Worthy of support

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Good work done

I agree with Congressman David Price that the Citizen Soldier Program should be reviewed but that the basic program should remain intact (letter, Sept. 29).

The Brain Injury Association of NC participated in the development and implementation of the provider training programs, which included military service members who had sustained traumatic brain injuries and/or post traumatic stress syndrome. There were about 18 regional programs coordinated by Bob Goodale and Pheon Beal from the Citizens Soldier Program.

Goodale and Beal spent countless hours working to make the trainings successful events. They always focused on the need to support our returning service members as their first priority. The trainings were exceptional teaching opportunities about military culture, brain injury and post traumatic stress syndrome.

Correction

A Sept. 25 front-page article on the Citizen Soldier Support Program stated four of the program's eight employees earned more than $100,000. Only three employees do: One employee reduced her work schedule to three-quarter time and earns $77,250.

Citizen-Soldier director is out

The University of North Carolina announced Friday that it is changing the leadership of a troubled $10 million program aimed at helping deployed soldiers of the National Guard and Army Reserves.

Peter Leousis is stepping down as director of the Citizen-Soldier Support Program, which UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp has criticized as seriously flawed. UNC officials said, however, Leousis will still be associated with the program.

The program will focus on the behavioral health needs of returning combat veterans, some of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Bob Goodale, a retired grocery executive and former official at the N.C. Department of Commerce, will lead the program. Goodale is a Citizen-Soldier program manager.

Remove the overseers

Your Sept. 25 story "Well-paid staff, little help for soldiers" showed that, yet again, our tax dollars have been misused. I agree with U.S. Rep. David Price that the Citizen Soldier Support Program is needed for our National Guard and Army Reserves. Our armed forces deserve our respect and financial support. I do not know how this program got so far off the rails, although I could conjecture that where money is involved ... (insert your own perspective here).

The predominant causes of the poor results to date are, as the audit states, "an unclear chain of command" and "little or no evaluation." In other words, no leadership and no oversight -- all-too-familiar themes. Those who were supposed to be the guardians of the program and our money (Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor in charge of the program, and Peter Leousis, who was overseeing the program) need to be replaced. They had five years to show whether they could manage a $10 million program; they could not.

U.S. citizens expect their money to be spent

Carry on with a program supporting returned soldiers

Having served in combat in Vietnam and Iraq, I know first-hand the burdens our returning soldiers bear. In 2003-2005, I was privileged to lead North Carolina's largest reserve deployment since World War II. We deployed the 30th Brigade Combat Team, including over 3,000 North Carolina Guardsmen, to serve alongside our active-duty brothers in the Iraq War.

Within the first 72 hours in Iraq our units were hit with roadside bombs, car bombs and direct fire resulting in one dead and several wounded. As the deployment continued, our units were attacked almost daily. We suffered more casualties, always giving the enemy better than received. By the end of our tour we had approximately 130 soldiers physically wounded, along with several killed.

The visibly wounded were evacuated and received excellent treatment. For those with invisible wounds, the fight continued as they remained in combat. When we returned to our homes and civilian jobs, some of our soldiers brought with them the invisible wounds of this war --