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ny-iraq-sg

LOS ANGELES - Iraq remains fragile but is on course to allow the United States to decrease its presence as planned to 50,000 troops by September, the top U.S. soldier who oversees the wars in Iraq and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> told senators yesterday. 
Gen. David <a href="/topics/David_Petraeus">Petraeus</a>, head of the U.S. Central Command, told the <a href="/topics/Senate_Armed_Services_Committee">Senate Armed Services Committee</a> that success in Iraq was "fragile and reversible, but increasingly less so." The general was optimistic but cautious about recent political gains. 
"Iraq still faces innumerable challenges, and they will be evident during what will likely be a difficult process as the newly elected Council of Representatives selects the next prime minister, president and speaker of the council," he said. 
While there could be some reconfiguration of the U.S. troops in Iraq, Petraeus said he expected the military would be able to meet its goal of decreasing its presence, now at about 97,000. 
"We still believe we will be able to stay on track to reach 50,000," Petraeus said in response to a question from Sen. <a href="/topics/Joe_Lieberman">Joe Lieberman</a> (I-Conn). 
Petraeus predicted a hard year ahead in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, where he expects U.S. forces will continue battling <a href="/topics/Taliban">Taliban</a> militants with "periodic setbacks." He also dismissed reports of talks among senior <a href="/topics/Taliban">Taliban</a> and the government, saying such a diplomatic solution was "probably unlikely unless [the Taliban] are feeling a greater amount of pressure." 
The four-star Army general also told senators that "the time has come" for the military to rethink its policy toward gays. Petraeus stopped short of saying whether he believed if the military's policy of "don't ask, don't tell" is outdated or unfair. 
Instead, he said that he wants to see the results of an internal study to know if allowing gays to serve openly might hurt recruiting and retention, or the military's ability to fight. With AP

Nation/World

USPETR17

Iraq troop pullout on course, general says

WASHINGTON - The unemployment rate last year for young <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> veterans hit 21.1 percent, the <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a> said last week, reflecting a tough obstacle combat veterans face as they make the transition home from war. 
The number was well above the 16.6 percent jobless rate for nonveterans of the same ages, 18 to 24. As of last year, 1.9 million veterans had deployed for the wars since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Some have struggled with mental health problems, addictions and homelessness as they return home. Difficulty finding work can make the adjustment that much harder. 
The rate for young veterans was significantly higher than the 14.1 percent unemployment rate of young veterans in that age group in 2008. 
Many of the unemployed are members of the Guard and Reserves who have been deployed multiple times, said Joseph Sharpe, director of the economic division at the American Legion. Sharpe said some come home to find their jobs have been eliminated because the company has downsized. Other companies may not want to hire someone who could be deployed again or will have medical appointments because of war-related health problems, he said. 
"It's a horrible environment because if you're a reservist and you're being deployed two or three times in a five-year period, you know you're less competitive," Sharpe said. "Many companies that are already hurting are reluctant to hire you and time kind of moves on once you're deployed." 
The Labor and Veterans Affairs departments have programs addressing the job problem, including one educating employers on how to work with veterans with special needs. Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill rolled out last year, $78 billion is expected to be paid out in education benefits over the next decade. - AP

Business

BZVETS15

Young war vets returning home to unemployment

BAGHDAD - First results from Iraq's parliamentary election yesterday showed the prime minister and his secular rival locked in an extremely tight contest amid fraud allegations by rival parties and a chaotic, unpredictable vote count. 
While the partial tallies came from only five of Iraq's 18 provinces, officials who have seen results from across the country said Prime Minister <a href="/topics/Nouri_al-Maliki">Nouri al-Maliki</a>'s coalition appeared to have a narrow edge. That foreshadows tough and lengthy negotiations to build a government and choose a prime minister. 
The partial results, posted on TV screens in <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a> to crowds of reporters, were the first in an election that will determine who governs the country as U.S. troops go home, and whether Iraqis can put behind them deep sectarian tensions that once brought their nation to the brink of civil war. 
The initial tallies from Sunday's voting suggested an exceedingly tight contest between coalitions led by al-Maliki, who gained popularity as security improved, and former Prime Minister <a href="/topics/Ayad_Allawi">Ayad Allawi</a>, a secular Shia who criticized al-Maliki for failing to boost reconciliation efforts between Iraq's factions. 
The emerging picture was a setback to hard-line Shia leaders who saw al-Maliki making gains on their turf in the south. Results so far did not include <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a>, which accounts for 70 of the parliament's 325 seats. - AP

WOIRAQ12

Iraq prime minister, secular rival in tight contest

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is entering an emotionally charged dispute between the grieving father of a Marine who died in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and the anti-gay protesters who picket military funerals with inflammatory messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers."
The court agreed Monday to consider whether the protesters' message, no matter how provocative or upsetting, is protected by the First Amendment or limited by the competing privacy and religious rights of the mourners.
The justices will hear an appeal from a Marine's father to reinstate a $5-million verdict against the protesters after they picketed outside his son's funeral in <a href="/topics/Maryland">Maryland</a> four years ago.
Members of a <a href="/topics/Kansas">Kansas</a>-based church have picketed military funerals to spread their belief that U.S. deaths in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> and Iraq are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
The funeral-protest dispute was one of three cases the court said it would hear in the fall. The others involve whether parents can sue drugmakers when their children suffer serious side effects from vaccine, and <a href="/topics/NASA">NASA</a>'s background checks on contract employees.
The government says the decision in the NASA case could throw into question the background checks routinely done on all federal government workers.

