Thank you Veterans

I wanted to use todays post as an opportunity to thank my brothers in arms, as well as all those who have gone before us. Especially my grandfather Bill Thomas who served in the U.S. Navy in WWII and was in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest surface engagement in naval history. Thank you Grandpa. Also, my grandfather Paul Hannon who served in the U.S.M.C. in the Pacific in WWII and was on Iwo Jima. Can't forget my Uncle Junior, who served with distinction in Vietnam. If you know a veteran keep them in your thoughts today, as well as all those now serving in far-away places.

Since the advent of the all-volunteer military in the early 80's an ever dwindling segment of our population has shouldered the burden of keeping our country free and safe from attack. Twelve percent of the United States population served in uniform during World War II. During the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the percentage has shrunk to one-half of one percent. Of course the scope of the conflicts is smaller, but they have both lasted longer than WWII. These wars are different, there is no front line, the combatants are not readily identifiable, and our enemies employ unconventional tactics requiring troops to be on guard at all times. This is driven home by the recent terrorist attack at Fort Hood, Texas. The upshot of this is that people who serve now can expect multiple deployments to one of the two combat zones. As a national guardsman I have been deployed three times in the last 5 years, and anticipate an additional deployment in the next two years. These deployments result in multiple separations from family, friends, jobs and other daily components of a normal life. Coming back can be difficult. Things are often not what we expected them to be. Some veterans deal with these stresses in unhealthy ways.

In my practice I have represented veterans in cases involving drug addiction and substance abuse, drunk driving, domestic violence and a variety of other crimes that are directly influenced by the stress of repeated deployments, combat, and separation from family and friends. Many of these veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or related difficulties. How do we, as a society, deal with servicemen in these situations. Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address pledged, "to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan." How can the criminal justice system uphold Lincoln's pledge, while still providing equal protection under the law to all who are charged with a crime? Some jurisdictions have recently established special branches of their courts to deal with veterans who are charged with crimes. These courts are analogous to other courts set up to deal with specific types of cases like drug courts or mental health courts. These veterans courts are premised on acknowledging the special challenges faced by returning servicemen and women, and attempting to address the basis for the crime instead of just the crime itself. This is accomplished through close cooperation with the Veteran's Administration and the military branches, as well as local mental health resources. This task is further complicated by the hesitance of many veterans to acknowledge or seek help for the problems they face. It is anathema to the image of the "hardened combat veteran" to seek help. It is a perceived acknowledgement of weakness, and that is sometimes a difficult hurdle to overcome. This is a topic I will be writing more about in the weeks to come.

One of my favorite quotes, from John Stuart Mill, "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than his own personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Thank you Veterans.