Life After War: A Global Case Study

By Leroy Sharpe Jr. and Sonja Sharpe

Wars have been a part of human history for thousands of years and have become increasingly destructive as industrialization and technology continues to advance.

Each year, the U.S. military recruits some 175,000 young Americans. At the heart of its pitch is a sacred promise to take care of those who serve—what President Abraham Lincoln described in his second inaugural address as the national duty "to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan." Service members are an irreplaceable component of U.S. national security. And because the United States relies on an all-volunteer force, how the country treats its troops during and after their service matters when it comes to sustaining this critical component of national strength. But despite some recent improvements, the VA and other federal agencies struggle to keep other promises to active service members and veterans after they come home. It is now our duty as a nation to tend to our veterans when they return from overseas and are discharged from military service.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098347758

Book preview

© 2020 Leroy Sharpe Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover Design: By 2Sharpe Enterprises

Editing Services: A. Hargrove

ISBN: 978-1-09-834775-8

Table of Contents

Foreword: By: Marlon D. Richardson (SGM Retired, U.S. Army)

Dedication

Introduction

Wars and Battles in the Bible

War: Causes, Effects and Cost

War Facts and Statistics

America and its Military Veterans

THE SITUATION

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

We Can and Must Do Better

THE WAY AHEAD

SOLUTIONS

Acknowledgements.

ENDNOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foreword: By: Marlon D. Richardson (SGM Retired, U.S. Army)

As a soldier assigned to the greatest Army within the world, I was trained to believe that I was invincible. I ignored pain, and developed the mindset that fear was a sign of weakness. Although, my Drill Sergeants and NCOs helped to shape me into the soldier I became. My foundation came from the streets of Portsmouth, Virginia and the halls of I. C. Norcom High School. I had several experiences while serving within the Army, some good and some not so desirable. I was assigned to some of the most elite units within the Army, served in combat operations in Haiti and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and dealt with racism at is finest, because of the color of my skin. As an African American soldier, we had to be twice as good as our white counterparts to receive just deserved recognition. But through it all, I had one common motto: which was tough times don’t last, but tough people do.  I was extremely fortunate during my time of service. I completed light fighters’ school, Air Assault training, Airborne training, Battle Staff training, the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned course and graduated from the Sergeants Major Academy as a member of class ‘55. I made a lot of friends and had the opportunity to go to places I had never heard of. I crossed paths with several great leaders; both officers and enlisted and lost some comrades who paid the ultimate sacrifice (death). If I could do it all over again, I would. However, I have come to the realization that the same country that I and thousands of veterans put our lives on the line for, was not as loyal to us as we were to it. Nothing could have prepared us for the war that we would encounter within the United States of America; as it relates to taking care of the very Veterans who placed the nation’s interest on their backs. The country we love has failed us as veterans and continues to do so. This has resulted in excessive drug use, increased homelessness and increased levels of suicides among veterans.  Transitioning back into civilian life can be extremely challenging and down-right overwhelming for many Veterans. I, like thousands of other Veterans, struggled during my transition from active duty military to civilian life.

We sacrificed our lives and our families for the good of our Country.  Now, it’s time

for our Country to step up and take care of Veterans and their families.

So, the questions remain:

What are the underlining causes and effects of war?  What are the short-term and long-term effects (both visible and invisible) of war on our society?  How can our global society come together to better address today’s challenging conflicts?  What policies and strategies can be implemented to directly address these complex issues?  What can we (the USA) do to better take care of our military Veterans and their families?  This book addresses these complex issues, conducts some extensive research and develops some practical strategies and solutions (both short-term and long-term). 

Dedication

      We are dedicating this book to the following distinguished groups of people:

you" for your service and sacrifice.

Table of Contents

Foreword                                        Page 3

Dedication                                        Page 5

Introduction                              Page 7

Wars and Battles in The Bible                        Page 9

War: Cause, Effect, and Cost                        Page 31

War: Facts and Statistics                        Page 34

The LAW Survey                                Page 37

Authors’ Testimony                                Page 45

Our Allies’ and Their Military Veterans               Page 52

America and its Military Veterans                  Page 56

The Situation                                    Page 59

The COVID-19 Pandemic                     Page 65

We Can and Must Do Better                     Page 67

The Way Ahead                          Page 71

Solutions                               Page 73

Resources Available                              Page 81

Acknowledgements                                Page 82

Endnotes                                    Page 84

Bibliography                                   Page 85

Introduction

Ecclesiastes 3:8; a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What Is a War?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, war is defined as the following:

A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.

A state of competition or hostility between different people or groups.

A sustained campaign against an undesirable situation or activity.

Wars have been a part of human history for thousands of years and have become increasingly destructive as industrialization and technology continues to advance.  A war is typically fought by a country or group of countries against an opposing country with the aim of achieving an objective through the use of force. Wars can also be fought within a country in the form of a civil or revolutionary war.

Why War?

As we conducted our research and interviews for this book,