USCOUR09

Court to rule in military funeral protest case

BAGHDAD - Throughout <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>, fear gave way to defiance yesterday as voters, even in the most volatile areas, cast ballots in landmark parliamentary elections that militants tried their best to disrupt with dozens of explosions that shook <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a> even before the polls opened. 
By the end of the day, at least 38 people were dead and more than 80 were wounded throughout the country, Iraqi authorities said, including 25 casualties in a <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a> apartment building that collapsed on sleeping families in an early-morning blast. 
The despair at the scenes of violence stood in stark contrast to triumphant moments that unfolded elsewhere as Iraqis dipped their fingers in purple ink and cast ballots in elections that were billed as the first organized and secured by Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. 
"It's in the Iraqi nature to rise to a challenge, and we were challenged," said Younis Gomar, the head of a polling center in Baghdad. 
"We mourn the tragic loss of life today, and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy," President <a href="/topics/Barack_Obama">Barack Obama</a> said in a statement of congratulations. 
With election day out of the way, Iraqis now face what could be an even more gargantuan task. 
None of the top vote-getters is expected to win an outright majority, ensuring weeks and probably months of horse-trading before a new government is formed. 
Analysts and foreign diplomats agree the coalitions most likely to win are the self-proclaimed nationalist slate led by incumbent Prime Minister <a href="/topics/Nouri_al-Maliki">Nouri al-Maliki</a>, a Shia Muslim; the secular, mixed-sect ticket of former premier <a href="/topics/Ayad_Allawi">Ayad Allawi</a>; and an alliance of Iranian-backed Shia candidates and religious parties that was widely predicted to trail the first two in all but the most conservative Shia parts of the country. 
Once again, however, Kurdish parties in semiautonomous northern <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> are likely to hold the balance of power because Arab parties will need their support to assemble a majority in the 325-seat Iraqi parliament.

WOIRAQ08

Iraqis head to polls amid violence

It certainly wasn't the first time George H.W. Bush and his son George W. Bush sat in a couple of armchairs and had a leisurely conversation, but when they did it Friday afternoon in <a href="/topics/Woodbury%2C_NY">Woodbury</a>, it was the first time it had happened in public since both left the presidency. 
The Bushes were relaxed, wistful and at times defensive about their terms in office and their relationships with each other and world leaders during an hourlong conversation. Outgoing Long Island Association president Matthew Crosson led the conversation in front of more than 1,000 business people at the group's annual meeting. 
The elder Bush, 85, walked haltingly with a cane as he entered the Crest Hollow Country Club ballroom with his son. 
The younger former <a href="/topics/George_W._Bush">President Bush</a>, 63, got laughs after Crosson asked about his return to regular life. 
"Since you're about to not have a job, I can understand why you ask that," Bush said. "You learn you're not president in unusual ways." 
He said he learned while walking his dog, Barney, on his street in <a href="/topics/Dallas%2C_Texas">Dallas</a>, hoping to apologize to neighbors for the disruption his presence caused. 
"I had a plastic bag on my hand," he said. "I was picking up that which I had dodged for eight years." 
It was one of several light moments during an event at which the media - targets of barbs from both former presidents - were almost entirely excluded. The LIA did not disclose the fee it paid the Bushes, but the group was happy to have landed them. 
"It's kind of a coup for us," spokesman Gary Wojtas said. 
The elder Bush said he felt enormous pride in 2001 when he became only the second former president to see his son get sworn in. 
"Barbara [his wife] and I looked at each other and wondered if this was really happening," he said. 
His son spoke forcefully about his decision to go to war in both <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> and <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>, as <a href="/topics/Daniel_Murphy">Daniel Murphy</a>, father of Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor winner Lt. <a href="/topics/Michael_Murphy_%28politician%29">Michael Murphy</a> of <a href="/topics/Patchogue%2C_NY">Patchogue</a>, who was killed in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, listened. 
"I knew I'd be dealing with people like Murph," Bush said. "If I didn't believe it was right, I wouldn't have done it." 
The elder Bush spoke of negotiating the end of the Cold War after the <a href="/topics/Soviet_Union">Soviet Union</a> collapsed in 1991, noting that France and Britain were not eager to see West Germany reunite with communist <a href="/topics/East_Germany">East Germany</a>. 
He said French President <a href="/topics/Francois_Mitterrand">Francois Mitterrand</a> told him, "I like Germany so much there ought to be two of them." 
Attendees liked what they heard. 
"I thought it was fabulous," said Doug Manditch, chairman and chief executive of Empire National Bank, based in <a href="/topics/Islandia%2C_NY">Islandia</a>. He said he was struck by the younger Bush's defense of his policies. 
"Certainly he believes in everything he's done," Manditch said. 
"I enjoyed their candor," said Frank Cassano, chief executive of the <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> chapter of the <a href="/topics/American_Red_Cross">American Red Cross</a>. "It was almost like having a fireside chat with old friends. . . . We saw the human being behind the president."

