( CNN ) -- As a former U.S. brigade commander of several thousand coalition forces during surge operations in Iraq , it is difficult to watch this country fall apart . When I came home in 2007 after 15 months in Diyala province , I answered questions about what we accomplished there by explaining that we sowed stability and the seeds of self-governance in an Arab country that holds significant strategic interest for the U.S. Now , as the U.S. commits to targeted airstrikes on top of the troops we sent last month to shore up the weakened country , I question everything . Were the losses my command suffered in the volatile Diyala province in 2006-07 worth it ? How is it possible that the Iraqi military , well-trained to take over security duties , has performed so poorly ? Seven years ago , I would have agreed with the decision to return to Iraq . Today , I feel different . We fought long and hard , spending over $ 25 billion to train and equip Iraqi security forces . We helped them develop a working government based on democratic principles . And while it might be wholly appropriate for the U.S. to provide humanitarian aid to those under siege , it 's the responsibility of the Iraqis to protect Iraq . As someone who helped train these forces , I know they have the capability to stand and fight . The training wheels have to come off . While it is frustrating and painful to watch militants take over a third of the country , we must focus on the here and now . The responsibility is to our soldiers who spent 13 years at war accomplishing what they were asked to do , often at a great cost . I fought to help my Iraqi friends and fellow soldiers establish a rule of law , and we achieved remarkable results . Civilian casualties fell from an estimated 29,380 in 2006 to 4,153 in 2011 . In Diyala province , we went from 1,500 violent acts a month to less than 250 . What is happening now should not detract from that success . But I came home to my family , my neighbors and my community . We can not let the chaos in Iraq increase the disconnect between a war-weary American public and those veterans working through their transition back home . The needs in Iraq evolved over time , and they did n't disappear when we left . This is also the case with the needs of our Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans and military families . I worry about the future of those who served in these wars five or 10 years down the road when the wars have receded from the minds of the American people . At a time when the need will be greatest , interest will diminish , and they may struggle in a peacetime status quo . We need to focus on this generation , which has spent more than a decade at war . The National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics projects the number of veterans from recent conflicts to jump by 26 % by 2016 . They want to contribute in the same way to their communities as they did in Iraq and Afghanistan . But even with thousands of organizations operating to help them , a 2012 report from the Center for a New American Security finds that veterans are not receiving the care and services they need to transition successfully . They must have a chance to thrive where they live . This means education to transition beyond battlefield knowledge to private-sector careers and meaningful employment that pulls in a family wage . Along with their families , they require options for wellness and services . Caring for them includes understanding : listening to their service stories and future ambitions . Adm. Mike Mullen , 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said , `` If you listen closely to the voices of our veterans , you understand that yes , they all returned from war changed , but what never changed is this : They never forgot your generosity . They never forgot the power of opportunity . They never forgot the American dream . '' As much as it pains me to see Iraq reverting to chaos , that does not mean that we should turn our focus there anew . We now have a stake in supporting the future in front of us : the evolving needs of the phenomenal , confident and self-assured men and women who served in and out of combat for these many years .
John Sutherland , U.S. military commander in Iraq , says it 's hard to watch country fall apart . As U.S. begins airstrikes , he questions whether terrible losses from the War are worth it . He says U.S. spent $ 25 billion to train Iraq forces . It 's time to take off the training wheels . Sutherland : We need to focus on our own veterans , who have many needs unmet .