Who Bears the Burden?

A guest post by William Schofield

We commemorated a rainy Veterans Day this year as we traditionally have done. President Obama placed flowers at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. Dignitaries paid tribute to our veterans in ceremonies across the country as bands played and flags waved. More privately, old memories were rekindled when people looked at photographs, many now faded, or visited grave sites, or touched a name carved into a black granite wall. Others e-mailed those currently serving.

This year was especially poignant. The murder at Fort Hood of a dozen soldiers and one civilian by one of their own added a new and disturbing element of sorrow. Two wars grind on. The one in Iraq is perhaps approaching its end, at least as far as the need for large numbers of American soldiers goes. It seems that we will increase our involvement in Afghanistan to reverse a situation apparently sliding away from us.

Eight years of fighting have strained our forces. This reality and efforts of the services to remedy it are staples of daily newscasts. In spite of a recent expansion of the Army and Marines, members face repetitive tours in combat zones. The services have accepted enlistees who previously would not have qualified, relied greatly on the National Guard and Reserves, and, along with civilian agencies, made unprecedented, and sometimes inappropriate, use of civilian contractors. While our strained economic situation has undoubtedly helped immediate recruiting efforts, the current situation is neither sustainable nor equitable.