Long Island

Nassau

BZPREZ27

Both George Bushes visit LI Association meeting

0KYF93MC.JPG

BAGHDAD - The number of American soldiers in Iraq has dropped below 100,000 for the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion in a clear signal the United States is wrapping up its nearly seven-year war to meet a deadline for leaving the country, the U.S. military said yesterday. 
The troop reduction comes at a critical time in Iraq as Washington questions the shaky democracy's ability to maintain security in the tense period surrounding March 7 parliamentary elections. Those concerns have only grown with a decision by a vetting committee to bar hundreds of candidates from running because of suspected ties to <a href="/topics/Saddam_Hussein">Saddam Hussein</a>'s outlawed <a href="/topics/Baath_Party">Baath Party</a>. 
The U.S. military plans to maintain its current 98,000 on the ground in Iraq through the elections, 1st Lt. Elizabeth Feste, an army spokeswoman in <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a>, told The Associated Press. 
That's in line with what Gen. <a href="/topics/Ray_Odierno">Ray Odierno</a>, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has said would remain in place until at least 60 days after the election - a period during which he believes Iraq's new government will be at its most vulnerable. 
International observers fear that tension between the Shia-dominated government and minority Sunnis may spill into the streets, reigniting sectarian violence that could threaten the planned U.S. withdrawal. 
President <a href="/topics/Barack_Obama">Barack Obama</a> has ordered all but 50,000 troops to leave Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, with the remainder pulling out by the end of next year under an Iraqi-American security agreement. 
"The withdrawal pace remains on target for about 50,000 at the end of August 2010," Feste said. 
A senior U.S. military official said yesterday he expected the number of forces in the country by 2011 to be whittled down to between 20,000 and 30,000, with those remaining forces out by the end of 2011.

WOIRAQ17

U.S. military in Iraq drops to 98,000, lowest since 2003

An Army war vet from Holbrook who lost both legs in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> is set to attend Wednesday's State of the Union as a guest of Rep. <a href="/topics/Steve_Israel">Steve Israel</a>.
The Army corporal, Christopher Levi, has been recuperating from war wounds at <a href="/topics/Walter_Reed_Hospital">Walter Reed Army Medical Center</a> in Washington, D.C., after he lost both legs and suffered serious injuries to his right arm in a 2008 attack. Doctors at Walter Reed have performed multiple surgeries in an effort to restore the use of his right hand.
"I can't think of any guest who deserves the honor of witnessing history more than Christopher Levi," <a href="/topics/Israel">Israel</a> (D-<a href="/topics/Huntington%2C_NY">Huntington</a>) said Tuesday. "I want him at the State of the Union as a reminder to all of my colleagues about the true heroes in our country."
Members of <a href="/topics/U.S._Congress">Congress</a> may invite a guest to sit in the House gallery during the president's annual address to the joint session.
Rep. <a href="/topics/Tim_Bishop">Tim Bishop</a> (D-<a href="/topics/Southampton%2C_NY">Southampton</a>) offered his invitation to Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary Richard of <a href="/topics/Hauppauge%2C_NY">Hauppauge</a>, who is among a growing number of troops who say their lungs may have been damaged by exposure to smoke from burning waste at military bases in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>.
Last week, Bishop introduced legislation that would further restrict the use of "burn pits" to dispose of plastics, medical waste and other toxins in combat zones.
"His presence will remind those attending of the great sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform today and the great responsibility our nation has to ensure their safety," Bishop said of the invitation. 
Sen. <a href="/topics/Kirsten_Gillibrand">Kirsten Gillibrand</a> (D-N.Y.) invited Teamsters Union Local 237 president <a href="/topics/Gregory_Floyd">Gregory Floyd</a>, whose 24,000 members work for government agencies in New York City and <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>.
Rep. <a href="/topics/Carolyn_McCarthy">Carolyn McCarthy</a> (D-<a href="/topics/Mineola%2C_NY">Mineola</a>) offered her invitation to a member of her staff, as she has done in years past.
Rep. <a href="/topics/Peter_King">Peter King</a> (R-<a href="/topics/Seaford%2C_NY">Seaford</a>) offered his to a staffer's mother from <a href="/topics/Long_Beach%2C_NY">Long Beach</a>.
Although Levi could not be reached for his reaction to the invitation, his mother said she was surprised, pleased, but maybe a little embarrassed for him.
"I'm totally in shock," Debbie Levi said from Holbrook. "It's nice that he is going, but the only thing is I have all of his suits here. I just got them out of the dry cleaners."

