Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), founded in 2002, is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization dedicated to
advocacy
Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...
on behalf of
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
s who continue to serve their country by protecting the rights and interests of fellow citizens. Based on the pragmatic ideals of the American
Patriot Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...
, VCS was established "by service-minded
war veterans who believe we, the people, are most secure when our country is strong and responsibly engaged with the world."
In 2006, Veterans for Common Sense merged for a period with
Veterans for America, an organization partnered with the
; however, the two organizations separated again in 2007. Veterans for America continued VCS's focus on national security issues, with the added element of active humanitarian relief, mine mapping and other programs that address the consequences of war.
VCS focuses on four primary program areas: national security, civil liberties, energy policy and veterans healthcare and benefits. Activities have included large veterans' sign-on letters urging caution to the President before the
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
and a lawsuit against the government seeking documents related to
torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
at the
Abu Ghraib prison
Abu Ghraib prison ( ar, سجن أبو غريب, ''Sijn Abū Ghurayb'') was a prison complex in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, located west of Baghdad. Abu Ghraib prison was opened in the 1950s and served as a maximum-security prison with torture, weekly exe ...
and the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...
. In addition, VCS has given frequent testimony before Congress about the need for mandatory full funding for
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
(VA) healthcare, the VA's broken disability claims process, and the VA's need for increased capacity for dealing with
Gulf War Illness
Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness is a chronic and multi-symptomatic disorder affecting military veterans of both sides of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have been linked to it, including fatigue ...
,
traumatic brain injury (TBI), and
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
(PTSD) and mental health patients.
VCS's current director i
Anthony Hardie a former state veterans agency official and former Congressional staff member. He succeeded previous Executive Director
Paul Sullivan(2006-2012), a former project manager at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and
Charles Sheehan-Miles (2003-2006), a former Gulf War-related non-profit executive.
References
External links
VeteransForCommonSense.org- Veterans for Common Sense webpage
ACLU.org- 'Statement of Seth Pollack, Chairman, Veterans for Common Sense' (October 7, 2003)
- 'In Letter to Bush, War Veterans "Strongly Question" Iraq Invasion, and Seek a Meeting', VCS garnered nearly 1,000 US veteran signatories: Vice Admiral Ralph Weymouth, USN, Retired Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan, USN, Retired Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote, USA, Retired, et al. (March 11, 2003)
- 'Links of Interest to
Veterans For Peace'
Meria.net- 'Meria with Charles Sheehan-Miles - Veterans for Common Sense & the News' (archived interview broadcast September 15, 2004)
VeteransForAmerica.org-
Veterans for America
VeteranSpeakers.org- 'National Veterans Speakers Bureau: Honoring the sacrifice of American veterans' (VCS sponsored educational program)
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Political advocacy groups in the United States
Veterans' organizations opposed to the Iraq War
Organizations established in 2002
Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.
2002 establishments in the United States