Outgoing AMVETS chief praises soldiers

YOUNGSTOWN — The United States is making progress and is at a turning point in Iraq, said national AMVETS Commander John (J.P.) P. Brown III of Boardman.

“Probably by the end of the year, 80 percent or more of the combat missions will be done by Iraqis with U.S. advisers,” he said.

A weeklong Department of Defense-sponsored trip to Iraq was one of Brown’s last major activities as head of AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam), a national veterans service organization. His year in office ends Aug. 31.

Brown said he found the morale of the soldiers to be very good. “They are doing a really good job. The sad part is all we hear in the news are the bad things. We don’t see the good things our government and troops are doing.”

For example, he said one of the female officers told him she is organizing a Boy Scout troop for Iraqi children, for which, he said, AMVETS is gathering materials. This type of social program helps the two cultures understand each other, Brown said.

He said the troops feel very appreciated, but one thing that really bothers them is their changing role. They were trained for combat, but right now, with the U.S. winding down its combat mission, they are taking a back seat as reinforcement to Iraqi soldiers.

“You won’t find anywhere in the world better qualified soldiers, or better people, to do this job than our young men and women. They want to be there,” he said.

Read the full story in Monday’s Vindicator and on vindy.com