LILEVI27

Holbrook veteran to attend State of the Union address

CAMP VICTORY, <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> - December was the first month since the Iraq war began in which there were no American deaths, a milestone hailed by military officials Friday as they inaugurated a new name for the U.S. force at the start of the year that will see the war wind down in earnest.
Henceforth, the Multinational Force-Iraq will officially be called the United States Force-Iraq, in belated recognition of the fact that for some time there have been no other nations serving alongside U.S. troops in the nearly 7-year-old conflict.
British, Australian and Romanian soldiers pulled out in July, leaving Americans as the last surviving members of what former President <a href="/topics/George_W._Bush">George W. Bush</a> once called "the coalition of the willing." A small number of foreigners are serving with a <a href="/topics/NATO">NATO</a> training mission, but they were not part of the multinational force.
At its peak, the coalition included 32 nations, but the expression often drew snickers because many of its members, such as <a href="/topics/Estonia">Estonia</a> and <a href="/topics/Tonga">Tonga</a>, were among America's smallest allies and they contributed fewer than 100 troops.
And now the United States is preparing to pull out too, adding an end-of-era feel to the renaming ceremony at one of <a href="/topics/Saddam_Hussein">Saddam Hussein</a>'s former palaces on the sprawling Camp Victory complex outside <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a> that serves as the military's headquarters.
Army Gen. <a href="/topics/David_Petraeus">David H. Petraeus</a>, head of the U.S. Central Command who oversees the wars in Iraq and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, told the servicemen and diplomats assembled in the palace's marbled foyer that the new name signaled a new phase for the U.S. military as it prepares to halt all combat operations and draw down from the current level of 110,000 troops to fewer than 50,000 by August.
The remaining U.S. troops, who will provide support and training, are scheduled to leave by the end of 2011.
Although challenges remain, in the form of a continued <a href="/topics/Al-Qaeda">al-Qaida</a> in Iraq presence and Iranian-sponsored Shia Muslim militias, Petraeus said, "there has been sustained progress." Army Gen. <a href="/topics/Ray_Odierno">Ray Odierno</a>, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, hailed the absence of American casualties in December as "a significant milestone" in the U.S. efforts to leave behind a stable country.
The Iraqi government Friday released figures showing that 3,454 Iraqis died in violence in 2009, the lowest level since the war began in March 2003.
"Iraq has moved out of the darkness toward the light of hope," Odierno told the crowd. "Two years from today U.S. forces will have completed their redeployment and Iraqi security forces will be fully in charge of their country." 
But there were reminders of the toll exacted by the war, in which 4,371 U.S. service members and 318 coalition members have lost their lives, according to the independent Web site icasualties.org.
In seats of honor in the front rows sat five soldiers who had been wounded in action, returning to Iraq for the first time since they were injured. The face of one of the men was severely disfigured. Another had hooks in place of his hands and appeared to be missing most of his nose. After Petraeus pointed them out, they received a warm round of applause.

WOIIRAQ02

December is first month in Iraq war without U.S. deaths

Children of a parent at war, especially those who don't live on a military base, suffer more emotional stress and behavioral issues than other American youth, according to a study of 1,500 military children conducted by the Rand Corporation. 
The findings, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, could be particularly significant to the many Army and Air Force <a href="/topics/National_Guard">National Guard</a> troops on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> who've made repeated tours to <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>. 
<a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> does not have residential military bases that elsewhere provide supportive emotional environments for the families of deployed troops. 
Researchers found that across all age groups, children from military families reported significantly higher levels of emotional difficulties than children in the general population. Teens were the most troubled. 
The children experienced problems engaging academically, anxieties, behavioral troubles and emotional difficulties, according to the report. The longer the parent was deployed, the more likely a child was to have problems. 
John Javis, of the advocacy group Veterans Health Alliance of Long Island, said the report's findings are reflected in the children of Long Island's Guard and Reserve troops. "With older children, they may see things on the news or in the mall, people speaking out against the war, and with their parent gone, it can be upsetting," he said. 
Last year, troops deployed from several locally based Guard or Reserve units. 
Last weekend, the <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> <a href="/topics/National_Guard">National Guard</a> addressed the issue of support for children at a predeployment seminar attended by 500 soldiers and relatives affiliated with the 442nd Military Police Company. The 442nd, which is based at the <a href="/topics/Jamaica%2C_NY">Jamaica</a> armory in <a href="/topics/Queens%2C_NY">Queens</a>, is expected to deploy to <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> in April. 
"For all these children to know there are other children going through the same things they are is comforting for them," said Laraine Figliuolo, of <a href="/topics/Sayville%2C_NY">Sayville</a>, a National Guard family readiness support assistant, whose husband, Victor, served in <a href="/topics/Bosnia">Bosnia</a> while their children were young. 
Nationwide, about 2 million children had a parent in either the active or reserve component of the military in 2009.

