Don't Extend Them & Don't Replace Them
Just Bring 'Em on Home Now!

I replied to every email, most perfunctorily, some at length. I skimmed at first, until I realized I had overlooked a letter from a woman whose son struggled for four years with post traumatic stress disorder before he took his own life. Not long after, his young wife did the same. This bereaved mother wrote to say thanks for giving her a voice. But it was she and others like her who are giving us a voice.

I made calls, and the people I called made calls, and within four days a small group of activist veterans and military families had formed a coordinating committee to figure out how we might find those other voices and amplify them. We bought a web domain, made more calls, wrote statements of purpose, developed outreach literature, conferred for two hours at a time on the phone from the west coast to the east. We did more organizing in two weeks than I have seen with most initiatives in six months. As the word has leaked out, we are getting phone calls and email. What is this thing you are doing? Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Citizen Soldier, and others --these dissident military communities have networks!

So we are going to give troops, their families, and critical veterans a voice. That's the reason-for-being of "Bring Them Home Now!" We are using our web site www.bringthemhomenow.org as a communications clearinghouse to publish the voices of military communities and to link them to the networks and resources they will need to organize themselves. When military families rebelled recently at Ft. Stewart, the brass didn't hesitate to issue veiled threats that criticizing the war might impact on their loved ones' careers. The brass will have no control over us, however, and those same people (mostly courageous women) will be able to say what they want, when they want, and we'll protect their identities if that's what they need. Through them, we will communicate with the troops in combat zones, whose recent public dissent brought a swift and clear injunction from the CENTCOM commander threatening retaliate with the full force of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
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Bush says "Bring 'em on." We say
BRING THEM HOME NOW!

BRING THEM HOME NOW! is a coordinating committee of military families, veterans, active duty personnel, reservists and others opposed to the ongoing war in Iraq and galvanized to action by George W. Bush's inane and reckless challenge to armed Iraqis resisting occupation to "Bring 'em on."

Our mission is to mobilize military families, veterans, and GIs themselves to demand: an end to the occupation of Iraq and other misguided military adventures; and an immediate return of all US troops to their home duty stations.

The truth is coming out. The American public was deceived by the Bush administration about the motivation for and intent of the invasion of Iraq. It is equally apparent that the administration is stubbornly and incompetently adhering to a destructive course. Many Americans do not want our troops there. Many military families do not want our troops there. Many troops themselves do not want to be there. The overwhelming majority of Iraqis do not want US troops there.

Our troops are embroiled in a regional quagmire largely of our own government's making. These military actions are not perceived as liberations, but as occupations, and our troops are now subject to daily attacks. Meanwhile, without a clear mission, they are living in conditions of relentless austerity and hardship. At home, their families are forced to endure extended separations and ongoing uncertainty.
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I'm a former Army Nurse – served stateside after college from 1977-1980. Also, my eldest brother was a Vietnam KIA, an Army helicopter pilot shot down in '69 near Pleiku. I only began finding out about Bush's AWOL/desertion from the Internet after this war started & am outraged our major news organizations have deliberately kept Americans in the dark concerning the truth about Bush's military service record. It's unconscionable to me and my family that this nation has the abomination of a military deserter in the position of Commander In Chief and as such, this shameless liar and hypocrite so enthusiastically sends other Americans into harm's way, then has the astounding gall to exploit the military with these galling propaganda "photo ops" and lofty speeches about duty, honor, commitment, and sacrifice. This is the biggest sham I've seen yet from a politician and our media, especially broadcast, are his greatest shills. The Watergate scandal pales in comparison -- at least Watergate didn't kill anyone nor did it exploit those serving in the military.

Maureen,
San Jose
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We ARE losing this war....It was lost before we ever started because we went there for oil and the whole world knows it. Instead of the opinions of "We the people" counting anymore, its "We the Pentagon" or "We the Corporations of America" carrying all the weight with government.

As a rifle platoon sergeant with Delta Company 1- 7th Cav 1st Air Cav Div in Vietnam I understand clearly how those who have never been in combat can be so cavalier with other people lives.

Donald
......

I was in the Cav at LZ Dog, across from English in '67. Got shot down in the An Loa, and other adventures! 157 of my friends are on that black wall. I'm 60% officially screwed up.

My son is in the Seabees and several of his friends have been killed in Iraq.

When I saw Bush make that ["Bring 'em on"] comment I wanted to wring his fucking neck with my bare hands.

Doug,
Lakeview, OR
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