Well, this is my last entry, until after the New Year. On Monday, I get to travel for 26 1/2 hours to go back to TN and see my kids for Christmas. And even after traveling for over a full day, you know what, it'll still be the same day when I land. Talk about jet lag. I'm going to be just a little fried when I get there. Then, a few days later, I pack up the kids for a 12 hour drive to visit my Mom in Virginia Beach. Spend a few days there with my kids, Mom, sister and brother, and then pack them up for the return trip to their house. After that, there are numerous friends to see, one I haven't seen since HS. Then, when comes time to come back, I have to leave an extra day early because I'll lose a day enroute. Spend the night up in Seoul because I get in too late to catch the last plane back to Daegu. In the morning I get to catch a high speed train back down here. I think that I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation. At least back at work I'll be able to get some rest.
Sounds like a lot to put up with just to be home for a total of 15 days. And, if it wasn't for my kids, it would be too much trouble. But getting to spend a little bit of time with them makes it worth all of the trouble. Not that I'm saying getting to see my kids is trouble. (But, I'm sure they'll cause enough of that once I'm there.) It’s the traveling part that is. And I realize just how lucky I am to be able to see them at this time of the year. Especially when so many others in the military will have to make due with letters and emails. Maybe a 10 minute phone call, if they're lucky.
I don't know if people that have never been in the military really understand what we give up when we join. Especially now, in a time of war. I'm not going to get into whether the wars are right, or wrong. As a soldier, that's not my place. I don't remember where I heard this, but it is true. "As a soldier, I have the luxury of being apolitical in public." Sure, I do have my own views on it, but only my friends and family have the honor of knowing where I stand politically. Anyway, back to where I was headed before I got detoured. (Maybe I should ask for directions next time……Nah, I'll just trudge on.)
Sure, the general public knows that we give up time with our families. That we endure the hardships of remote locations and extreme environments. Face the danger of becoming a casualty. Even that we give up some of our freedoms. But, I don't know if they understand what all of that really means to us. We do these things willingly, every one of us is a volunteer. Some of us multiple times. Why do we do it? I can't speak for everyone in the military, or even a small percentage, all I can speak for, truthfully, is myself. (But, I'm fairly certain that most service members will be along these lines.)
The reason I do it, and have continued doing it for the past 17 years, and 3 wars, is because I love my country and believe in our God given rights enough to lay my life on the line to protect them for you. But that is not the only reason. The one that matters more to me is the people that I serve with. These are the guys that'll take care of me if something happens. The ones that'll look after me when I'm too drunk to know what I'm doing. They're also the people that I can turn to for help. We will take care of our own.
A lot of civilians think that its ok to protest our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan all while saying that they support us. To me it just seems that you can't do both at the same time. How can you support us while you don't support the work we are accomplishing? That's like saying, I want you to do this, but I won't help you in do it. It makes us feel as if we're not doing what is right. But, we know that we are doing the right thing. I don't know if that made sense to you, but imagine how we feel about it. We were attacked, and had to strike back, no one denies the truth to that. So, we went to Afghanistan and did what we had to do. And now, we're trying to give them a better life, and succeeding! As for Iraq, we acted on what our intelligence reports indicated, inaccurate, or not. (I have to admit that I wanted this war to happen. I wanted to finish the job I started in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I felt personally let down that we stopped early back in '91.) And now, we are trying to help them rebuild their country. Its only right that we do. (And we're the only country in history that makes it a point to help reconstruct the countries of our defeated enemies.) But what does the American public see? They see what the media wants them to. They don't get to see all the good things we are doing there, or if they do, it is very rarely. They see the things that make headlines. And what makes the headlines? 4 American Soldiers Killed by IED. Iraqi Parliamentary Candidate Runs for Life From Angry Crowd. These things catch your attention better than most of the other things that we are doing there. U.S. Forces Rebuild 3 Schools in Baghdad. Last Bridge Over Euphrates Restored. And as a result, the American public's idea of what is happening is skewed. And this leads to the "I support you, but not the war" mentality. But that's ok. We know we are doing the right thing. If we didn't, why would service members be reenlisting in record numbers?
And, just remember, the next time you want to go out and protest against the war, its ok. After all, I am putting my life on the line for you to do so. And I do it willingly. Also, how can you not support the work I do? My job, my oath, is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Do you really want to critisize me for doing that? Don't put me down for it. Don't disrespect me because I make sure you can say what you feel you need to.
But, I'll tell you what. If you see me out on the street, come on over and feel free to discuss the war with me. I may even buy the first round. And I bet any Soldier would do the same, that's part of our job to.
I'll see ya'll later. (But not before the New Year.) Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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