At Fort Bliss to mark two years since end of Iraq war: Obama speaks to soldiers

In an election year reminder that he finished the war in Iraq, President Obama vowed Friday to help soldiers, veterans and their families defeat economic and health care struggles as they return to the nation they have served.

Surrounded by a sea of men and women in fatigues, Obama saluted their service, but cautioned that a "tough fight" corpse in Afghanistan even as the U.S. works to transfer security control to Afghan forces. He said the troop’s bring back home now presents different challenges.

Obama said, "After fighting for America you shouldn't have to fight for a job in America. To you and all you serve, we need to be there for you just like you were there for us."

Obama's visit Friday to the vast Fort Bliss Army post in El Paso arrived on the second anniversary of the end of combat operations in Iraq. While officially not a presidential campaign trip, the visit also served clear political aims by highlighting the end of one unpopular war and the wind down of some other and drawing attention to Obama's role as commander in chief.

Obama also called Fort Bliss on Aug. 31, 2010, the day he announced the end of the U.S. combat role in Iraq.

Obama said, "You left Iraq with honor, your heads held high. And today Iraq has a chance to forge its own destiny, and there are no American troops fighting and dying in Iraq."

Fort Bliss soldiers entered in the Iraqi invasion in 2003 and were among the last to serve in combat roles there. The post endured substantial losses during the Iraq war and its troops are now being deployed in Afghanistan.

Before his remarks, Obama held a private roundtable assembling with service members and military families, including "Gold Star" families who lost relatives overseas.

His message to people, Obama said: "Your loved ones live on in the soul of our nation."

Obama recognized that for those who return, "Coming home can be its own struggle." He cited the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury.

He announced that he had, in the first place Friday, signed an executive order directing federal agencies to expand their efforts at addressing the mental health needs of veterans, service members and their families and to gain measures aimed at preventing suicide.

"I know that you join me in saying to everyone who's ever worn the uniform, if you're pain it's not a sign of weakness to seek help, it's a sign of strength," he said. "We are here to help you stay strong - Army strong."

Among the steps spelled out in the dictate is an increase in the number of Department of Veterans Affairs' counselors. It also orders the Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services to attempt a mental health study aimed at improving prevention, diagnoses and treatment of post traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury.

Obama also renewed a call on Congress to pass evaluates in Obama's economic proposals specifically aimed at veterans, including one that provides tax credits to businesses that hire vets.

Veterans are a key voting bloc in the closely opposed presidential race.

A Gallup tracking poll in August demonstrates Republican Mitt Romney leads Obama, 55 percent to 38 percent among veterans. Exit polls conducted in 2008 showed voters who had attended in the military preferred Republican John McCain over Obama by 10 percentage points.

At their party's pattern this week in Tampa, Fla., Romney and other Republicans made repeated references to veterans. Romney broke away from the pattern Wednesday to speak to the American Legion in Indianapolis.

Romney has undertook to blame Obama for threatened spending cuts in defense that will kick in if Congress doesn't come up with a deficit reduction plan by year's end. The sharp reductions in Pentagon expenditure and in other domestic programs were part of a deal Obama struck with Republican leaders last year and was designed to force Congress to find other means of reducing the deficit.

Obama on Friday reiterated his necessitates for Congress to act.

"Here's the thing, there's no reason those cuts should happen because folks in Congress ought to come together and agree on a responsible for plan that reduces the deficit and keeps our military strong." He said.

Romney's campaign, however, said Obama's economic policies had made it harder for veterans and said more veterans would face unemployment if the defense cuts are enacted.

"As president, Mitt Romney will never play politics with our military's intensity and will enact pro-growth policies to get veterans - and all Americans - back to work," said Romney campaign spokesman Ryan Williams.