Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, the MFSO Board was asked to write a position statement. Since then, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died and  six million civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Thoughtful input from our members, a review of our mission statement along with recent developments have moved us to update our previous position statement. Please keep in mind that MFSO is not a pacifist organization and understand that the issue of self-defense can be complicated, but MFSO will continue to speak out against unjust wars where the US military is involved. Our opinions on the war in Ukraine should only reflect the possibility of the involvement of US troops. Therefore, we believe:

•           There is no military solution to the war in Ukraine.

•           We support any and all efforts to end the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means

•           The US/NATO should not declare a “No Fly Zone”

•           The US should continue to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and support the current medical, nutritional, shelter and other needs of the Ukrainian people now.

When Jeff and I first heard the news that we were given a date certain for all US troops to leave Afghanistan, we were taken aback.  After 20 long years of MFSO families working so hard to make this happen and always watchful of approaching deadlines and promises, it’s seems odd to be startled at the news? Even after hearing it officially from President Biden’s own lips, we are still in disbelief. Since that day the MFSO office has been receiving emails from members who have been part of the struggle over the years and who wanted to share their feelings and concerns about what it all means to us as military families. Below are some of the statements we were allowed to share with you. We hope you will send your thoughts too so we can share them.

“It is long past time for the U.S. military role in Afghanistan to end. Military families who have been speaking out for many years to bring our troops home know that this move honors our troops – including those who died as a result of this ‘forever’ war – because continued death, including the deaths of increasing numbers of Afghan civilians, honors no one, and solves no problems. There is much that must happen now, including taking care of our troops coming home with visible and hidden injuries of war, and bringing about a new foreign policy that opposes these occupations and will not hinder the emergence of civilian voices, leaders and the forces who will ultimately bring justice and peace to their own country.”
Nancy Lessin, Co-founder, Military Families Speak Out

I am delighted to hear the news that we will bring home all troops from Afghanistan by Sept 11, 2021.  Our cries have been heard!  I hope that this will be the first of our troops matching home from all countries we have no business being in! I am cautiously optimistic that this will come to pass but I know the MIC is not happy about it. What shall be, shall be.
Diane Bremer
Mom of active duty son, Army
Red Wing, Minnesota

I feel tremendous relief that the troops are coming home from Afghanistan.  I also feel an overwhelming sadness for the men and women who served in Afghanistan; for those who did not come home, were injured (physically or mentally) or committed suicide.  I also feel great sadness for the huge losses and suffering the Afghan people endured and will continue to endure in their homeland destroyed by 20 years of war.

As the Afghanistan Papers confirmed, the military and the U.S. government knew early on that the Afghanistan War was a debacle and could not be won.  It didn’t understand Afghanistan nor did it have a strategy.  Yet, our government and military were unwilling to admit the Afghanistan war could not be won, damn the consequences.

These tragic decisions have destroyed people on all sides, for absolutely no gain.  This is shameful.  When will we learn that war and violence are not the path to a better world?
Mary Hladky, Mother of Army Infantry Officer who served 13 months, during Obama’s Surge, Zhari District, Kandahar Province

What a terrible and shameful tragedy – the war against Afghanistan. More than 2400 American troops and more than 38,000 Afghan civilians were killed. (NYTimes, 2019) There were many millions of war refugees. There were countless people injured. Moral injury, PTSD and other devastating impacts of war will persist. The poisoning of civilians and military from burn pits, the damage to the environment and people’s health has been horrendous. My heart goes out to other military families and Afghan families whose loved ones were killed or injured.  The costs were over $1.5 trillion dollars, not including money spent on medical and disability costs for veterans, all money that should have been spent instead in our communities for education, housing, health care, social services and other human needs. Shame on the elected officials who voted for this war and those who voted to continue funding the war. A salute to the millions of people who marched and demonstrated, lobbied and petitioned both to prevent the war in Afghanistan and to demand an end to the war. We will remain vigilant to make sure that not only the troops come home, but the contractors, the CIA, the Special Forces, must come home, too. We must make sure that absolutely no U.S. drones or other weapons of war will be used in Afghanistan.
Paula Rogovin, mother of an Iraq war veteran

It’s been 20 years now and it’s past time for our troops to come home. I have more faith in President Biden bringing the troops home than I did in the former president.  I believe President Biden will make a smooth transition and not make more problems for us. This is a start, but we need all the troops out of the Middle East.
Ed Garza, Former board member
Santa Ana CA

I am relieved that our troops are finally leaving Afghanistan after 20 years, but I’m concerned that we have not learned our lesson about the costs of starting and continuing wars of choice. We should have been out of Afghanistan shortly after we went in.  Delta Force spotted Osama Bin Laden leaving the mountain caves for Pakistan after the Battle of Tora Bora but was denied permission to take him out. That would have ended our involvement.

