Vets For Freedom – Soldiers get a voice on Capital Hill

I have been writing a lot about business and technology, and not mentioned anything somewhat political in a while. I was waiting for something worth writing about other than the upcoming elections or a passing bill. I was contacted by a great friend about a group of soldiers heading to capital hill on September 17th and 18th to talk about the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for our country. The group Vets for Freedom is a collection of soldiers that has banded together to raise awareness of the troops supporting the current campaigns. Staff Sergeant Jeremy Christiansen is the California Representative of the organization and served in Iraq from 2003 – 2004 as a Military Police officer securing convoys of vital supplies and patrolling the dangerous streets of Baghdad and surrounding areas. He and I spent a lot of time together on those roads. Jeremy, like many of the soldiers, came home from the war with a new mission in life. His was to bring his experiences to the table to make changes in in the ways that people view this generation of soldiers and help returning soldiers make the adjustment.

Vets for Freedom is a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our mission is to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our first-hand knowledge to issues of American strategy and tactics—namely “the surge” in Iraq. We support policymakers from both sides of the aisle who have stood behind our great generation of American warriors on the battlefield, and who have put long-term national security before short-term partisan political gain.

The Vets for Freedom is run by Lt. Pete Hegseth a Princeton graduate and infantry Platoon Leader of the infamous 101st Airborne Division and Staff Sergeant David Bellavia who was a member of the Big Red One 1st Infantry Division who’s bravery in combat during some of the fierce fighting in Fallujah has gotten him recommended for the Medal of Honor, the militarys highest award. After returning from their tours as a way to get the voices of the troops still serving heard by political leaders they formed Vets for Freedom with the hopes that they can make a difference in the lives of new veterans and soldiers still overseas. Vets for Freedom is a fairly new group but you wouldn’t know it by it’s size. The organization has grown to be the voice of support for the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The recent Vets on the Hill event was sponsored by the group and took 250 veteran soldiers from every branch of the military on 2 day all expense paid trip to the steps of the White House. Jeremy Christiansen was responsible for getting 10 veterans from California on the trip and he reached out through his military contact to get more than enough names of interested people. The plan for the trip was to get in front of congressional members, military leaders and other heads of state to bring the voices of the veterans up the hill to the people who can make a difference. The plan was executed superbly and the voices of the veterans were heard and discussed in great length.

The breakfast on the White House lawn was the highlight of the trip. President George Bush gave a speech to the group discussing the current state of the war and his commitment to them and the other soldiers that this fight will not stop until the regions are stabilized and the people in Iraq and Afghanistan are able to run their governments without interference of Al Qaeda or insurgents. Then along with Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and some top military officials they walked among the groups taking the time to talk with the veterans about their personal experiences and listen what these veterans had to say. Having the opportunity to have a full discussion, let alone meet the leaders of our Nation is a huge honor and was not taken lightly by Jeremy or the other veterans included in the event.

Over all the event was a huge success the soldiers were able to have their voices heard by congressmen and military leaders that really were there to listen to their stories and input.

There are chapters all over the United States and if you are interested in knowing more or joining you can contact Jeremy Christiansen directly at christiansen_jeremy@yahoo.com go to www.vetsforfreedom.org.