operation First Response is always in need of donations to continue their work on behalf of our wounded heroes and their families.  Operation First Response accepts tax deductible monetary donations as well as donations of airline miles, hygiene items and items for their backpacks.  Please visit their website at www.operationfirstresponse.org for more information on this amazing organization.

I have a friend who is a former Marine Corps officer.  He served two combat tours in Iraq at the start of the war.  He fought in Fallujah and Baghdad.  When he returned from his second deployment he got out of the Marine Corps.  He is married and the father of two adorable little girls.  His youngest daughter is only seven months old.  After leaving the Marine Corps, he and his family moved back to their hometown in Texas and settled into a “normal” life.  His wife and children are getting used to having home for dinner every night and the war has become a memory for them.  Just yesterday he received a letter from the Marine Corps telling him to report for screening next month.  The Corps is calling him back to active duty and most likely sending him on a third deployment to Iraq. 

This week the Marine Corps sent out letters calling up 1,800 Individual Ready Reserve Marines for service in Iraq.  This is the largest involuntary recall of IRR Marines since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The Marine Corps expects that of the 1,800 called up approximately 1,200 will resume active duty.  There are mitigating circumstances built into the call up including family issues, medical issues or failure to pass the screening.  IRR Marines can be delayed, deferred or exempted from returning to active duty. 

The Marine Corps is targeting specific military occupational specialties for this call up.  They are focusing on the fields with personnel shortages.  These areas include:  aviation maintenance, logistics support, communications, intelligence and military police.  Only Marines in their second or third year of IRR are being recalled.  Marines who have recently left the Corps and who are in their first year of IRR duty are being exempted.  The Marines who have been called up are scheduled to report for screening in April.  Those selected to return to active duty will face one year of additional active duty starting in October.  These Marines will most likely be deployed to Iraq in early next year. 

My buddy has his letter.  He is already making plans to return to duty.   He doesn’t know what unit he will go to or when he will deploy, but there is no question that he will answer the call.  His country has asked for his service and he is ready to give it.  His family will stand by him, they will wait and hope and pray that he comes home safely.  He may have left the Marine Corps but he is still a Marine.  Semper Fi and God speed, my friend.