Suffolk

LIMILI09

Study: Military children more likely to be troubled

US Marines, Sgt. Michael Salemi

Pfc. Hector Mendez, a <a href="/topics/National_Guard">National Guard</a> soldier preparing to deploy to <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>, held his fiancee gently to him through the afternoon Saturday, excited by their impending parenthood.
But as things stand now, his mother - not his fiancee - would receive his military insurance should a fatal tragedy befall him. And because he has not yet designated his fiancee as his next-of-kin, military rules would bar the <a href="/topics/The_Pentagon">Pentagon</a> from even telling her if Mendez were seriously injured or missing in action.
"Everyone is telling me to get married, because the military takes care of your family," said Mendez, 21, of <a href="/topics/Shirley%2C_NY">Shirley</a>, who said he intends to tie the knot and organize his affairs, including changes to protect his future wife, before he leaves for <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> in April. "We're trying to get information on all this stuff."
Mendez was one of about 500 soldiers who with their loved ones attended a first-ever predeployment seminar designed to help members of the 442nd Military Police Company and their families get their lives in order before the soldiers leave for war. The five-hour event was held at a Tarrytown hotel.
Gov. <a href="/topics/David_A_Paterson">David A. Paterson</a>, who addressed those attending the seminar, said offering predeployment orientations is now a requirement of the <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> Army <a href="/topics/National_Guard">National Guard</a> to help soldiers and family members avoid being distracted by money worries and psychological stresses while soldiers are deployed.
"If you have loved ones overseas, you are serving right along with them," Paterson told the audience.
The stresses can reduce the military's effectiveness, military leaders have said, while producing more post-traumatic stress disorder, divorces and anxiety among children.
Soldiers and their family members were offered face-to-face advice on tax-free combat pay, financial planning, child care, psychological services, the military's TRICARE health insurance plan for spouses and children, legal advice, and other things they might need to get squared away before saying their goodbyes.
The 442nd, which is based at the armory in <a href="/topics/Jamaica%2C_NY">Jamaica</a>, <a href="/topics/Queens%2C_NY">Queens</a>, also deployed during the first months of the <a href="/topics/Iraq_War">Iraq war</a> in 2003.
But the unit received no orientation then, and military leaders acknowledged that some soldiers were confronted with various problems they had left back home.
One soldier faced financial ruin after leaving his finances to a girlfriend who ended the relationship while he was away, said 1st Lt. Tara Dawe, the 442nd's company commander.
"A lot of young kids leave without setting themselves financially," she said. "They're dating someone and leave everything up to them."
 Staff Sgt. Jason Diaz, 32, of <a href="/topics/Hicksville%2C_NY">Hicksville</a>, attended the seminar with his wife and three children. He said he intended to correct the military's record of his wife's birth date to avoid potential problems with any claims.
He also planned to visit a booth staffed by representatives of Military OneSource, a <a href="/topics/US_Department_of_Defense">Defense Department</a> program that soldiers and family members can go to for help 24 hours a day.
"When I deployed, we didn't have anything like this," said his wife, Nisha Diaz, 31, a former Army reservist sent to <a href="/topics/Bosnia">Bosnia</a> in 1997. "This is incredible."

LIMILI06

Predeployment seminar helps soldiers prepare families

limili06

When news broke last month that a helicopter crash in western <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> claimed the lives of seven soldiers serving with the U.S. Army's Special Forces, Dennis and Rachel Wilkins feared the worst for their Green Beret son. 
"We spent two terrible days," said Rachel Wilkins, her fingers knotted, as she sat in the living room of her family's Miller Place home. "We called our daughter-in-law to ask if she had heard anything. He finally was able to call us two days later." 
As Veterans Day arrives two days after Long Island buried its most recent battlefield fatality from the wars in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, area residents are reminded of the sacrifices made by the nation's military personnel and their families. Established after <a href="/topics/World_War_I">World War I</a>, Veterans Day is a national day of remembering the sacrifices of all of America's veterans. Nowhere was that sacrifice more on display than during yesterday's ceremony at Fort Hood, <a href="/topics/Texas">Texas</a>, where President <a href="/topics/Barack_Obama">Barack Obama</a> honored the 13 men and women killed during a shooting spree on the base. 
<a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/jackson-avenue-school-learn-from-li-vets-1.1579120">&gt;&gt;VIDEO: Click here to see Jackson Avenue in Mineola display their devotion to Long Island's Veterans </a> 
The Wilkins' son, Eric, is stationed in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> in a unit that included Sgt. Keith Bishop, 28, of Medford, who was killed Oct. 26 in a helicopter crash. He was at least the 10th Long Islander to die in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>. 
Until they heard their son's voice, the Wilkins feared Eric might have been aboard that helicopter. And he would have been, they were told, had another communications specialist not been assigned in his place. 
&nbsp;Worry goes with it 
Military service - and the worry that goes with it - have been part of this family's history. Dennis Wilkins' father survived the June 1944 allied landing at Normandy; Rachel Wilkins' brother served in <a href="/topics/Vietnam">Vietnam</a>. With their son in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, both parents know the apprehension each day brings. 
Bishop grew up a dozen miles from the Wilkins' home, in Medford. Both he and Eric Wilkins were members of the Army's special forces groups. 
"His death really brought this home to us, how close death can be," said Rachel Wilkins. "This is stressful - it keeps me on my knees. You try to stay positive, but you are hoping nothing happens." 
Thousands of area men and women have served in the military in the eight years since President George W. Bush sent troops to <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> in 2001, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and in 2003 to <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>. Thirty-three Long Islanders have died in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>. The high numbers of area men and women serving their country can be seen in the church the Wilkinses attend, <a href="/topics/St_Louis">St. Louis</a> de Montford in Sound Beach, where 22 members are serving, according to a church brochure. 
In Shirley, Terry Kruger, an auto mechanic with three children currently serving in the Army, was also moved by Bishop's death. 
A friend from Mastic, Terry Wilwerth, had heard of an outdoor memorial service in Bishop's honor at a park in Patchogue, and asked Kruger to come. Wilwerth is the father of Army Spc. Thomas Wilwerth, 21, of Mastic, who was killed in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> in February 2006, about a month after his unit relieved Kruger's son's unit, allowing it to return home. The two men knew each other from <a href="/topics/William_Floyd">William Floyd</a> High School. 
&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/america-s-vetdogs-reaches-out-to-war-vets-1.1579136">&gt;&gt;VIDEO: Click here to see VetDogs and their furry friends dedicated to helping Veterans</a> 
Another military family 
Terry Kruger, who reached the rank of Army staff sergeant while he was stationed in Germany between 1977 and 1983, said military service also runs in his family. His father, Richard Kruger, achieved the rank of sergeant major during a 20-year career. His grandfather served in the Army for 30 years. 
He is unequivocally proud that he has two sons and a daughter in uniform. But he is worried about multiple deployments. His eldest son, Army Spc. Matthew Kruger, has served three tours. His youngest son, Pfc. Richard Kruger, 19, a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in <a href="/topics/Europe">Europe</a>, leaves for <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> in a week. His daughter, Jennifer Kruger, 21, a member of the 257th Medical Batallion stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., is nearing the end of her training there. 
Last September, Matthew Kruger returned to upstate Fort Drum from his latest tour in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>. On Friday, Terry Kruger drove there to spend the weekend with his son. 
Kruger said his son is haunted by an episode in which he was among U.S. soldiers who fired on an auto that failed to stop as it approached a checkpoint. A 13-year-old Iraqi female passenger bled to death in his son's arms, Kruger said. 
"Sometimes he wakes up screaming in the night," Kruger said. "I think our all-volunteer military is the finest force ever assembled, but it is way too small. One [tour] is hard, twice is incredibly hard. I can't imagine having to do it three or four times." 
Sitting in their Miller Place living room, the Wilkinses expressed similar anxieties. After all, Eric Wilkins, 40, is on his fifth tour of duty - two in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and three in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>. 
"This is like rolling the dice," Dennis Wilkins said. "Sooner or later, the odds start working against you." 
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ENSOLD11

