Many veterans have been watching the national healthcare reform debate closely, concerned that all of the hard-earned gains of the past few years, such as Tricare for Life, would be lost or greatly damaged under a new, Democrat administration and Pelosi-controlled Congress. As a military dependent, I share those concerns.

Next Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., there will be a local town hall meeting to address veteran’s questions on health care.

Hosted by the Metro Veterans Coalition of the Fulton County Republican Party, the town hall will feature former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi as well as Senator Johnny Isakson, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Also attending will be former Hanoi Hilton POW Col. Lee Ellis, USAF, retired, an Atlanta-based leadership consultant and author of the book "Leading Talents, Leading Teams."

The program will be followed by a movie screening of the HBO film, "Taking Chance: When one falls, another brings him home."

The event will be held at the Lefont Theater, 5920 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, and you must RSVP to attend. To do so, e-mail RSVP@FultonGOP.org with names and e-mail addresses of those planning to attend.

Meanwhile, the event’s organizer, Shawn Hanley, Chairman of the Fulton County Republican Party and a former U.S. Marine, commented in a recent press release that, "The men and women who serve in the U.S. military deserve our unwavering support when they are in uniform and, unquestionably, when they return home."

Hanley added, "Obama’s dithering on implementing General McChrystal’s plan in Afghanistan is a display of the Democratic Party’s inability to suppress its left wing base, which seeks the dismantling of the military."

It is a bit disturbing to think Obama’s dithering in Afghanistan might somehow be tied to the vote on healthcare reform. What do you think?