Veterans For Common Sense

Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) was formed in August 2002 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization by war veterans who believe that we, the people of the United States of America, are most secure when our country is free, strong, and responsibly engaged with the world. Our mission, based on the pragmatic ideals of the American patriot Thomas Paine, is to raise the unique and powerful voices of veterans so that our military, veterans, freedom, and national security are protected and enhanced, for ourselves and for future generations.

"We owe a debt to all who served and when we repay that debt to those bravest Americans among us, then we are investing in our future."
~ Barack Obama, August 3, 2009

What's New

VCS Adds "VCS on TV" News Clips to Web Site

Television News Coverage of VCS Advocacy

VCS now posts links to television news broadcasts featuring Veterans for Common Sense and our highly successful advocacy efforts on issues you care about.

Disabled Iraq War Veteran with Service Dog Beaten by McDonalds Employee

October 30, 2009, Brooklyn, New York (Courthouse News Service) - A disabled Army captain who was wounded in Iraq claims McDonald's employees beat him with garbage can lids after he brought his service dog to the restaurant. Luis Montalvan says the attack came as he was photographing the restaurant after he repeatedly complained about the treatment he received there.

Deployment at All Costs: Military Arrests Mom, Sends Child to Protective Serivces

Soldier mom refuses deployment to care for baby

November 16, 2009, Savannah, Georgia (Associated Press) – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas.

Fort Hood Fallout: Camp Lejeune Whistle-Blower Fired

A psychiatrist who tried to prevent Fort Hood-style violence among Marines about to "lose it" instead loses his job

November 16, 2009 (Salon) - Last April, two Marines at Camp Lejeune predicted to a psychiatrist that some Marine back from war was going to "lose it." Concerned, the psychiatrist asked what that meant. One of the Marines responded, "One of these guys is liable to come back with a loaded weapon and open fire."

New York Times Profiles VA and Secretary Shinseki

No Longer a Soldier, Shinseki Has a New Mission

November 11, 2009 (New York Times) - It was a sad homecoming of sorts. On Tuesday, Eric Shinseki, the secretary of veterans affairs, returned to Fort Hood, Tex., where he was a division commander in the mid-1990s, to pay tribute to two veterans affairs employees who died in the shootings there last week.

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Essay Mentions VCS: VA Under Staffed for Mental Health

Written by Victor Montgomery

Friday, 20 November 2009 10:16

Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Dreadfully Under Staffed to Help Prevent Suicide Among Our Returning Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans

Victor Montgomery is the author of Healing Suicidal Veterans, Recognizing, Supporting and Answering Their Pleas for Help! (New Horizon Press, October 2009).

Last Updated ( Friday, 20 November 2009 10:30 )

Breaking News: Top VA Claims Official Quits - VCS Issues Statement

Written by VA

Friday, 20 November 2009 09:53

Patrick W. Dunne, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to Step Down

November 20, 2009, Washington, DC (VA Press Release) - Patrick W. Dunne, the Under Secretary for Benefits for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), today announced his resignation for early next year. Dunne, who attained the rank of rear admiral while in the U.S. Navy, has been with VA since 2006.

Last Updated ( Friday, 20 November 2009 11:33 )

VCS in the News: Army Suicides Hit Another Record

Written by Yana Kunichoff

Thursday, 19 November 2009 14:50

"As long as the wars continue, as long as the military fails to check every soldier and hire enough doctors, the situation will continue to get worse" - Veterans for Common Sense

November 19, 2009 (TruthOut) - Suicides among veterans and soldiers have reached a record high this year and are set to continue rising, a Pentagon press conference confirmed Tuesday.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 November 2009 17:50 )

VCS Update: Remembering Gettysburg

Written by VCS

Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:38

Our two war-related national holidays, Veterans Day and Memorial Day, came and went this year. Yet so much more needs to be done for our service members, veterans, and families during the other 363 days of the year, especially since we are fighting two brutal wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan. This week’s update focuses on news reported in the local or internet press usually overlooked by the national press, and therefore not part of the much larger picture describing the causes, conduct, and consequences of the two wars.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:49 )

News About VCS FOIA Campaign: 90,000 U.S. Battlefield Casualties, But Who's Counting?

Written by Kelley Vlahos

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 11:03

November 10, 2009 (AntiWar.com) - Veterans Day arrives tomorrow, and with it, the anticipated harvest of heartbreaking anecdotes driving the press coverage and our ever wandering attention back to less desirable realities: the disfigured but persevering hero, the homeless warrior, the unemployable sergeant, the father or son or daughter who came home a stranger and cannot be reached.

Last Updated ( Friday, 20 November 2009 10:11 )

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