Iowa Iraq Vet Stands with Dodd

James Lynch of The Cedar Rapids Gazette has a great write up of Senator Dodd's support among veterans, specifically Iowa State Representative Ray Zirkelbach, an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

Sen. Chris Dodd won the endorsement of Rep. Ray Zirkelbach, D-Monticello, an Iowa National Guardsman who has served two tours of duty in the Middle East, including a nearly two-year stint that ended in August.

Both state lawmakers say they were attracted to the candidates because of their Iraq war plans.

''I know all too well the cost of war, and I know that this war must end,'' Zirkelbach said. ''I've seen firsthand the disastrous effects that a lack of clarity from leadership can bring.''

His endorsement carries a lot of weight, according to Dodd spokeswoman Taylor West, because Zirkelbach ''has become, in a way, a recognizable face to put on the incredible strain the war is placing on the Iowa National Guard.''

Zirkelbach missed two sessions of the Legislature and his daughter's birth while on active duty.

''Ray puts a face on one of the many reasons why we need to end the war,'' West said.

Zirkelbach believes Dodd is the only candidate ''speaking with conviction on what we need to do to end this war.'' Unlike some other Democratic candidates who said they may not be able to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq before 2013, Dodd has pledged ''to get it done'' in his first term as president.

He has promised to support legislation on Iraq only if it contains a firm and enforceable timetable for redeploying U.S. troops as well as an enforceable cutoff of funds for future combat operations there.

Zirkelbach endorsed Dodd for President earlier this month, citing Dodd's conviction on what we need to do to end the war in Iraq. Zirkelbach was a member of Iowa's "Ironman Battalion," which spent twenty months in on the ground in Iraq, longer than any other U.S. combat unit. Since their return, the Iowa National Guard's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry has been denied full educational benefits under the G.I. Bill. The Des Moines Register noted that, "Each soldier has individual orders, and in some cases they were for 725 to 729 days of active duty - just short of the 730 days required, said Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood, public affairs officer for the Iowa National Guard."

Last week Rep. Zirkelbach said, "It is unconscionable that this Administration would not honor the commitment they made in return. The brave men and women with whom I served deserve better than being nickeled-and-dimed out of the benefits they were promised - especially when those benefits are supposed to help pay for education."

Senator Dodd supports giving the men and women on Iowa's "Ironman Battalion" full benefits they have earned through their distinguished and honorable service to our country. He has co-sponsored Senate Bill 2139, the National Guard and Reserve Educational Benefits Fairness Act. Senator Tom Harkin is also a co-sponsor. It will drop the 730-day order requirement, so that eligibility for full educational benefits would be based solely on length of service -- ensuring that Iowa's "Ironman Battalion" receive the benefits they deserve for their service.

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