Beyond Iraq: Candidates' Views on Military Issues

The general understanding of the military views of presidential candidates Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain is that the former advocates immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, while the latter opposes it. However, how do the candidates feel about general military issues? And how does this relate to the Pilipin@ American community?
 

Troop Funding
Both candidates support continued funding of troops in Iraq, though Senator Obama feels "we owe them something more" by bringing our troops back home. A study in 1992 showed that 12,625 Pilipin@s were a member of the US military (not including civilian personnel, such as military nurses), and it is safe to say that Pilipin@s remain a strong presence in the US military. Despite a 2004 ban of deployment of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) to Iraq by the Philippine government, it was estimated that about 7,000 Pilipin@s were working in Iraq in 2006.

The Rights and Lives of Military Personnel
Obama supports boosting foreign language and nation-building training for all troops. He opposes the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, whereas McCain opposes allowing openly gay military personnel to serve. Obama advocates making abortions available for overseas military personnel and their dependents, while McCain is against this. Both candidates believe in the importance of the quality of life of military families, but McCain elaborates by stating that competitive pay and benefits packages are the best way to go about this.
US Relations with Asian Muslims
The majority of the 1 billion-plus Muslims of the world live in Asia, and 5.06% of the Philippines' population is Muslim. Obama supports emphasizing that the "war on terror" is not a war against Muslims and providing resources to Asian countries with extremist terrorist groups to quell such violence. McCain advocates appealing to the Muslim world with American strengths, such as a "strong support for family values." But what does this mean for Pilipin@-Americans? For one, the Philippines does have a sizable Muslim population. I remember when anti-Muslim sentiments broke out immediately after 9/11 and news came out that an extremist Muslim group linked to Al Qaeda called the Abu Sayyaf was based in the Philippines, I was so scared those racist sentiments would be targeted towards Pilipin@s as well. Choosing the candidate who will best calm collective racism and ignorance like this is something to definitely consider.

Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan
The candidates' stances on the Iraq War have already been discussed. Both candidates want to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan (three more brigades for McCain and two more for Obama) in hopes of catching Osama bin Laden. Both consider military action in Iran a possibility, but Obama emphasizes using diplomatic efforts in dealing with the country. In the second presidential debate, both were open to sidestepping Pakistani sovereignty if Al Qaeda hideouts have been located within the country-- though they criticized one another on how they would go about doing this. While none of these military issues directly involve Pilipin@s, one should not only note how many Pilipin@s are involved in the US military but to remember the importance of another community's issues and struggles and how they affect us, and vice-versa.

Demographics of the Philippines [Source]
Filipinos in the US Navy [Source]
Obama, McCain on Asia's Muslims and Other Issues [Source]
Presidential candidates take a stand on military issues [Source]