Subject: Veterans for O/B Op-ed
From: "Molly Magarik" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Valerie Biden Owens" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, "Missy Owens" <[email-masked]>, "Cuffe Owens" <[email-masked]>, "Casey Owens" <[email-masked]>, "Ted Kaufman" <[email-masked]>, "Mike Donilon" <[email-masked]>, "Eric Schwerin" <[email-masked]>, "Alexander Snyder-Mackler" <[email-masked]>, "Chung, Kathy" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:49:01 -0400

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beau-biden/barack-obama-vfw-veterans-_b_1703868.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
President Obama Has Kept His Promises to Veterans

When the men and women serving in our nation's military deploy to a war
zone, there is not much they can take with them except a sense of duty, a
responsibility to give back before you're asked, that speaks to the heart
of our all-volunteer force and military families. When President Obama
addressed the VFW earlier this week, he reaffirmed that duty. Our
Commander-in-Chief reminded us that America's sacred trust with those who
serve starts when they take their oath and never ends.

America's veterans have endured long separations from family, followed by
second, third and fourth deployments. More than 6,500 service members have
made the ultimate sacrifice in the past decade of wars and more than 49,000
came home wounded. President Obama knows we owe veterans and their families
more than a debt of gratitude. We owe them the care we promised and the
benefits they've earned.

That's why he's committed to making sure our veterans can transition to
civilian life and get the good jobs, quality health care and education they
need to take care of themselves and their families.

To help veterans find jobs when they get home, President Obama signed into
law two tax credits that encourage businesses to hire unemployed veterans
and wounded warriors.

A record number of veterans are entering the VA health system, so President
Obama has significantly boosted the Veterans Affairs budget to ensure that
veterans receive timely access to the highest-quality benefits and
services. And though he knew it would be difficult, he's making sure the VA
eliminates the backlog by 2015.

To keep up with that growing demand, the VA is hiring claims processors to
get veterans their benefits faster and is deploying a new IT system to
improve claim processing times. President Obama believes we must keep
improving health care for all veterans, whether they served in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Vietnam or World War II.

To expand educational opportunities for veterans, President Obama
implemented and improved the Post-9/11 GI Bill, so those who serve can get
an undergraduate education at no cost. It's the most comprehensive
educational benefit for veterans since World War II, and is helping more
than 3,900 Nevada veterans go to college.

As President Obama has rightly
said<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/14/remarks-president-and-first-lady-end-war-iraq>,
"It's not enough to honor with words. Words are cheap. We must do it with
deeds."

The VA provides a lot more than quality health care. To better serve the
more than 40 percent of veterans in the VA health care system who live in
rural America, the VA is expanding transportation and telehealth services.

President Obama has invested heavily in mental health programs and expanded
the ranks of VA mental health professionals to support our Veterans. The VA
is making sure homeless veterans and their families can get housing, health
care, jobs, benefits and helping them achieve residential stability.

He brought the war in Iraq to a responsible end. He refocused our national
security policies on the most serious threats so we could more effectively
fight al-Qaeda and its affiliates around the world.

The President and our military and intelligence community have done more
than just bring Osama bin Laden to justice. Under the President's
leadership, more al Qaeda terrorists have been killed or captured than at
any other point since 9/11, and the terrorist group is weaker than at any
point since those unforgettable attacks. And the President has a plan to
end the war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and bring our troops home to
their families at a steady pace.

And from day one, President Obama has kept his promises. He banned torture,
restored our reputation abroad, and ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to ensure
our country continues to live up to the values we fight for and represent.

President Obama's commitment to caring for those who step up to serve is
not limited to campaign season. He's had our backs each day for the last
three and half years, which is why I'm proud to join the tens of thousands
of veterans and military families who support our Commander-in-Chief.

I've had the honor of serving alongside the most courageous and selfless
fighting force in the world. Every day I'm inspired by memories of the
service and sacrifice I witnessed in my fellow soldiers in Iraq. President
Obama is honoring their bravery in both words and deeds. We know he always
will