LI military families proud of soldiers, but worry

Wilkins

Mohsen Elsayed was eating dinner with the civilians and Army personnel who serve with him in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> when he got the horrible news.
"I was shocked to hear that the shooter is a doctor and a Muslim-American," he wrote in an e-mail Thursday after seeing the images from Fort Hood on CNN.
The notion that one soldier, charged with helping others feeling the pain of the perilous landscape of war, would instead kill them was more than he could handle.
"We are one family here," he wrote. "We sleep in the desert every night to get rid of our enemy and make sure our country is safer. We go without showers or hot meals for days, and I love every moment of it. I feel I'm giving something back to my great nation."
Elsayed is from Brentwood, but now Brentwood seems like another life. A businessman, he is now working as a civilian contractor for the Defense Department. He works beside those fighting the <a href="/topics/Iraq_War">war in Iraq</a>.
"I see the sadness in their eyes and I can feel their pain," Elsayed wrote in an e-mail on Friday, referring to the soldiers around him. " . . . Most of the soldiers who I work with are from <a href="/topics/Texas">Texas</a> and came from that base. As an American, I felt so bad for the loss of our kids' lives [back at] home."
It was devastating for Elsayed to learn the suspected shooter, Maj. <a href="/topics/Nidal_Malik_Hasan">Nidal Malik Hasan</a>, is Muslim. "We have lots of Arab-Americans who work with me," he wrote. "We all share the pain and we know that this is a sick individual who doesn't represent our values. I don't know the shooter, but when I heard the name I knew it was an Arabic name."
Elsayed said he worries that there will be repercussions because of Hasan's actions.
"You worry about some ignorant people who stereotype and put revenge on their hands," he wrote in an e-mail. "I'm not worried about myself here. I'm [among] my family here and we have nothing but love and respect among each other."
But, he added, "I'm sure it is going to be harder for us as Arab-Americans who are working for our federal government, but I'm worried more about our own community back home. We already have a negative image after 9/11."
Elsayed, 52, who was born in <a href="/topics/Cairo">Cairo</a> and later became a U.S. citizen, has been working to change that image.
He is vice chairman of Suffolk County's Muslim advisory board and a member of the county hate crimes task force. He also is a former business owner who for three years was vice president of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce. He ran, unsuccessfully, for Islip Town clerk in 2003. He said he intends to run for office again after he is home.
For now, however, he remains in Iraq, where he said he is grateful for the protection the soldiers provide.
"Our soldiers will give me their lives to defend me. I cannot go anywhere without them surrounding me for protection," he wrote. "They get mad at me when I go out without them to protect me. I love these soldiers and I have nothing but love and respect for them."
So much love and so much respect that on Friday he also sent off e-mails from Iraq soliciting blood donations from anyone who watched the news about Fort Hood and wanted some way to help.
"Giving blood saves people's lives," Elsayed wrote. "And especially soldiers'."

