I have been doing extensive research on the POW/MIA issues, and also issues regarding PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and I am amazed at the lack of integrity and common sense displayed and acted upon by people who are supposed to be representatives for our United States Government..

The Military has a code of Conduct which all service men and women abide by but our United States Government does not have such a code. We need a Code of Conduct for our United States Government so that when they send troops into any conflict or battle, they are required to abide by that Code of Conduct. And that would mean an obligation and commitment to NOT leave POWs and MIAs to scramble for themselves.

You put yourselves in the shoes of POWs and MIAs and think of what it must be like. You answer the call, you serve your nation and then your nation simply abandons you and forgets that you are a human being. You become a statistic, a piece of political chaff, and that is the end of that.

You serve your nation with honor and you encounter things which you should not have to face but do face and must overcome, and then you acquire what they like to refer to as PTSD. The VA grants you compensation and you start receiving compensation checks. One day, someone (VA) comes up with a crazy idea that maybe, just maybe, they should start reviewing all the records of those who are getting compensation. That way the VA can come up with some money and not have to figure out other ways to do it. The fact that you served in the combat area and acquired PTSD does not seem to figure in the picture. They want to verify all this information and toy with your life. They do not bother to take into account what this can do to the persons involved. That is not their problem.

The bottom line of all this is that our United States Government is not doing their job when it comes to providing the benefits and protection they should be providing for our troops. They ordered these people into the conflict area and they are responsible for what happens to that person who is serving in that conflict or battle area.

We need to create a Code of Conduct for our United States Government so that when they send troops into battle, those troops know that if they are wounded, our government will do everything within its power to make sure they receive FREE medical treatment and care when they return. Our government should also be required, by law, to take every step necessary to find and return any troops who become POWs or MIAs.

Freedom may demand a high price to pay but it should not require us to pay the price of being abandoned because our government does not have the guts to stand on its feet and do what is right, what is just and what the American people have the right to expect.