Where do the candidates stand on military issues?
Each candidate has different platforms. Read below for each candidates' position on those impacting the military.
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)
Age: 60
Military Service: None
- Enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century
- Provide affordable and quality health care for all veterans
- Extend hiring preferences to veterans-friendly contractors
- Expand veterans homeownership
- Offer vouchers worth up to $10,000 to returning veterans who want to serve in AmeriCorps and select not-for-profit organizations
- Service members will not be deployed without a rest period equal to previous deployment
- Co-sponsored bill to allow six months family leave to care for wounded soldiers
- Co-sponsored bill to raise death benefits from $12,000 to $100,000
www.hillaryclinton.com
www.myspace.com/hillaryclinton
Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
Age: 46
Military Service: None
- Advocates expanding veteran health care benefits
- Backs efforts to expand TRICARE eligibility and reduce TRICARE premiums
- Full withdraw of all major military forces from Iraq
www.barackobama.com
www.myspace.com/barackobama
Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Age: 71
Military Service: Graduate of
- U.S. Naval Academy
- Retired Navy Captain (1958-1981)
- Supports education and job counseling programs for transitioning service members
- Supports the Troops to Teachers Act
- Is working to give top priority for government contracts to service-disabled veterans
- Supports repealing a ban on receiving VA disability and military retirement pay
- Wants all veterans to be a part of the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program
- Increase the size of the military to reduce deployment schedules
- Call for significant military pay raise
www.johnmccain.com
www.myspace.com/johnmccain
Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.)
Age: 60
Military Service: None
- Increase the size of the military by 100,000 troops
- Increase the DoD budget by 4 percent
- Increase GI Bill benefits
- Take the efficiencies of civilian health care and apply it to the VA health care system
- Increase military funding
www.mittromney.com
www.myspace.com/mittromney
Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.)
Age: 52
Military Service: None
- The right to a mandatory veterans’ health care
- The right of National Guard and Reserve personnel called to active service to receive the same benefits as active duty veterans
- The right of disabled veterans to receive both their military retirement and VA compensation
- The right of wounded veterans to a comprehensive GI Bill that provides full tuition, books, fees, and living expenses at any institution
- Increase the size of the military by 92,000 in three years
- Increase military funding
- Service members will not be deployed without a rest period equal to previous deployment
www.mikehuckabee.com
www.myspace.com/mikehuckabeeforpresident