Columnists

Joye Brown

LIJOY08

Fearing attack's impact on image of Arabs

More than 10,000 legal immigrants in the U.S. military became citizens last fiscal year, the most since the <a href="/topics/Vietnam_War">Vietnam War</a>, according to preliminary figures released by the federal government this week.
While the citizenship process for some can take multiple years, about 10,505 men and women in the armed forces took advantage of the government's expedited citizenship process for green-card holders in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. That includes 8,850 naturalized domestically and another 1,655 who were naturalized while serving abroad.
"Obviously we're delighted to have high-quality recruits willing to serve this country and citizenship is appropriate," said <a href="/topics/The_Pentagon">Pentagon</a> spokesman Lt. Col. Les Melnyk. "These are Americans by choice and they've chosen to serve their adopted country during a time of war." 
Some, like Ismail Erdin, 32, of West Babylon, who became a citizen last month, say a quick path to citizenship was a draw in joining the Army's <a href="/topics/National_Guard">National Guard</a>. Erdin immigrated to the U.S. in January 2008 and enlisted last October. While he has friends who have green cards and have waited more than five years to become citizens, his dream came true in a matter of months. "If you're in the service, they take care of you," he said. Erdin could not disclose his native country for security reasons.
Others, like Isaac Flores, 25, of Brentwood, who arrived from <a href="/topics/El_Salvador">El Salvador</a> when he was 4, say citizenship was an afterthought but a nice benefit.
Flores joined the <a href="/topics/US_Marine_Corps">Marine Corps</a> in 2001, fighting in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> before getting an honorable discharge in 2005. He became a citizen last month. "I feel a lot better," Flores said. 
Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that processes immigration applications, said immigrants are required one day of honorable service before they can begin the application process. The $675 in application fees are waived and processing time ranges from just 48 hours to several months. The streamlined process has been in effect since 2002, after President <a href="/topics/George_W._Bush">George W. Bush</a> signed an executive order allowing expedited naturalizations for noncitizens in the armed forces.
"We've done aggressive work with the military," Rhatigan said. "We've got someone working with them on a daily basis."
Melnyk said about 8,000 green-card holders enlist in the military every year. Figures from August show there are 29,000 noncitizens serving the country - 18,000 in active duty and 11,000 in the reserves, he said.

LIIMMI21

Military paves way for citizenship for legal immigrants

The birth came suddenly on Oct. 3, more than two months early, and Cristal Wagenhauser's baby weighed less than three pounds. 
But in the days that followed, as little Madison Rose struggled to live, her husband's employer said it could not grant him leave to be at his wife's and daughter's side. 
That is because Wagenhauser's husband, Lance Cpl. Keith Wagenhauser, is a member of the U.S. <a href="/topics/US_Marine_Corps">Marine Corps</a> assigned to an overseas unit that stands ready to back up troops in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>. Unless the baby was not expected to survive, Wagenhauser, who grew up in <a href="/topics/Middle_Island%2C_NY">Middle Island</a>, would not be granted leave before his deployment ends sometime in the coming winter, military officials said. 
"I'm being as strong as I can be, but he needs to be here for his daughter," said Cristal Wagenhauser, 21, as she clutched her child to her chest at <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a> Medical Center. "If something were to happen, he would not ever get to see her. That would be devastating." 
Capt. Clark Carpenter, of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in which Wagenhauser serves, told Newsday that personnel are typically granted emergency leave only in cases of imminent or actual death in their immediate family. He said since Wagenhauser's unit was deployed last May 15 to its undisclosed overseas location, 16 Marines have been notified of the birth of a child. He said none have been granted to leave. 
Military deployments impose often excruciating challenges for families like the Wagenhausers, who must manage health and other emergencies while one or both spouses are away, often for months at a time. With America's fighting forces stretched by eight years of war, the Wagenhausers' situation is an example of how the need for military order often conflicts sharply with family life. 
Last year, The <a href="/topics/Associated_Press">Associated Press</a> reported that 3.7 percent of more than 87,000 married Marines divorced in fiscal year 2008, up from 3.3 percent a year earlier. 
The AP also reported that 15 percent of military personnel recently surveyed in <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> said they intended to divorce when they got home.<a href="/topics/The_Pentagon">The Pentagon</a> has counseling programs to help military couples communicate more effectively, and to bond again once they are reunited. In addition, family readiness officers are assigned to help couples obtain services needed to prepare for deployments, such as financial planning, day care, housing, or legal advice. 
Cristal Wagenhauser prepared for her husband's deployment by moving back into her mother's <a href="/topics/Lindenhurst%2C_NY">Lindenhurst</a> home from where they had lived at <a href="/topics/Camp_Lejeune">Camp Lejeune</a>, N.C. But their planning did not fully prepare the Wagenhausers for their sudden parenthood. 
Madison Rose was delivered by emergency Caesarean section Oct. 3 at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in <a href="/topics/Smithtown%2C_NY">Smithtown</a>, after doctors could not control premature contractions. Doctors there considered her too premature for their facility - she weighed just 2 pounds, 11 ounces - and the baby was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook%2C_NY">Stony Brook</a> University Medical Center. 
The attending physician there, Dr. Sridhar Shanthy, said last week that she told Wagenhauser's superior officers by telephone that the baby's condition could deteriorate at any time, and urged them to allow the father to come home. 
These are tense days for Cristal Wagenhauser. As she spoke with a reporter last week at <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook%2C_NY">Stony Brook</a>, her daughter cried out. "It freaks me when she does that - she's so tiny," she said.

