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November 12, 2012

Obama Touts Troop Drawdowns in Iraq, Afghanistan in Veterans Day Address 
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President Obama marked Veterans Day Sunday at Arlington National
Cemetery outside Washington, D.C. During his address, Obama touted the
drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Obama: "This is the first Veterans Day in a decade in which
there are no American troops fighting and dying in Iraq. Thirty-three
thousand of our troops have now returned from Afghanistan, and the
transition there is underway. After a decade of war, our heroes are
coming home. And over the next few years, more than a million
servicemembers will transition back to civilian life."

Obama's speech focused heavily on the need to provide services to recent
veterans, almost a quarter of whom come home physically or emotionally
disabled. But an investigation by Pro Publica and the Seattle Times
recently found the U.S. military has lost or destroyed records that are
needed for veterans to claim benefits.

 

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