Support Our Troops

Founded in June 2004, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They "graded" Congress members on their record on veterans affairs.

Barack Obama got a B+.

Fellow veteran John McCain't got a D.

As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.”

Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq.

• In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war;
• In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;
• In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq’s neighbors;
• In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.
• In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Inspired by Obama's record of advocating against the war and supporting veterans in practical ways, Obama Girl joined up with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) to make this video, "I Like A Boy." If features charming lyrics and cute choreography--but the best part is that it includes the real wives and girlfriends of the troops lip-syncing their hearts out!

"I said I need a man defending the USA
Land of the free, home of the brave...
So you got a nice crib: I don't care what you spend
'cause my kind of man goes to sleep in a tent
Not many men can combat insurgency
so come home and be my Sugar-Baghdaddy!

I like a boy who rocks a doggie tag
Holding it down for the US flag!
You know the kind I like to please,
doing us proud when they're overseas!"


"Honey I'm in search for my GI Jane
I need a woman that can work that truck or that chopper
a real life trooper
rucksack or Prada bags
stunners or gas masks
it don't matter whether you're eating from a bowl or off a silver platter...
Peace to my female troops: SALUTE!"

Instead of the love admiration and gratitude our troops deserve, the Bush Administration has thrown them into heinous situations of violence and chaos that they are not supported in facing.

Additionally, many of our troops face their own mortality and mourn the loss of their brothers and sisters in combat with the knowledge that this war was unjust, that it was started for the wrong reasons, and that they must fight for their lives and do the best they can despite the fact that they have been sent on an impossible and immoral mission. Imagine trying to come to terms with that while you lay awake in your tent at night--in between worrying about your next encounter with an IED and what your girlfriend might be doing back at home!

Their bravery and dedication to America has been tested at the highest level because not only are our troops engaged in dangerous combat scenarios in a harsh land far from home, they risk their lives with the knowledge that their equipment, training, and support are insufficient for the operations they are ordered to enact.

"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country
is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."

-Theodore Roosevelt

The scope of traumatic brain injuries, limb-loss, and post-traumatic stress among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is overwhelming. With increasing calls to bring the troops home and an impending change of administration, there will be an increasing need for various services to support our veterans when they return from abroad. They will need thorough and thoughtful medical treatment, they may need counseling or psychosocial support, and they may need additional education, job training or help finding employment outside the military sector. They will probably need a lot of help adjusting to a life that is so different from the one they led in the deserts of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan.

Barack Obama has proposed a set of plans to support the troops who will be returning home, and he has developed a plan to withdraw the US combat troops from Iraq swiftly yet incrementally.
Click here to learn more about Obama's policies on supporting veterans.
Click here for more of Obama's plan to bring our troops home.

Obama Outlines Several Major Problems that Impact Veterans:

Wounded Troops Suffer: The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don't always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.

Veterans Budget Shortfalls: In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.

Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken: There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.

There is Shortage of Care for PTSD: Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.

Obama's plan to address these problems is based on a "Sacred Trust" that the American government and people make with our men and women of the armed forces: a commitment to supporting them and expressing useful and appropriate gratitude for the risks that they take for all of our collective benefit. He plans to create a a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve.

A Sacred Trust

• Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: Reverse the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
• Strengthen VA Care: Make the VA a leader of national health care reform; improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.
• Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans: National "zero tolerance" policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services.
• Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination: Crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.

Help for Returning Service Members

• Ensure a Seamless Transition: Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.
• Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Fully fund the VA; establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
• Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. Transform from paper to electronic claims system to reduce errors and improve timeliness.

Improved Mental Health Treatment

• Improve Mental Health Treatment: Improve mental health care at every stage of military service; recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
• Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
• Expand Vet Centers: Expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.

Let's do right by the men and women who are doing their best in a horrible situation, who are noble and selfless beyond words, and who above all else are someone's child, some mother's son or father's baby girl.

What does it say about us as Americans and about our government that we send our young people overseas to fight and die, but we don't send them with protective equipment or the tools they need to get the job done--or come home alive?

What does it mean that when they do get home, we despise them and spit on them, as if they have done something wrong to us?

How many of America's children must come home in body bags--or return from combat so destroyed by what they have seen that they hardly feel alive --before we stand up and claim our country's children, its noblest citizens, as our own?

How many more will be lost before we fulfill our sacred trust with veterans?

Veterans for Obama; Obama for Veterans

Barack Obama's spoke to veterans in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Memorial Day (May 26, 2008).

I speak to you today with deep humility. My grandfather marched in Patton's Army, but I cannot know what it is to walk into battle like so many of you. My grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, but I cannot know what it is for a family to sacrifice like so many of yours have.

I am the father of two young girls, and I cannot imagine what it is to lose a child. My heart breaks for the families who've lost a loved one.

These are things I cannot know. But there are also some things I do know.

I know that our sadness today is mixed with pride; that those we've lost will be remembered by a grateful nation; and that our presence here today is only possible because your loved ones, America's patriots, were willing to give their lives to defend our nation.

I know that while we may come from different places, cherish different traditions, and have different political beliefs, we all – every one of us – hold in reverence those who've given this country the full measure of their devotion.

And I know that children in New Mexico and across this country look to your children, to your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and friends – to those we honor today – as a shining example of what's best about America.

Their lives are a model for us all.

Barack Obama values the men and women of our nation's armed forces, and wants to truly support them as they put themselves in harm's way to protect the nation and fight against tyranny, fascism, and injustice. He wants to provide veterans who are injured or traumatized with the full extent of the care they need. Please click here to read Barack Obama's policy statements on Veterans Affairs and the treatment that veterans should receive.



The current administration rushed into wars without considering the true threat to America and the world's stability. There have been heavy casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and these wars have destabilized the region (turning up the heat on existing conflicts such as the Kurdistan/Turkey border problems).

Barack Obama will not send the young people of America overseas to sacrifice their lives without carefully considering the true nature of the threat. Please click here to read some of Obama's statements on foreign policy and deployment of the US armed forces. Links to Policies on Specific Areas: Iraq, Iran, Africa, Israel , South America

When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture — because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century: nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now. (Barack Obama, Des Moines, Iowa, Veteran's Day, November 10, 2007).

Here are some of Barack Obama's thoughts on Building a 21st Century Militia:

The Problem: The excellence of our military is unmatched. But as a result of a misguided war in Iraq, our forces are under pressure as never before. Obama will make the investments we need so that the finest military in the world is best-prepared to meet 21st-century threats.

Rebuild Trust: Obama will rebuild trust with those who serve by ensuring that soldiers and Marines have sufficient training time before they are sent into battle.

Expand the Military: We have learned from Iraq that our military needs more men and women in uniform to reduce the strain on our active force. Obama will increase the size of ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines.

New Capabilities: Obama will give our troops new equipment, armor, training, and skills like language training. He will also strengthen our civilian capacity, so that our civilian agencies have the critical skills and equipment they need to integrate their efforts with our military.

Strengthen Guard and Reserve: Obama will restore the readiness of the National Guard and Reserves. He will permit them adequate time to train and rest between deployments, and provide the National Guard with the equipment they need for foreign and domestic emergencies. He will also give the Guard a seat at the table by making the Chief of the National Guard a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Here is what Veterans have to say about Obama

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for Obama:


New Hampshire Veterans for Obama:


Pennsylvania Veterans for Obama:


Virginia Veterans for Obama: