CHICAGO (WLS) — As President Donald Trump mulls over his decision for the United States to get involved militarily in Iran, Chicago veterans weighed in on whether or not it’s a good idea.
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Marine and Army veteran Frank Gutierrez is grateful to be alive. Many of his friends who served with him in the military are not.
The Chicagoan served in the Marine Corps and Army Reserves, completing four different tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The hardest part about deploying is coming home,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said the transition back to civilian life takes a big mental toll. Several of his friends who served in the Middle East wars have taken their lives.
Army veteran Marcus Perkins was fortunate not to serve in combat, but he hears the stories of those who did serve in Iraq and Afghanistan when he gets treated at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital.
“There’s been so many things that you hear that sleepless nights, worried about people behind them, just whole lot of things that mentally just bother them,” Perkins said.
As a hospital in southern Israel was bombed Thursday morning by barrage of Iranian missiles, President Trump has been in the White House situation room deciding if the U.S. should get involved in the war between Iran and Israel. The White House said the president will make a decision within the next two weeks. Trump publicly spoke Wednesday about the situation.
“I’d like to make the decision one second before it’s due, because it’s war,” Trump said.
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“My experience with war is it should never be made on a whim,” Gutierrez. “It’s a decision that every American should have a say in, and we do that through, you know, our electoral process.”
Gutierrez and Perkins hope Trump takes his time and holds out for a diplomatic solution.
“It’s easy to get in, hard to get out,” Perkins said.
Veterans fear nothing will be quick in the Middle East. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan lasted over 20 years, killing thousands of men and women who served and leaving veterans with life-long physical and mental injuries.
“We’re not even meeting the needs of our current veterans, you know,” Gutierrez said. “And we don’t need to add another 20 years of combat veterans, you know, medical mental health issues, drug addictions.”
Gutierrez said if the U.S. does get involved militarily, he hopes President Trump will seek the approval of Congress before he acts, especially discussing an exit plan.
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