Away from home for the holidays

The holidays are a time of family and festivities in America, but for many soldiers deployed overseas the time can be lonely as they are away from family and friends. However, there are ways for Americans to help. Watch the following production to find out how you can help bring the holidays to the troops overseas.



By Angie and Jen.

The Journey from Soldier to Student: SGT James Ryburn Halstead III

SGT James Ryburn Halstead III joined the Army in 2003 at the age of 20, serving as a Forward Observer. Halstead has served two tours in Iraq since joining the Army. Today he spends his time in Pullman, Wash. studying construction management. Hear his story in the video below.

Obama Picks His National Security Team

Obama has just announced his National Security team, with Hillary Clinton leading the way as Secretary of state but a major concern is still the matter of pulling our troops out of Iraq. Obama's goal is to remove our troops from combat in Iraq within 16 months . President-elect Barack Obama also named Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser; Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security, Susan E. Rice as ambassador to the United Nations, and Eric H. Holder JR. as attorney general. It will be exciting to see what this team can do for our country and pulling our troops out of Iraq in the next 16 months.

Obama's Iraq Plan Meets Reality

A recent article in USA Today analyzed President-elect Barack Obama's plan for Iraq and how the economic situation of the United States will affect what he can, and will, do in Iraq.

"The decisions Obama makes on Iraq will go a long way toward determining his other policies — namely how many troops he can shift to the war in Afghanistan, which he has called a priority in cracking down on al-Qaeda, and how much money he has at his disposal to help boost the economy.

The importance is certainly not lost on politicians and ordinary people in Iraq, where they are closely watching for any sign of how Obama will act." Read More

Obama and the Future of America's MidEast Wars

With Barack Obama as the new president-elect, America's policies toward its conflicts in the Middle East are expected to change.

The Taliban asks Obama to end the war in Afghanistan.
Obama plans new approach to Afghanistan.
Iraqi politics change in light of Obama win.


And on a lighter note, here is a story about dogs who help U.S. military veterans with disabilities. Watch Slideshow

Troops React to Obama Win

U.S. soldiers voice their reactions the the recent election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. Obama will take office in January 2009 and assume the role of commander-in-chief of U.S. troops throughout America and the world. Soldiers deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq have a special interest in the president-elect. Watch Here

WSU Veteran

In light of the U.S. presidential election and the issues involved, the personal stories of the people behind the issues are easily overlooked. This is the story of one family and the impact the Iraq war has had, and continues to have, on them.



By Angie and Jen.

Our Vote...Students Voice their Opinions About the Election

Here is our video project Domineke, Duncan and I have been working on this past couple weeks. With the election just around the corner, WSU students give us their opinions on issues that are important in the election.

WSU Veterans Day Ceremony

The ASWSU Veterans Affairs Committee and the WSU Veterans Outreach Center invite you to honor Amercia's Veterans by attending the 2008 WSU Veterans Day Ceremony, Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

The ceremony will be begin in the CUB Auditorium and conclude with a wreath laying ceremony at the WSU Veterans Memorial. Coffee and pastries will be provided beginning at 9:30am.

The Candidates Stance on Iraq

Although the economy as taken precedence over the war in Iraq with the up coming election, the war is still the biggest foreign policy issue in the election. CCN wrote an article on the candidates stance including the vice presidential candidates. It includes their voting history with the war and what they think should be done in terms of withdrawing from Iraq. There are so many adds on TV that misconstrue information and this article is very helpful in understanding where the presidential candidates stand on the Iraq war and the war in Afghanistan.

The Choice

One of the better articles I have found so far was this one called the “Choice” from New Yorker Magazine. The article sheds light on many important issues and shows the opinion of both McCain and Obama. The New Yorker claims, “the Iraq war seems to leave McCain and Obama roughly even.” Obama had opposed the invasion because he knew it would be so costly and would make America not well liked. McCain is on the opposite, whereas he wants more combat brigades in Iraq. Both hold varying positions that hold positive and negative attitudes to both of themselves. McCain still argues that Obama is valuing his career over his country. However, a lot of people do not believe McCain has political strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Either way the article points out restoring foreign affairs are huge to American success. American morals need to be restored as well. “The modern Presidency is as much a vehicle for communication as for decision-making, and the relevant audiences are global.”

Why Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda Might Try to Affect the Election Between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Although we have been focusing more of how going into war will affect voters, this article is more about how something might occur prior to election time. Intelligence officials are worried that al Qaeda might try to stir up matters to hinder the election. It is likely that members will commit acts of violence against Americans, not necessarily in the United States, but where our embassies are. Some people believe al Qaeda is going to do this to get the attention back on itself rather than on the election. Members want to remind us that they still pose a threat and should not be looked upon lightly. If an act of violence was committed soon, the media would go crazy. US News claims, "such a media-amplified attack might help them with recruitment and fundraising." An attack of such would possibly be more beneficial to John McCain's campaign than Barack Obama's. While all this is speculation, I personally do find it interesting and a likely, possible event. We will all just have to sit back and see what happens in the next week.

