4-3-2007

Visualize with me for a second. Think back to eight days ago. What were you doing? On your way to work? Making dinner? Imagine if you were standing on the battlefield over seas. According to representatives with the Oregon National Guard, soldiers returning from battle are granted eight days of demobilization training before returning to civilian life.

When a soldier first signs up, he or she is given 120 days of training before heading out onto the battlefield.

At a meeting today, Senator Ron Wyden put it bluntly: Our soldiers go from holding a gun to holding their children in eight days. It's a switch that can be jarring to say the least. Wyden met with Governor Ted Kulongoski and several local families of National Guard soldiers to talk about the transition from Civilian to Soldier and back . . . what hardships they face emotionally, physically and economically ... and what the government can do to help them ease the shift.

Family members talked about struggles finding health care and coping with the intense emotions that come with sending a loved one off. The two elected leaders (Wyden fresh off of a day of traveling around the state and Kulongoski back from a trip to the Gulf Coast) sat engaged with the families for quite a while, taking in their feedback and kicking around ideas to better serve our soldiers.