WEBVTT 00:00.640 --> 00:02.529 it is Veterans Day and we want to 00:02.529 --> 00:04.807 salute all of our veterans on this day . 00:04.807 --> 00:07.029 You know , it holds special meaning for 00:07.029 --> 00:09.251 american troops serving in Iraq . Right 00:09.251 --> 00:11.584 now , this may be the last veterans Day . 00:11.584 --> 00:11.580 Most of them are going to spend their 00:11.580 --> 00:13.750 as President Obama has ordered nearly 00:13.760 --> 00:15.940 all U . S . Troops out of Iraq . By 00:15.940 --> 00:18.220 year's end this morning , we are joined 00:18.220 --> 00:20.920 by Major General Jeffrey Buchanan , one 00:20.920 --> 00:23.290 of the spokesman for US forces in Iraq . 00:23.300 --> 00:25.189 We want to thank you sir for your 00:25.189 --> 00:27.244 service and thank you for joining us 00:27.244 --> 00:29.356 here on good day Chicago . Talk about 00:29.356 --> 00:31.522 on this Veterans Day the transition as 00:31.522 --> 00:33.744 you and your comrades prepared to leave 00:33.744 --> 00:35.856 Iraq . Sure . Thanks for having me on 00:35.856 --> 00:38.022 your show today and and happy Veterans 00:38.022 --> 00:40.970 Day to you . We're , our transition is 00:40.970 --> 00:43.230 well underway . We've transitioned a 00:43.230 --> 00:45.660 number of tasks already and transferred 00:45.660 --> 00:48.640 those tasks to the US embassy uh and 00:48.640 --> 00:51.450 various agencies that make up the US 00:51.450 --> 00:54.300 mission Iraq here . As far as troops go , 00:54.300 --> 00:57.110 we're down to now about 27,000 troops . 00:57.400 --> 00:59.233 That's down from a high of about 00:59.233 --> 01:03.000 165,000 and 2008 . And uh 01:03.010 --> 01:05.066 we spent most of the last year under 01:05.066 --> 01:08.100 operation new dawn between uh 45 and 01:08.100 --> 01:11.590 49,000 . So we're well underway on 01:11.600 --> 01:13.780 redeployment of troops equipment 01:13.780 --> 01:17.210 continues to uh to head out and uh and 01:17.210 --> 01:20.940 our basis we've transitioned 495 Of our 01:20.940 --> 01:23.680 total of 505 bases that we had in the 01:23.680 --> 01:26.460 surge . So we've got 10 bases left to 01:26.460 --> 01:29.020 go . One of those . Just one comment , 01:29.020 --> 01:31.131 one of the , one of our largest bases 01:31.131 --> 01:33.020 actually transferred to the Iraqi 01:33.020 --> 01:35.131 government last week . That was balad 01:35.131 --> 01:38.770 air base . And the U . S . Uh wing that 01:38.770 --> 01:41.550 was at balad was a three 32nd air wing . 01:41.560 --> 01:43.338 They trace their lineage to the 01:43.338 --> 01:45.560 tuskegee airmen . I know that they play 01:45.560 --> 01:47.504 a big role in your parade you have 01:47.504 --> 01:51.320 coming up to today . Yes , they 01:51.320 --> 01:53.542 do . They do . You know , I want to ask 01:53.542 --> 01:55.709 you about something else or you know , 01:55.709 --> 01:57.987 advances in medical science , you know , 01:57.987 --> 02:00.098 create challenges when guys , men and 02:00.098 --> 02:02.320 women of the military come home because 02:02.320 --> 02:02.020 they're surviving more critical 02:02.070 --> 02:04.500 injuries than ever before . And another 02:04.500 --> 02:06.556 thing that you guys are dealing with 02:06.556 --> 02:08.722 because coming home is not without its 02:08.722 --> 02:10.667 challenges is PTSD , which has a , 02:10.667 --> 02:12.778 we've seen so much more light shed on 02:12.778 --> 02:15.020 this talk about the challenges that 02:15.030 --> 02:18.260 occur once our troops start coming home . 