Following up on Following up on her remarks at yesterday's hearing, Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting Aliquippa, Pa. today where she outlined her plans for the military including ways to reduce stress on individual members of the armed forces and end the stop-loss policy. "Among combat troops sent to Iraq for the third or fourth time, more than one in four show signs of anxiety, depression or acute stress, according to an official Army survey of soldiers’ mental health," Clinton said. "It is vital for our national security -- and for the health and safety of our men and women in uniform -- that we end the war in Iraq and begin to rebuild our military."
Her plan includes measures to ensure that for every month spent in the field soldiers are guaranteed one month at home, forcing the Department of Defense to abide by its contracts with soldiers, and improving physical and mental health programs for veterans as well as education benefits. She also promises that, as president, she would convene senior military officials and direct them to create a comprehensive plan and timetable for withdraw.
After yesterday's report and questioning, it's refreshing to hear these plans coming out of one of the potential new bosses in the White House. How different things might be so very soon.
--Kate Sheppard
