Paul Rieckhoff Quotes (14 Quotes)

policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden.

We saw firsthand the terrible suffering that they had endured. We protected a hospital and kept a school safe from sniper fire. We saw hope in the faces of Iraqi children who may have the chance to grow up as free as our own.

I don't think the Army is wrong by doing this, because the Army has to ensure some level of quality.

People should be paying attention to it, because I think it really could be the tip of the iceberg.

Now I think the public opinion is starting to change, and people are understanding that the guys who've been in Washington don't seem to have a good handle on it,

The study confirms what we've heard from our members for the last two years -- that mental health issues and (post-traumatic stress disorder) are among the No. 1 issues facing Iraq veterans.

It just became an accepted part of the culture. If you were National Guard or Reserve, or NCOs, noncommissioned officers, you were going to spend a lot of money out of your pocket. These are bureaucratic failures, but when they make mistakes like this, guys die. There has been progress made, but we're still seeing serious shortages.

I wanted to be able to call bullshit on some of these guys. OK, Bill O'Reilly, OK Al Franken 'What do you really know about infantry tactics 'Have you ever had to walk through bodies

This is the monster they made.

These numbers should be a wake-up call on the mental health impact of this war. One in three soldiers will come back with post traumatic stress disorder or comparable mental health issues, or depression and severe anxiety.

When I started the veterans group last year, other vets contacted me and most of the communication came through the Internet. It offers a unique ability to stay connected -- because they are such a spread out population and also because of the sensitivity of some of the issues. If you are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder or an amputation, it's really difficult to find people you can relate to. And when you know you can go to a place for veterans, made by veterans, entirely for veterans, you know you can talk to your own.

We need some leadership in Washington to recognize the pending threat of PTSD to veterans and our country as a whole. George Bush doesn't talk about mental health and he doesn't talk about veterans. Veterans' issues are not a big priority for him.

men and women of extraordinary courage and incredible capability. But it's time we had leadership in Washington to match that courage and match that capability.

People don't feel comfortable getting mental health care, necessarily, because they're worried that their friends are going to think they're unstable or they're crazy.