02:19.540 --> 02:21.730 Well , I I think we have certainly 02:21.730 --> 02:24.090 learned a lot over the past the past 02:24.090 --> 02:26.257 nine or 10 years about what our troops 02:26.257 --> 02:28.368 are going through and what they do go 02:28.368 --> 02:30.590 through the adjustments that we have to 02:30.590 --> 02:32.757 make and how we've , we've spent a lot 02:32.757 --> 02:35.000 of energy on our troops and on their 02:35.000 --> 02:37.056 families and helping the integration 02:37.056 --> 02:39.530 process . Uh even prior to their 02:39.530 --> 02:42.330 redeployment . So after they , after 02:42.330 --> 02:44.960 they redeploy , we've got very very 02:44.960 --> 02:47.310 good programs to help them help them 02:47.310 --> 02:49.990 throughout . And as far as the PTSD 02:49.990 --> 02:52.600 goes . Of course we take it very 02:52.600 --> 02:55.020 seriously And we spent a lot of time 02:55.020 --> 02:57.242 and energy on recognizing the signs and 02:57.242 --> 02:59.353 symptoms so that commanders and their 02:59.353 --> 03:01.960 comrades here can help their buddies . 03:05.840 --> 03:07.618 Yeah , I'm a proud daughter , a 03:07.618 --> 03:09.840 military man . I know back in the day , 03:09.840 --> 03:12.062 they did not deal with it quite the way 03:12.062 --> 03:11.430 they do now . And there are more 03:11.430 --> 03:13.763 programs available before we let you go , 03:13.763 --> 03:15.874 Major General , we just wanted to ask 03:15.874 --> 03:17.986 you about the reaction from the Iraqi 03:17.986 --> 03:19.819 people and Iraq in general as we 03:19.819 --> 03:22.152 prepare to withdraw almost all of our U . 03:22.152 --> 03:24.152 S . Troops by the end of the year . 03:24.440 --> 03:27.300 Well , I think that the Iraqi people 03:27.300 --> 03:29.467 now have opportunities that they never 03:29.467 --> 03:32.370 had in the past . Uh and clearly the 03:32.380 --> 03:34.547 the U . S . Military , the US people , 03:34.547 --> 03:36.640 there are taxpayers as well as the 03:36.640 --> 03:38.696 Iraqi people have been apart . We've 03:38.696 --> 03:40.696 we've all made tremendous amount of 03:40.696 --> 03:42.862 sacrifices and I don't think we should 03:42.862 --> 03:44.918 ever forget the sacrifices that have 03:44.918 --> 03:47.029 been made here . But these people now 03:47.029 --> 03:49.084 have a chance to move forward . They 03:49.084 --> 03:51.084 have elected their own government . 03:51.084 --> 03:53.251 This is something that was new to this 03:53.251 --> 03:52.990 part of the world . They have the 03:52.990 --> 03:54.990 opportunity to have an economy that 03:54.990 --> 03:57.140 serves all the people and so they 03:57.150 --> 03:59.094 really have an opportunity to move 03:59.094 --> 04:01.261 forward . And we've been a big part of 04:01.261 --> 04:03.261 that . I do want to thank everybody 04:03.261 --> 04:02.980 back in the U . S . For their 04:02.980 --> 04:05.310 tremendous support of us here on 04:05.310 --> 04:07.532 veterans State , but more importantly , 04:07.532 --> 04:09.643 every day of the year , regardless of 04:09.643 --> 04:12.480 of our folks politics , they supported 04:12.480 --> 04:14.702 us every step of the way . And it makes 04:14.702 --> 04:16.591 a huge difference in our morale , 04:18.840 --> 04:20.896 no doubt about it . And as they come 04:20.896 --> 04:23.007 home , I'm sure that will continue to 04:23.007 --> 04:25.062 be important . Major General Jeffrey 04:25.062 --> 04:25.010 Buchanan , thank you for joining us 04:25.010 --> 04:27.066 here on good day Chicago . Thank you 04:27.066 --> 04:29.399 for your service and Happy Veterans Day . 04:29.399 --> 04:31.510 Happy Veterans Day to you , too , and 04:31.510 --> 04:32.560 thanks again .