No Higher Duty
By DANIEL B. BRANCH JR., National President
We are a nation at war. Our men and women in uniform
— comprising our professional
fighting force — put their lives on
the line because it is their job to
protect, preserve and defend all
that we as Americans hold dear.
Of the many costs of war, it is
the human toll that is the most difficult to bear. As of Jan. 2, the
number of U.S. military killed during Operations Enduring Freedom
in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom
had reached 5,297, according to
the Department of Defense’s
Manpower Data Center, while the
number of U.S. military personnel
wounded in action was estimated at 36,364.
We must not forget the ultimate price these warriors
have paid, nor the sacrifices of those they leave behind. It
is our responsibility as a nation to continue to care for
those who have been wounded in its service. Many of our
wounded warriors will bear the scars of battle — both
mentally and physically — for the rest of their lives.
In a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee
Jan. 27, 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates noted
that “apart from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, my
highest priority as Secretary of Defense is improving the
outpatient care and transition experience for troops that
have been wounded in combat. … Post-traumatic stress,
traumatic brain injury and associated ailments are, and
will continue to be, the signature military medical chal-
lenge facing the Department for years to come.”
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, told the Senate Appropriations Committee June 9,
“There is, in my view, no higher duty for this nation, or
for those of us in leadership positions, than to care for
those who sacrifice so much and who must now face
lives forever changed by wounds both seen and unseen.”
Several large-scale efforts — some federal, some private
and others public-private partnerships — have emerged
over the years to help address the needs of our service
members and their families. A few examples include
Operation Proper Exit, which is run by the nonprofit
Troops First Foundation; the Navy’s Safe Harbor Program;
the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment; the
Wounded Warrior Project; and the
Fisher House program.