I am now concerned about the future of the Afghanis who helped US forces as translators, etc., and those who tried to bring democracy to Afghanistan.  I hope that President Biden will welcome them into the US as refugees as they will be in danger when the Taliban returns to power.

Our wars of choice have destroyed nations (Vietnam and Iraq) while bringing riches to the corporations that supply war. Tens of thousands of our troops have died or are injured from wounds seen or unseen, families have been destroyed. I hope we will not repeat these mistakes.
Anna Berlinrut, Mom of Marine deployed 8 times in harm’s way
Connecticut

I’m heartened by President Biden’s resolve to end the war in Afghanistan.  However,  I’ll believe it when I see it because other presidents like Bush, (“Mission Accomplished”), Obama and Trump,  promised before, but no one has brought them all home yet. But I’m hopeful he will follow through this time. As a military family member himself, I believe Biden really understands the toll war takes on our families more than the other presidents did . He knows what it’s like to wait and wonder. My daughter was injured when she was deployed and we had to wait so long to find out how she was. If you’ve been a military family member long enough you will do whatever it takes to find out how your loved one is.
Lorna Farnum
Daughter deployed to Kosovo
Hawaii

I have cautious optimism regarding brining our troops home.  It is past time, that is a worldwide truth.  I am holding my breath for every family and friend of a deployed troop.  The joy of thinking they will be home soon; is balance with the possibility of retaliation.  That is hell.  I grieve, I rejoice.
Corla Coles,
Mother in law of Active Duty Army Reserve
Redlands, CA

Oh God. I think it’s a good move and that it’s inevitable. I wonder, are we really getting out? It’s a win for the US, but a tragedy for the Afghani people. As inevitable as this is, it’s unavoidable.  Who would have thought that 9/11 would be the beginning of a 20 year war- America’s longest war that would cost $2 trillion, the lives of tens of thousands Afghans -3,502 NATO casualties  and over 2, 312 of our US troops. I remember when Bin Laden died, I was in NYC and people we jubilant. I was with them, and then I thought later that I never celebrated someone dying before.

Afghanistan has a corrupt government, there’s no real industry except opium. 70% of Afghans live on a dollar a day, there are few schools, their infrastructure is weak, electricity and water are erratic in the nation’s capital, and I fear women and girls are going to be the ones who will suffer the most. Where does the Taliban get their money? Why aren’t we talking about that? The pain is going to come, but what can you say? You can’t police the whole world, but if we haven’t fixed this in 20 years, we never are going to fix it.  After 20 years of presidents saying we’re getting out, the US has no credibility. I’ll believe it when I see it. This announcement is dredging up a lot of emotions right now for veterans and military families.
Don Kimball,
Uncle to Active Duty Marine and veteran
South Portland, ME

As military families whose loved ones/children have been in Afghanistan, we welcome the news that our troops are coming home. We hope that this is just the beginning of troop withdrawals from the Middle East and other countries where we have participated in unjust wars. These wars have endangered the lives of our children and haven’t done anything to protect us.
Rossana Cambron
Mother of action duty Army
Los Angeles, CA

DU fact sheet

Again, we are in a very precarious position in the Middle East.

MFSO believes that every effort should be made to resolve this issue with no military intervention.  We need to bring all our troops home and utilize diplomacy to solve any conflicts with Iran.  We strongly oppose the presence of our military troops in the area, which only serves to increase tension   If Iraq wants the U.S. to leave their country, we should honor that request.

It is clear, with the release of the Afghanistan Papers last month, that our government has no truth, accountability, or strategy in conflict zones. We perpetuate violence, confusion and chaos.

Our presence in Iraq only deepens the suffering of the ordinary citizens and do nothing to make peace with those governments. 

We call upon President Trump and Congress to deflate this aggressive posturing and bring our troops home now.

By Mary Hladky, Military Families Speak Out

October 5, 2017 — Watching the PBS series on Vietnam is a graphic reminder of the horrors of war.  Unfortunately, one of the few things the U.S. government learned from Vietnam was how to hide the horrors of the Afghanistan war from public view as much as possible, to prevent the backlash experienced during the Vietnam war.  No body counts, no reporters roaming free, only embedded journalists, minimal media coverage with little footage of the actual war, and no pictures of coffins returning home.

The Trump Administration has decided to continue to support the war in Afghanistan, only with more troops and no stated end game.  As this war completes its 16^th year, on October 7, more troops are on their way to Afghanistan.  The suffering of our troops, their families and the Afghan people will continue.

