National Dialogue on Cost of Combat

Over one hundred people gathered at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club today to listen to three combat vets describe their battle experiences and the challenges they faced after coming home. With Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as the moderator, the one-hour talk drew an enthusiastic response from the audience.

In the photo on the left the panelists listen to Ari Sonnenberg explain how his three tours/five years in Iraq turned the United States into a “tour of duty,’ referring to the fact that he spent much more time in combat than he did at home where adjustments to a “normal” life were difficult.

The veterans and the congresswoman agreed that the nation needs a better understanding/ national dialogue on the ramifications of “boots on the ground.”