My son’s in Iraq, in the army.
In a closed thread, another forum, someone complained about antiwar protests and said, “We must support the troops and their families.”
If ANY of you fuckheads think you’re SUPPORTING THE TROOPS and their families by keeping them there, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT. You are doing neither him or my family ANY FAVORS by your jingoism. Who the fuck DOESN’T support the troops?
Let’s recap.
Combat pay to be reduced to earlier levels.
130 degree weather, in which he must wear full kelvar.
Death pay reduced.
NO GUARANTEES when he will get home.
5 “Bring It On” - 'nuf said.
Nowhere NEAR enough troops for self-protection in a guerilla war.
My son is PROUD to be in the army. He’s doing his duty without complaint. But the morale problem is terrible and getting worse.
Since “major combat is over,” maybe bush should just invite all the troops to crawford for a fuckin’ ONE MONTH VACATION.
Don’t forget that they were sent under false pretenses in the first place. They’ve been exploited and lied to from the get-go, now they’re getting fucked on their pay. Maybe if Shrub had actually done his duty during during Nam instead of running away to get drunk and snort coke he would have some appreciation for what it means to be a soldier in the field. All they are to him is an occasional prop for his own self-aggrandizment.
I hope your son comes home soon, seal_clubber, and I hope he gets every penny that’s coming to him and then some.
I can understand supporting the soldiers since the majority of them are over there just doing a job, but what annoys me about this whole rationale is best exemplified by bumper stickers that I see on people’s cars all around town that say “Support PRESIDENT BUSH And Our Troops”
Every time I see one of those things, my eyes roll so violently that I worry the muscles moving them might snap.
I’ve seen the same phenomenon, but in a different place On my route to work every morning, I see a sign planted in a yard which reads, “Another Family Which Supports President Bush And Our Troops” with the last three words in much smaller type-- almost like an afterthought.
I always get a charge out of people who say they “support the troops”. How, exactly, are they supporting them? Thoughts and prayers are nice, but they don’t help put food on the table for or pay the mortgage of or buy school supplies for a National Guard family who was making 60K pre-war but has been living off of an E-4’s salary since he was sent to Iraq or Bosnia or Afghanistan umpteen months ago and no one has any idea when or if he’s coming home. Yeah, some companies will pony up the salary difference between civilian and military pay, but a whole bunch more don’t. Places like Norfolk and San Diego have great family support systems in place; places like Minnesota and Montana don’t.
I hear (first hand and from service members or service families) so many hardship stories it has actually made me cry. The disconnect between the number of people who “support the troops” and the number of people who actually do something about it is disgusting.
I don’t know if this was directed at me in particular, or what, but I feel the need to answer anyway. I think I am doing my part to support the troops by trying to get them home. I didn’t support this action in the first place for many of the reasons that have been cited. But mostly, I wanted to keep our troops home.
I have been doing everything I can to help out military families (including some military families in my own extended family) - I ask them what they need, and I give it to them, as much as I can. I have been speaking to my elected officials at every level. I have been protesting, volunteering, fighting in every way I can think of. At this point, prayers are starting to feel like my only remaining viable option.
Listen: I don’t like the way our military personnel get treated most of the time, whether they are on active duty under dangerous circumstances or not. They are doing something that I admit I am too chickenshit to do myself, and I don’t think there is enough I can do to thank them. Certainly we should pay them more, and pacifist that I like to think I am, I have never supported cuts in military salaries, combat pay, death pay, etc. Ever.
Obviously I don’t represent everyone on these boards who “supports the troops,” but I am tired of people calling me a traitorous ingrateful commie pinko Saddam-lover because I didn’t want anyone in our armed services - or their families - to have to go through this.
When Airman was deployed this past spring, my boss was very tolerant of my need to take time off to take Aaron to the doctor, run necessary errands, and generally do things that Airman can do when he’s home. My cow-orkers were not, and for all the pretty yellow ribbons and “Support Our Troops” signs and “Pray for Our Troops signs”, I heard a lot of grousing about the “whiny families”, as if sending our spouses off to fight in a war should be cause for celebration.
What a lot of people don’t seem to understand is that deployment turns a military spouse into a single parent. If the family is lucky enough to live near a base, there are all kinds of support structures in place to help out with this, from a tax-free exchange and commissary system to day care to family support groups.
While single parenthood isn’t as rare as it used to be, it’s still a challenge to a parent who isn’t used to it. There are a lot of adjustments to be made over a relatively short term. Even if the family is financially okay otherwise, there is housework to be done, children to be taken care of, meals to prepare, that sort of thing. You know, the trials of daily life.
This past spring, when so many local reserve units were deployed, the Red Cross (not one of my favorite charities under the best of circumstances) put together these gift bags for families. I didn’t bother to request one, because there was nothing I needed, and because the process to get one was so inane. Why do things out of largesse if they’re going to be insulting about it?
Sorry, I didn’t mean to get testy. I really do feel for all of those who are affected by this, and I wish there were more I could do. What else can I do? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Again, sorry - both for what I said, and for what other idiots say.
If you know of a reservist or Guard family, try offering to take the kids so Mom (or Dad) can get some errands done (or some sleep). You might also offer to make a dinner to freeze or gift certificates for groceries, personal care stuff or a phone card.
So far Iowa, a small state without a particularly rich military heritage in modern times, has had to morn five dead from Iraq. We have lost a Marine gunnery sergeant killed in a firefight in Baghdad, another Marine sergeant in combat, a young soldier drowned fording a canal, another soldier killed in a road accident and within the last few days a National Guardsman who died of heatstroke. There is at least one National Guard MP who had both his legs blown off and a reservist engineer soldier nearly crushed when an armored vehicle ran over his foxhole. A friend with a headquarters unit north of the Baghdad has written to say that thing there now are just as bad as we have heard, with daily guerilla attacks some where and kids being daily killed and maimed.
The views of arm chair hawks and loving families notwithstanding, the best way to support these young people (and most of them are young, soldiering being a young man’s game) is to respect their sacrifice and honor the fact that everyone of them is there because the American people acting through their duly elected representatives sent them there. That, and hope for the speedy execution of their mission and safe return. Remember, too, that we have a duty–to care for the widow and orphan.
Fuck the Active guys who do this for a living instead of as a hobby and/or a salary supplement right? That shit pisses me off. It is only the part time guys who anybody seems to give a shit about.
I was in Iraq Part 1 and it was an awesome feeling to me to get a letter from someone I didn’t know who appreciated what I was going through, regardless of affiliation.
It was incredible to see people with signs when I returned that were supporting “me”.
Don’t you people who haven’t got a clue even try to tell me what serving a country means. You don’t.
** Seal_clubber** I know where you are coming from and going through, and to a certain extent, agree entirely. But your son’s decision has nothing to do with who is president. Be proud of him. Who is president is irrelevant. Your son is a warrior with a belief.
Support your son, not the morons who do or do not support what he is doing based on who is president or who controls Congress. The military mind is not something that can be comprehended by the avergage person.
Military guys think a bit differently than civiians. Right or wrong in terms of your your affiliation, that’s how it it is.
That’s not what she said, or what she meant. I’m a Guardsman, so naturally she’s talking about what she’s had to deal with.
Incidentally, this has been my job for two years, and just as soon as she graduates I’ll likely be going active. It’s what I want to do, but right now it’s just not in the cards. Of course, I’ll still be deploying very often, I just have to get another job coming up here soon.
As for the rest of it, amen. I agree with you 100% on everything else you said.