A Draft Would Benefit Returning Troops

The Iraq war has been going on for approximately six years now to no avail. There are thousands of Iraqi veterans who return from extended tours of duty with significant combat wounds. In the majority of cases, the veterans who return are more significantly affected by emotional and psychological damage than physical. There is not enough mental support for the vets when they return and they should not be forced to continue their initial tours of duty for a significant amount of time.

People who volunteer to go to war all have their own reasons for doing so and most likely, none of them believe that they will be harmed severely, especially mentally, when they initially go to training and eventually to war. However, even the toughest soldiers cannot return from war exactly as they went in. The human mind and body can only take so much abuse and wear. Seeing death and destruction on a daily basis and having to kill and destroy as a job, can in no way be healthy for anyone.

The New York Times reported that there were "121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, combat trauma and the stress of deployment - along with alcohol abuse, family discord and other attendant problems - appear to have set the stage for a tragedy that was part destruction, part self-destruction." The war doesn't only affect soldiers and those close to them, but innocent civilians as well.

The killings are not, in most cases, premeditated. The veterans are haunted by nightmares and mental ghosts from the war's pain and damage. If anyone is in that environment for that long, he or she could understandably respond to a threat in a drastic way. Also, the threat doesn't necessarily have to be malicious. A veteran could respond to someone walking down the street reaching into his or her coat pocket as if he had a gun and was going to use it. This could emit an open-fire response from a mentally scarred veteran. Although their experience should not be a defense for murder, their cases are blatant evidence that the war in Iraq has gone too far and that something needs to be done about it.

There are better ways to aid these veterans than by ending the war immediately, as some presidential candidates suggest. There could be a better net of psychiatric treatment for the veterans upon their return. Hospitals and psychiatric wards need to be expanded and they need more social workers and psychiatrists. To facilitate this plan, treatment centers for veterans would need significantly more funding and aid from the government. The money that it would take to aid these suffering vets is not even close to the money that our government has very unwisely invested in the Iraq war. If the government can spend that much money on destroying people's lives while they fight for their country, they should be able to spare some more cash to help veterans return to normalcy and live happy and safe lives once more.

Another way to help the courageous men and women that volunteer to fight would be to shorten their tours of duty. By keeping the soldiers in Iraq for less time, they would be able to take a break from the death and destruction and even see their family on Christmas or their little sister's birthday. It is ironic that the same president who encourages Americans to "support our troops" is the same one who is killing and destroying our troops. Giving soldiers leave either when they need it or at least often enough to help impede the horrible impact of combat is really supporting the troops. The way that this can be easily done is to instate a draft. A draft is the most reasonable option if the government wishes to partake in this war for longer periods of time. If the government is not pulling troops out, then we will eventually run out of volunteers. Believe it or not, there is not an endless supply of 18-to-25 year olds ready and willing to go to combat. Soon, the war will either have to end, or the government will need to draft people. Although the draft is a scary thought, it is a very reasonable and very possible option. People between the ages of 18 and 25 who want the war to continue need to accept the fact that it may affect them more than they would like. Additionally, it may seem easy for women to support a draft when it seems as though they can't and won't get drafted. But there are women soldiers now, why wouldn't the government draft them too? It isn't guaranteed that a draft would include women, it is only fair that it should. That is the just thing to do. Equality for women should include a draft even though it isn't a very welcoming thought.

Some action needs to be taken, whatever action that may be, in order to relieve the Iraqi vets of their burdens and allow them to live out normal, healthy lives. If someone supports the war, then that person should support a draft to help out the remaining soldiers. And if people really support the troops, they should support a plan to help the troops recover from their devastating time in war rather than slapping overpriced yellow-ribbon magnets on their cars or flying American flags from their porches. A real patriot would stand behind the issues that he or she supports.

Weekly Columnist Alex Sanders is a 4th-semester journalism and psychology double major. Her columns appear on Wednesdays. She can be contacted at Alexandra.Sanders@UConn.edu.