A Truly Grateful Nation

Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 8:06 PM

Good morning,

 This Tuesday, after more than seven years of war, President Obama will end the United States' combat mission in Iraq.

 While the war in Iraq has at times been a divisive issue for Americans, one common belief has always remained: Our nation has a sacred obligation to our troops and the families who serve with them.

 In his Weekly Address, the President discusses the end of the combat mission in Iraq and what his Administration is doing to support our veterans once they get home:

Since we took office, more than 90,000 troops have returned from Iraq, leaving a force of up to 50,000 U.S. troops who will support Iraqi Security Forces.  By the end of next year, all American troops will be out of Iraq.

These men and women have put their lives on the line.  They have spent months or years away from their families and homes.  Many have suffered devastating injuries. And some who left for Iraq will never return home.

Including veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are nearly one million more veterans in our country than there were a decade ago. I can tell you that President Obama is 100% committed to supporting our troops and their families not only when they are fighting abroad, but also when they come back home.

That’s why the President has made one of the largest investments in veterans’ care and support in our nation’s history. Here are just a few things this Administration is doing to support our vets:

• Improving veterans’ health care by modernizing and expanding hospitals, cleaning up and simplifying the claims process, and directing significant resources into treating Traumatic Brain Injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Giving nearly 300,000 veterans and their family members access to higher education through the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
• Devoting more resources to job placement and training, directing the federal government to hire more veterans and encouraging the private sector to follow suit.

As our brave men and women return from Iraq, it’s important that all of our veterans know that we are a truly grateful nation.  To all of our troops – Thank you for your service; you are true American heroes.  To all of our military families – Thank you for your courage and sacrifice.

Sincerely,

Vice President Joe Biden

P.S. Right now, Americans across the country are sending their messages of thanks and support to our troops as part of our Saluting Service in Iraq effort on WhiteHouse.gov. Take a minute to check out President Obama’s message to our troops and leave your own message:

 http://WhiteHouse.gov/Salute