Writestream Radio Network

2014 has been a rough year for military personnel and members of the veterans community. The year began with a budget crisis, following a government shutdown and over five years without a signed and approved Federal Budget. And while some sense of fiscal responsibility seems to have finally come to the White House and Congress, things for those who still serve, and have served, continue to go from bad to worse. Forced drawdowns of active-duty military personnel continue, despite escalations of enemy action in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The Department of Veterans Affairs, despite the firing of its top leadership and years of saying that they are, "working the problems," in fact was proven in 2014 to be a criminally corrupt and morally bankrupt organization totally failing in their chartered mission. And as if to punctuate the continuing downward spiral for individuals who serve and have served, service/veterans benefits continue to be eroded in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, which offers only a pa