VOA标准英语2009-US Veterans Groups Speak Out On Afghanistan

By Jim Malone
Washington
16 November 2009

As President Barack Obama considers sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, veterans' groups are speaking out, though not always with one voice.

 
At Arlington National Cemetery¹ near Washington DC, Afghan war veteran Marine² Lance Corporal David Baker³ is laid to rest (file)
At Arlington National Cemetery just outside the nation's capital, Marine Lance Corporal David Baker is laid to rest.

Baker was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan. He was 22.

President Obama paid tribute on Veteran's Day to all those who have sacrificed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"We honor your service. We are forever grateful. And just as you have not forgotten your missing comrades, neither, ever, will we," Mr. Obama said.

With U.S. casualties in Afghanistan on the increase, the president is considering requests from his military commanders for more troops.

Veterans from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are weighing in on the strategy decision.

Army Reserve Captain Pete Hegseth heads a group called Vets⁴ For Freedom. 
Army Reserve Captain Pete Hegseth heads a U.S. war veterans group called Vets For Freedom

"I think it is incumbent⁵ upon us that we give him all the resources that he needs to be successful. Anything less than that is trying to fight a war of necessity on the cheap," Hegseth said.

Hegseth says troops in the field are eagerly awaiting the president's decision.

"And when you are moving out on patrol, you don't want to be moving out on patrol wondering, well, are they going to send the troops home or not send me what I need? If so, why am I risking my life for this mission if we are not there to win it?" Hegseth asked.

But more troops alone will not secure Afghanistan, says retired⁶ Staff Sergeant⁷ Brian McGough.

"So, we have the troops that we can send. We just have to do it smart, and we just can't send troops and troops and troops and troops. And eventually we are going to have to try to figure out what the end goal is. What is the goal in Afghanistan and how do we get there?" he asked.

 
Retired Staff Sergeant Brian McGough, wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq, is now with a group called VoteVets.org (file)
McGough was wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2003 and is now with a group called VoteVets.org.

Another veteran made headlines recently when he resigned from the State Department in protest of the war in Afghanistan.

Matthew Hoh was a former Marine Corps⁸ captain with combat experience in Iraq before he worked for the State Department in Afghanistan.

"Our presence in Afghanistan only fuels the insurgency⁹ there, and it is an insurgency that is based now upon the fact that people are occupied, as opposed to having any ideological¹⁰ ties with the Taliban or with al-Qaida or any hatred¹¹ of the West," Hoh said.

The veterans' groups are being heard in Congress, says Republican Congressman¹² Duncan Hunter of California.

"They have actually been there, they have done it, they have lived on the ground with those people in Afghanistan. They know how to win over there," Hunter said.

The differences in opinion among veterans over what to do in Afghanistan reflect a broader uncertainty¹³ among the American public, says pollster Peter Brown.

"Well, what we found is a lot of ambivalence¹⁴. A bare majority of Americans, about 52 percent, think that the U.S. military effort there is a good idea and should be there. But there is real reluctance¹⁵ about the depth and breadth and the length of the commitment," Brown said.

The country is looking for leadership from President Obama, says Army veteran Brian McGough.

"And it's a tough mission, but I think it is an attainable¹⁶ mission as long as we take the time to make sure that the mission is out there and laid out pretty well. But, I mean it is a tough place. It will be hard, but worth it," McGough said.

President Obama is expected to announce his decision on more troops for Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

1 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

5 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

10 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

11 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

14 ambivalence   

n.矛盾心理

参考例句：

• She viewed her daughter's education with ambivalence.她看待女儿的教育问题态度矛盾。
• She felt a certain ambivalence towards him.她对他的态度有些矛盾。

15 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

16 attainable   

a.可达到的，可获得的

参考例句：

• They set the limits of performance attainable. 它们确定着可达到的运行限度。
• If objectives are to be meaningful to people, they must be clear, attainable, actionable, and verifiable. 如果目标对人们是具有意义的，则目标必须是清晰的，能达到的，可以行动的，以及可供检验的。