LIMILI20

Marine denied leave to see premature baby daughter

Madison Rose

An <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a> war veteran and F-16 fighter pilot took command of the 1,000-person <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> Air National Guard 106th Rescue Wing based in <a href="/topics/Westhampton_Beach%2C_NY">Westhampton Beach</a> Sunday. 
Col. Thomas J. Owens II is now the top officer of the 106th Rescue Wing, which is based at Francis S. Gabreski Airport. The wing rescues allied forces behind enemy lines. 
Owens, 48, took control following a change-of-command ceremony at the airport. The outgoing commander is Col. Michael F. Canders, whose next assignment will be commander of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group at Sather Air Base outside <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a>, <a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>. 
Canders, who in 2005 led the rescue wing to <a href="/topics/Louisiana">Louisiana</a> where it rescued 161 people during <a href="/topics/Hurricane_Katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, had served as the 106th Rescue Wing commander since 2002. 
"This is an extremely exciting day," Owens said after the ceremony, which involved the passing of the wing's flag from the outgoing commander to the incoming one. "To be a wing commander in today's Air Force is an absolute honor." 
The ceremony was held in an airplane hangar at the airport, with a HC-130 transport plane and a HH-60 Pavehawk rescue helicopter providing a backdrop. 
Owens, a graduate of <a href="/topics/Cornell_University">Cornell University</a>, has served as second in command of the 174th Fighter Wing based in <a href="/topics/Syracuse">Syracuse</a> since 2007. He and his wife, Karen Hays Owens, will be relocating to Long Island. 
Owens took over the National Guard unit on a deadly weekend for U.S. soldiers fighting in <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>. In one of the fiercest battles of the Afghan war, hundreds of militant fighters from an Afghan village attacked remote outposts and eight U.S. soldiers were killed. As many as seven Afghan forces were also killed. 
If needed, Owens said the 106th Rescue Wing would be ready for deployment. 
"We're always ready," Owens said. "I'm confident our senior leaders, our military leaders and especially the president, are going to be able to make the right decisions for what's best for the country and what's best for the whole world." 
Brig. Gen. James W. Kwiatkowski, commander of the New York Air National Guard, praised Owens and his predecessor as "two outstanding officers passing the torch of leadership."

LICAP05

A new commander of LI National Guard rescue unit

Colonel Thomas J. Owens

She spent six months in <a href="/topics/Baghdad">Baghdad</a> wearing combat boots and a uniform. 
She came home clad in sandals and a fuchsia T-shirt, the letters "USMC" printed across the chest. 
All eyes were on Staff Sgt. Kristen Erario Saturday as she walked through two flag lines formed by veterans, who surprised Erario upon her arrival at <a href="/topics/Long_Island">Long Island</a> MacArthur Airport in <a href="/topics/Islip">Islip</a>. 
Dozens of veterans joined Erario's relatives in welcoming home the Marine, who had been stationed near Sadr City since October as part of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-<a href="/topics/Iraq">Iraq</a>. 
Erario, 32, handled logistics for the command, which works with the Iraqi Interior and Defense ministries to train and equip the country's military and police forces. 
Carrying her niece, Samantha Nunziata, 2, Erario beamed at the reception and offered effusive thanks. 
The time in Iraq taught her patience, she said. "With Iraqis and their culture, everything's not the American way," she said. "There are other ways." 
She learned to greet others by placing her right hand over her heart and saying "as-salaam alaikum," or peace be with you. 
Though she will miss some Iraqi foods, like pastries, Erario said she's ready for some of her mom's cooking. Yesterday's menu: chicken Parmesan and spaghetti. 
"I didn't say a word to her," her mother, Janet Erario, 51, of Holbrook, said. "We just hugged and cried." 
"That's something she'll remember," Islip Town Councilman Gene Parrington said. 
A <a href="/topics/Vietnam">Vietnam</a> veteran who served in the Marines, Parrington helped launch a program with the airport to host homecomings for local servicemen and women. 
"When we came back, it was a different type of war. You weren't really welcomed home," he said. "It doesn't matter what the war [is] . . . the veteran should be welcomed like a hero and treated as such." 
After relaxing with family in Holbrook, Erario will head upstate to Monroe, where she works as a state trooper. 
Outside the terminal Saturday, a convoy of Patriot Guard Riders, a veterans group, came up the street on motorcycles. 
Erario's sister, Danielle Aiello, 34, of Holtsville, had helped arrange a special ride home. 
Erario slipped on a helmet, tapped it against Aiello's, and mounted the back of a bike. Moments later, the roar of the engines revving announced the departure of the latest Long Island vet.

ny-limari1912670625apr18

A surprise welcome home for Marine

The Iraq War: Seven years later

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