November 11, 2008 Veteran's Day in Alaska

Tuesday November 11, 2008
Veteran's Day in Alaska

Today I decided to write something I know a lot about. That topic is "Veteran's in Alaska". My Mother is a disabled veteran with many years of service to both the Air Force and to the Army.

My mother joined the U.S. Air Force right out of high school. She attended a Catholic Board School in St. Mary's Alaska until her graduation. She said that her experience living in that school prepared her for the Air Force basic training and she was able to look back at life in her dorms as "good training" and was harder then what she had to go through at Lackland AFB in Texas.

In 1996 my mother injured her back while on a field training exercise and she has been dealing with the Department of Veteran's Affairs regarding her injury since 1998. A slow process that takes a lot of energy to pursue my mother knows that Vets now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to rural Alaska may not have access to their benefits like those living in Anchorage a more urban environment.

My mother says that despite steps currently being pursued in Alaska to assist rural Veterans gain access to their benefits, many will still be forgotten.

I wonder if I will still be wondering about Alaska's returning rural soldiers next year and how if ever they are getting the services they need upon returning from war.

Kris