Iraq War Fades as Election Issue

Reuters concluded earlier this month that the Iraq war has considerably faded as an issue in the quickly-approaching presidential election. The news source cites three reasons, presented by analysts, for the shift: "the riveting of public attention on the battered economy and plunging markets, the decline in violence in Iraq, and a narrowing of the candidates' differences on the war..." Read More

Check back next week for Angie's and my video broadcast about a couple of WSU students for whom the Iraq war is still a big issue.

WSU Veterans: OEF/OIF Benefits Breifing

Found on the WSU Office of Veterans Affairs website, as well as an ad in the Daily Evergreen:

Veterans Benefit Briefing, the briefing is conducted by a representative from the Veterans Outreach Center in Spokane. It discusses various benefits such as disability, Veterans loans, and other educational benefits.

This will take place Oct. 23 in CUE @ 1730

Here is a link to the WSU Office of Veterans Affairs.

GI bill expected to increase veteran enrollment

Much like Cal, the University of Arizona offers veterans help in transitioning from deployment back to college. The university recently established VETS (Veterans Education and Transition Services) which organizes all the previous programs aimed at helping veterans under one program. Student veterans will operate a newly created veteran's office. The university also offers a class for returning veterans. These resources are meant to help veterans reassimilate to college life and learn about, and utilize, educational benefits that are available to them through the government, such as the revised GI bill which offers tuition money (paid in advance at the beginning of the semester rather than doled out in small increments throughout the year) to veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001. Universities around the nation expect this revision in the GI bill to increase college enrollment among veterans. Read More

Around the Nation:
UA expects influx of veterans
Four national universities offer training to vets
Veterans write about experiences in workshop at Colorado University
Oklahoma universities prepare for more veterans
Georgetown hosts panel to discuss veteran's issues in higher education

McCain and Obama on the revision.

Economy in War

The purpose of this blog is to focus on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in relation to the upcoming presidential election. The economy has taken over as the No. 1 issue during this election season, but do the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East affect the U.S. economy? Before the United States went to war, many economists and others predicted that America would have to bear the bulk of the financial costs of the war and reconstruction. This has proved to be true, but are there broader ramifications to the U.S. economy? This study by the Council on Foreign Relations takes a look at how the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have affected the U.S. economy, for better or worse. It quantifies the cost of the wars in terms of dollars and analyzes how an increased DOD budget plays into the current situation of the U.S. economy. Read the Study

Executive Power Reaches a Limit at the Economy

I know we have been focusing a lot on how going to war affects people's votes, but what about other things? I think the economy is a huge aspect to look at as well. While the current economic situation will not necessarily sway voters, it certainly will be a major concern when either Obama or McCain is elected. People are constantly freaking out at the high cost of gas, which affects so many other elements. But in all reality this is just one small factor, our economy is suffering. While people look at Clinton's era as being very successful and Bush's as being awful, it is hard to pass judgments because of certain elements. This article pointed out that in the 2000s there have been many devastating shortfalls. For instance, employment gains have been lagging and investments are sloughing as well. The next elected president will also need to decide whether to keep on implementing Bush's tax cuts. People should be watching the debates and see where the spending is going to go. A change needs to be made, our economy needs strengthening, and somebody needs to take action.

From Iraq to Afghanistan

The situation in Iraq has improved over the course of the election, but recent escalations in violence in Afghanistan have made the country the new hot issue. The Economist compares the two situations, as well as comments from Barack Obama and John McCain regarding the Iraq-Afghanistan split. As the election nears November 4, is Afghanistan the new Iraq?

"So which war is more important: Iraq or Afghanistan? Iraq has improved markedly, thanks in part to last year’s surge of forces, while Afghanistan has worsened. Barack Obama says it is time to switch priorities: leave Iraq and focus on Afghanistan. For John McCain, “victory” in Iraq is essential." Read More

Penn State Vets

A local radio station at Penn State, WPSU, recently interviewed veterans in Pennsylvania. The veterans talked about John McCain and Barack Obama's stances on veteran's benefits and VA healthcare reform. Both candidates have pledged to reform the system and have offered healthcare proposals. The Pennsylvania veterans sound off on this issue. Listen Here

Iran and the American election

I recently found an article that deals more with Iran. It talks about how going to war with Iran could be horrible, and likewise have an affect on who is elected. I thought this was a pretty good section of the article: "A calming of tensions with Iran would by contrast make the John McCain/Barack Obama contest more likely to focus on the domestic economy, an arena where Obama would have the advantage. Any Republican strategist worth his pay-cheque would see the killing or arrest of Osama bin Laden, coupled with an attack on the Tehran roadblock to victory in Iraq, as hugely tempting in electoral terms." There were numerous other quotes from both perspectives. The article does a very good job of showing what factors contribute to who is elected. I find it very unbiased and thus very resourceful information.