Among veterans, 64% say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting considering the costs versus the benefits to the United States, while 33% say it was. Ten years after the United States went to war in Iraq, one of the most common numbers associated with the conflict is the tally of Americans killed: nearly 4,500. The "Obama lost" narrative also glosses over the fact that our withdrawal in 2011 was mandated by the Status of Forces Agreement signed by the Bush administration and Iraqi government in 2008. See why nearly a quarter of a million subscribers begin their day with the Starting 5. This narrative ignores that while the surge yielded some tactical victories, it did not end the sectarian conflict unleashed by the invasion that empowered Sunni jihadis and Iran-backed Shiite militias. In recognition of Veterans Day 2020 NCVAS developed an online story, Veterans Day 2020: Honoring the … The overthrow of Saddam's regime, as ghoulish as it was, removed a check against Islamic radicalism and was a clear victory for Iran, Iraq's chief rival at the time. Many Iraq War veterans have returned home and now have mental or physical impairments. One of the many terrible results of U.S. troops being in Iraq is the over 100 service members at al-Asad who suffered traumatic brain injury during the missile attack. My stomach turned as I thought about what those on the receiving end of the barrage were experiencing. As a result, everything we have done since 2003 has been an attempt to mitigate the consequences of the invasion. The Iraqi government agreed to let large numbers of American troops return to Iraq only after the rise of ISIS in 2014. Keeping military forces in Iraq after December 2011 could have put us into conflict with the Iraqi government, which the United States created and supported. What is a sample Christmas party welcome address? To continue reading login or create an account. 200,000? You have 4 free articles remaining this month, Sign-up to our daily newsletter for more articles like this + access to 5 extra articles. According to the Defense Manpower Data Center, nearly half, or 977,542, of those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan have been deployed more than once. During the Gulf War in the 1990s, 21 percent of veterans who served filed disability claims, the number for Vietnam War veterans falls even lower. According to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), there are more than 1.7 million veterans who served in one of these two countries ‘“ most of them aged between 17 and 25 years (41%). 550,000? Share. well during the invasion we sent 148,000 personal the war lasted 8 yrs and 8 months so over the period of time we would be sending thousands of more soldiers and also soldiers would be … 300,000? 1.7 million. On the night of January 7, my phone buzzed with news alerts that Americans in Iraq were under attack by Iranian missiles at Ain al-Asad air base—where I served as a Marine over 11 years ago. All Rights Reserved. Many more live with physical and emotional scars despite lack of disability status. 10,000? More Gulf War Veterans have died than Vietnam Veterans. He served as an Army First Lieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in Iraq from 2003 through 2004. Opinion Iraq War Veterans… I’m sure there are Iraq Veterans who would disagree with my negative take on the overall policy of invading and occupying Iraq. Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? However, there exists no database to indicate the exact number of surviving veterans of Iraq war. But veterans … 400,000? We, as a country were unprepared to support their needs. While most foreign policy leaders and elected officials at least grudgingly acknowledge the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 was a mistake, some still try to defend the war by making dubious historical claims. Many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face a life of disability due to the physical and psychological injuries they sustain in the war zones. Tanya Boozer, a Desert Storm veteran and veteran advocate, and who runs a Gulf War Veterans Facebook page, also said Linney is a Gulf War veteran. well during the invasion we sent 148,000 personal the war lasted Today's veterans - disabled or not - number nearly 24 million. If there’s no infrastructure in place to help vets out of the pitfalls and dangers of invisible injuries they suffer. How many candles are on a Hanukkah menorah? 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