On the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, many are reflecting on all that has happened in the last two decades.
I served in Iraq, and all over the Middle East and Horn of Africa as part of the Global War on Terror. I saw the worst of what war has to offer, met by the incredible bravery of America's troops.
But the courage on display in Iraq and around the world is a bright spot in an otherwise dark foreign policy mistake, perhaps one of the worst blunders in our nation's history.
The ramifications of the war in Iraq, and our nation's endless wars in general, are already being felt and will continue for decades to come. They put our troops in untenable, unwinnable positions overseas, and leave them with no clear path to victory. That isn't just dangerous for those with boots on the ground. The danger follows us home in the form of low morale and feelings of purposelessness and our sacrifices and losses being in vain.
The post-9/11 wars have cost more than $6 trillion, most of which has been borrowed by our government. This has caused the national debt to skyrocket, increasing by around $25 trillion in 21 years.
Care for veterans will add to the cost of those wars. Federal spending on veterans' care has doubled over the last 20 years, and at least $2.2 trillion will be needed for medical care and benefits over the next 30 years. That number could dramatically increase as our understanding of toxic exposure evolves.
And on the disability side, in the next 30 years, 54 percent of post-9/11 veterans are expected to receive lifetime disability payments. That is at least a million veterans receiving some disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans are returning home, often after multiple deployments, and are living their civilian lives with the scars of war—physical, mental, and emotional.
An even greater tragedy of wars in the Middle East is veteran suicide. I know I'm not alone in knowing people who have been hurt by veteran suicide; it seems as though every veteran I come across can tell me a tragic story of loss.
For every service member killed in the Global War on Terror, four post-9/11 veterans have died by suicide, more than 30,000 in total. Those numbers are sobering, and the deaths leave their marks on the families and friends left behind.
And then there are those who didn't make it home. Around 4,600 American troops have been killed in Iraq alone, plus another 2,500 in Afghanistan, Syria, and other countries. Each of those deaths represents lost potential, a life cut short, and loved ones left to pick up the pieces.
So what can be done?
Congress should take back its responsibility to make difficult military engagement decisions. That means repealing outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and putting authorization decisions back in the hands of those most accountable to the people.
Three AUMFs from the last 30 years are still on the books, allowing the White House and unelected military leaders to deploy troops without input from Congress. This has resulted in troops being left in Iraq long after the official mission was over, and troops being deployed all over the world with little idea of what their missions are or how they are making Americans safer at home. Troops are constantly endangered under outdated AUMFs, and the lack of accountability at the Pentagon, White House, and Congress is the reason why.
Luckily, Congress is going in the right direction.
Recently, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young's (R-Ind.) bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs made it through committee and is poised to pass the Senate soon. This is a step toward congressional oversight of military action, which itself is a way to honor those who have served in Iraq.
The effects of the Iraq War and Global War on Terror have been catastrophic and will be felt for decades. But it's not too late to protect the next generations of war fighters from unnecessary conflict.
As an Iraq veteran myself, I hope to see Congress take back its wartime responsibilities and honor those of us who served with more prudent foreign policy decisions in the future.
Jason Beardsley is director of veterans' initiatives at Stand Together and a 22-year veteran of the United States Army and Navy.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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