For the next several weeks — and perhaps beyond — it will be important to remember the following two principles:

(1)  Every critique of Alaska is a critique of Sarah Palin;
(2)  Every critique of Sarah Palin is a partisan smear.

The latest iteration of this formula comes to us by way of Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell, commissioner of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, who groaned yesterday that a Veterans for America report constitutes a political “ambush” of the governor. Campbell described the preliminary report — which focuses largely on post-deployment problems, especially vets’ insufficient access to health care — as “poorly written, lacking substantiation of allegations and basically filled with plain incorrect information.” Veterans for America points out that it had begun its review of Alaska’s National Guard more than a year ago, long before Palin became a national figure.

Here’s an excerpt from the preliminary report:

Despite the dedicated and relentless work of the Alaska National Guard-led Family Support Programs, the Alaska Vet Centers, local Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), municipal officials, social service providers such as the Food Bank of Alaska, and leaders of community-based efforts, VFA’s findings indicate that the post-deployment needs of Alaska National Guard members and their families remain largely unmet.

In addition, as a result of inadequate leadership from the Governor of Alaska, among others, the Alaska National Guard has an inadequate understanding of the full range of post-combat issues facing those who have served abroad from the Alaska Guard in recent years, as well as their family members who have been left to deal with the toll of unexpected – at times, repeated – deployments.

The Alaska National Guard, which was originally designed primarily as a defense force against threats to Alaska, was deployed without programs and systems in place to care adequately for postdeployment needs. The United States should not continue to deploy the Alaska National Guard until this situation is remedied.

If this is what Vladimir Putin sees when he “rears his head,” Alaska is in serious trouble.

Veterans for America releases its final report on the state of the Alaska National Guard today.