Harvard Veterans Tell Stories of War

Because of poor planning and ill-prepared government agencies, the U.S. military has assumed the primary responsibility for humanitarian aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, several war veterans said at a panel in Cabot House yesterday.

The forum, sponsored by the Harvard Reserve Officer Training Corps Association in recognition of Veterans Day, featured four former military officers who are now studying at Harvard graduate schools.

Speaking to an audience of mostly ROTC cadets, the veterans focused on elements of leadership in the military and how they were largely unprepared for the humanitarian jobs they found themselves doing.

“We are not the worst group of people to be charged with these challenges, but we haven’t had any of the background,” said Seth W. Moulton ’01 about reconstructing Iraq.

Moulton has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marines and is currently studying at the Kennedy School and the Business School.

Other government agencies that could be more qualified to deal with humanitarian challenges have been unable to do so because of security or budget concerns, the speakers said. They also said that further problems have been caused by the small number of State Department officials—people with training in these activities—who are on the ground.

Yet it has been difficult to get some military officials on board with the rebuilding, the veterans said.

“These aren’t wars that are won by killing everybody,” said Drew J. Sloan, a student at the Kennedy and Business Schools who was wounded twice while serving overseas.

“We’re going to need to do these humanitarian projects,” Sloan continued.

As a Harvard graduate, Moulton addressed the unique position in which he and Harvard ROTC recruits are placed.

“When you come from a place like Harvard, you have some advantages but some handicaps,” he said. “They respect the hell out of you, but they are concerned you have no common sense.”

The officers also had words for the president-elect. They said it would be unwise to leave Iraq within 16 months even if it is physically possible.

“I’m not saying it will lead to chaos and civil war, but that’s too much of a risk,” said Kent W. Park, a public service fellow at the Kennedy School who served in the Army for 10 years.

Isaiah T. Peterson ’12, who is in Air Force ROTC, said the panel gave him a sense of what serving in the military is really like.

“It’s good to see actual people who did that,” he said. “It’s a lot different from sitting here at college doing a drill every week.”

CORRECTION

The caption of the photograph associated with this article stated incorrectly that this event was sponsored by the group Advocates for Harvard ROTC. In fact, as the article itself makes clear, the event was sponsored by the Harvard ROTC Association.