The Overwatch
 
October 27, 2020

What does 19 years of war look like?

The war in Afghanistan just reached its 19th anniversary. It’s difficult to comprehend that our military has been engaged in continuous combat for two decades. When the war began, George W. Bush was in his first year as president. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube didn’t exist. Cell phones had just gotten built-in cameras a year earlier… Read more »

October 12, 2020

Nate Anderson: ‘19 years is enough’ 

The United States has been at war in Afghanistan for 19 years. As the country reaches this anniversary, many are thinking back on the war, the trillions of dollars spent, and thousands of lives lost since the war began. CVA’s Executive Director Nate Anderson is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and recently reflected… Read more »

October 7, 2020

Q&A: Foreign policy analyst Tyler Koteskey on what the U.S. accomplished in Afghanistan and why it’s time to withdraw troops

United States just began its 20th year of war in Afghanistan. What started as a response to the attacks of September 11 has turned into nearly two decades of combat and shifting objectives that are not in line with our original goals. After so many tireless years of fighting, more than $6 trillion spent, and… Read more »

September 9, 2020

The result of years of endless war: many veterans survived the war, but not the homecoming

When we count the cost of war, we often talk in terms of defense dollars spent or combat injuries and deaths. The Global War on Terror, specifically efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, has racked up high numbers in each of those categories: $6.4 trillion spent, more than 7,000 servicemembers killed, and tens of thousands more… Read more »

August 11, 2020

John Byrnes: The war in Afghanistan has gone on so long, it’s outlasted my 22-year military career

By John Byrnes, CVA Director of Education On September 11, 2001, I was called to duty. I still remember clearly, hearing the news that the first plane had hit one of the twin towers, as I sat in a Manhattan classroom. I was only one year into my enlistment, having done a previous four-year stint… Read more »

July 17, 2020

Why do some in Congress want to keep sending troops to Afghanistan?

The United States has been locked into the conflict in Afghanistan since 2001, imposing a tremendous toll on our nation – in both lives and resources. The president and the Department of Defense have evaluated our national interest and put forward a strategy to withdraw U.S. forces by early 2021. Why are some in Congress… Read more »

July 13, 2020

VA Appointment wait times dramatically increase as vets stand by for answers on community care

Three months ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued guidance that limited veterans’ access to medical appointments through the Community Care Program. Today, that guidance has yet to be rescinded or even clarified as wait times for appointments continue to skyrocket. The latest data from the VA shows a dramatic increase in appointments taking longer… Read more »