Afghanistan is the forgotten war, even though it is currently the United States’ largest military foreign engagement, with 16,000+ troops and tens of thousands of defense and agency contractors.
The only people who benefit from this war are the military contractors and the corrupt Afghan government, made up of many drug and war lords guilty of human rights abuses and war crimes.  The Afghan government and Taliban controls, protects, and benefits from the enormous poppy crop that supplies over 90% of the world’s heroin.  SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction) reports that reconstruction in Afghanistan is nearly nonexistent after spending $100 billion.

The Afghan government, which the U.S. has propped up with billions of dollars and thousands of American livesremains overwhelmingly corrupt, a government the Afghan people will never accept.
In the meantime, the Taliban has grown in numbers and holds more territory than ever before, 40-50% of the country.

The human costs of war for our troops, the Afghan forces and civilians has been enormous.  Death, injuries and nearly a trillion dollars have been wasted for no redeemable benefit.  Yet instead of pursuing peace, our government continues to opt for more war.
Americans need to take a stand against the Afghanistan war.  We need to reflect on what it is that we believe – ask yourself two basic questions:

How, as Americans, do we continually accept sending young men and women to risk their lives for a futile, never ending war?
What would you say to a mother who loses her son or daughter in Afghanistan?  Can you explain what her child actually died for?  What was the noble cause?

It’s up to everyone one of us who are uncomfortable with the answers to these questions, to demand an end to the Afghanistan War.      

Psychologists James Mitchell and John “Bruce” Jessen were the architects of the CIA’s torture program. Now, in a groundbreaking lawsuit, three survivors and victims of the torture program are seeking to hold Mitchell and Jessen accountable.

This Friday in federal court in Spokane, Washington, Mitchell and Jessen’s lawyers will argue that they can’t be held responsible for their actions. In an extraordinary legal filing, Mitchell and Jessen claim they aren’t legally responsible to the people hurt by their methods because they “simply did business with the CIA pursuant to their contracts.”

A key part of Mitchell and Jessen’s argument hinges on the claim that poison gas manufacturers weren’t held responsible by a British military tribunal for providing the Nazis with the gas because the Nazi government, not contractors, had final say on whether to use it. They argue that they are like a corporate gassing technician who was charged with and acquitted of assisting the Nazis because “even if [Mitchell and Jessen] played an integral part of the supply and use of” torture methods, they had no “influence” over the CIA’s decision to use them and can’t be accountable.

MFSO Member Paula Rogovin reflects on Occupy Wall St.

On Saturday, October 8, 2011, members of Military Families Speak Out stood alongside members of Veterans For Peace and thousands of other people at Occupy Wall Street. We were so happy to see so many people from so many walks of life. Here was a place where the messages like the ones we carried: Support our troops, bring them home NOW! were part of the outcry from the many thousands at OWS. Our presence as veterans and military families was very well received. Yes, we are part of that 99%.

Being part of that 99% has been a life-long experience for me. I’ve been a New York City public school teacher for 38 years. We, members of the United Federation of Teachers, have marched and demanded over the years that the City stop the cuts and offer fair wages – only to see mayor after mayor do everything possible to keep our wages down while the Chancellor makes over $250,000 and non-union employees get huge raises. Testing companies, the book publishers, and the tech industry profits are going up.

Two weeks ago, we saw the layoff of over 700 workers – workers who are desperately needed at our schools.

Strangely, however, members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) are part of the 99%, but we are also part of the 1%. How could that be? MFSO is a national organization with over 4000 members whose loved ones are active duty in the military.

“Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population has been on active military duty at any given time during the past decade.” (Washington Post. 10/5/11)

Military families have seen our loved ones serve multiple deployments, often with little dwell time between the deployments. We have seen over 6282 of our loved ones killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of us have seen our loved ones wounded. We have seen our loves ones suffer amputations, traumatic brain injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and poisoning from Depleted Uranium and other toxins from US weapons. We have seen families torn apart by the traumas of these wars.

Our 1% is suffering directly from the wars imposed by the other 1% – the military industrial complex, the oil companies, big business – in collusion with many members of Congress who take multi-millions from industry lobbyists in exchange for keeping these wars going and going.

Our 1% wants to tell that other 1%, including many members of Congress:  End the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bring the troops and contractors home NOW. Take care of the troops when they get here. Bring the war dollars home for our communities – for jobs, education, health care, housing, and other services we need so badly. Meet the demands of the 99%.

— Paula Rogovin, of Teaneck, is with Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County chapter