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Just got off the phone with him. Looked like he would be stationed in Texas for next two years at first. But now he has orders to deploy. Might be in a few months, or at most 15 months. Either way he got word this week that he is indeed going and is to start training for such next week.
He is scared, excited, bewildered, and so on.
He joined up of his own free choice - mainly to be able to provide for his two children and wife as jobs were so scarce here. He knew the risks in this time of war and will do what is needed of him.
To be honest, I am more scared than he is. His mom and I breaking up, then having an abusive step dad, not seeing me for almost 10 years, his mom dying at only 42 years old. He was an emotional mess, still is in some ways.
But he made a commitment and is going to stand by it. He will do the job he promised to do when he signed up.
I wish our politicians would have the same devotion. Here is my son, and on June 8th my youngest son heads to boot camp as well, and he will perform his duties even if he does not agree with them. He signed up for this and will do it. Just like our politicians signed up to represent us even if it means bad press, etc...oh wait - they often shrink from doing the job we hired them to do so that they can keep power and paychecks coming.
He knows the dangers ahead - losing his life, or limbs, or his sanity. But he will do the job he signed up for and keep his promise to serve.
Maybe because at the core he takes his oath/promises seriously. Would that our politicians would do the same when it came to honoring their pre-election promises.
My sons made a choice. They will do what they said they would do. Even if it, god forbid, kills them.
Would that those we elected were willing to do what they said they would do.
I guess they only expect the people under them to follow through on their promises.
My sons made a choice to serve. So did our politicians.
My sons are willing to go to war and face death to fulfill their obligations. And yet our politicians run from such things like bad press and don't stand up for us, the people that elected them, because they might look bad or lose power.
Our troops, love them or not, at least (in general) try hard to do their duty. They recognize that they chose this life, they know the dangers (might die, be captured, tortured, etc) but they stand by their promise to serve.
And yet our own elected people are too scared to make a stand on don't ask don't tell, gay marriage, cutting the crazy interest rates banks charge, etc and so on.
Folks in our military are willing to die to fulfill their duties. Politicians are willing only to lie to protect their own asses and their funding from lobbyists.
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