During a patrol in Iraq in 2008, I asked a battle buddy a question while sitting in a Humvee overlooking a voting site: "Have you ever wondered about coming back to Iraq in 5 years to see how this all turns out?" I saw his hopefulness and also his skepticism when he told me that all this money being spent in the Iraq war should benefit the Iraqis, but he wasn't sure how long the improvement would last. The cost my friend is talking about is more than 2 trillion dollars, according to the Huffington Post. The Iraq war also cost millions of civilian and military casualties.

Banner at a protest at Fort Hood, Texas, demanding better medical care for Iraq-era vets

Later that year, about a month before coming home, our unit lost a soldier through an IED. A despondent air overtook our squad. We were furious and gloomy. And again we questioned how our efforts would pay off. I remember explaining how the bosses around the world are always fighting each other for the capitalist interests, but we're in the middle, and always will be, until we make a communist revolution. A friend responded, "This war isn't worth it. I just want to go home."

And now 6 years later, I'm sure all these friends are remembering how we were sent to patrol the Iraqi streets in 130-degree heat. My buddies are sitting in front of their television witnessing another civil war occurring in Iraq. Deep in their guts, my veteran friends know how false were the bosses' promises of prosperity and well-being for Iraqi workers. In fact, these same veterans are experiencing the cruelty of the U.S. government at home.

On that same television set, we hear stories like that of Army veteran Doug Chase, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He and his wife went to a veteran's hospital and applied for medical care. Doug waited four months and got no answer. Two years later, the Veteran's Affairs finally responded to Doug, urging him to make an appointment. But Doug Chase had already died, and his wife was furious at the letter's statement that the VA is "committed to providing primary care in a timely manner and would greatly appreciate a prompt response."

A young friend with whom I served in Iraq recently attempted to apply for medical assistance for post-traumatic stress. He is currently unemployed and facing psychological stress. But he has been denied services. Another Iraqi War veteran friend is close to hitting his 20-year service with the Army. He tells me that the Army is trying its best to not promote him and pushing him to retire early.

This is the tip of the iceberg. Recent exposés have estimated that more than 120,000 veterans were left waiting or never got care. These delays were covered up so that administrators could get bonuses. The Obama Administration has a serious political problem on their hands: recruiting soldiers for U.S. imperialist wars is hard enough without a failing VA. hospital system waiting for them when they return. This has put pressure on the V.A. to make at least a few cosmetic changes to help recruitment.

But soldiers are only cannon fodder for imperialists. The bosses attempt to use our time, body and mind for their war benefits. Our need as a class is communist revolution, which is the opposite of the bosses' needs for profit and world domination.

It is no surprise that Obama recently nominated Robert McDonald as the Head of Veteran's Affairs. McDonald is the former CEO for Procter and Gamble, an American multinational consumer goods company. He also has connections with United States Steel Corporation and Xerox, which is the leading company that handles VA benefits processing. These bosses are not on our side! The V.A. will continue to give bad service. It doesn't matter who is in charge, soldiers will never get the medical care they need.

Our job is to spread the word to all soldiers that we must mobilize the masses for communism. Our full strength lies in the power of workers, soldiers and students amassing to organize a communist world that takes all lives into account.  Soldiers are crucial to this task. Red soldiers, who understand that they are part of the working class, will ally with workers to seize power, rather than be used by the bosses to attack our class sisters and brothers.

Before, during and after a revolution, we soldiers together with the rest of the working class will guarantee the best medical treatment for every person in society. This is a world we must all dedicate ourselves to. A communist world is worth fighting for. My veteran friends know the reality of this ruthless capitalist system. They, along with workers, soldiers and students around the world, should join ICWP.

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