A Soldier made me cry today

[NightWatcher]

This afternoon as I was driving my folks to the airport for their vacation, I saw a female soldier hugging her husband outside the airport as she was deploying for the war. She had two bags at her feet and was dressed in her ACU's. Both of them were crying as they embraced. People stood near their own cars and watched this display and it brought everyone to tears. The husband himself appeared by his haircut and tee shirt to be in the military as well. The worst part...a bumper sticker that said "My child was student of the month at Georgetown Elementary". This mom was leaving her child and husband to go fight for this coward of a president and his business buddies.

I really hate George W. Bush.

[Cha]

1. Reading about this Soldier's

military husband made me cry a few minutes ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x622729

[NightWatcher]

2. this is a shameless non-Imus kick

[navyblue]

3. Military deployments

Are you aware that soldiers deploy whether we are at war or not? Our military is on station 365 days out of the year and its members spend time away from their loved ones routinely, regardless of who is seated in office. If you care, let them know before we have a war. It's more genuine. Believe me, if only America had been this concerned about its Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines pre-9/11 when women like me were saying goodbye to our loved ones then too.

I really hate the drama.

[Bigmack]

5. (Gently..) Big difference....

... between war and peacetime deployments. Big difference between sending a loved one off knowing they have an astronomical chance of being killed or hurt, and knowing that there is a very real possibility that they will be killed or maimed. Big difference between being a Navy person deploying on an aircraft carrier, and being that same Navy person being deployed on the ground - with little training - in Iraq. Big difference between deployment for 6 or 8 months in the Med, and (now) 15 months in the Meatgrinder.

Finally, big difference between going off to a war for national survival, and going off to a pointless, endless war of choice.

[navyblue]

10. (Boldly) On Naval personnel on the ground...

Navy corpsmen have "little" training? SEALs have "little" training"?

[Tyler Durden]

14. Doc "J" says "EASY, squid."

Yeah people should have had more appreciation. But I have to be honest with you: if I were active right now, and people were paying massive attention to me and my going into harm's way, well...I'd take all the current appreciation I could get.

Might get me back alive, which, as a Corpsman, I saw as the one and only issue of deployment: COMING BACK ALIVE AND IN ONE PIECE.

[Bigmack]

17. My friend's kid...

... a Lt Com in the Navy... helo pilot... is going to Afghanistan. Probably some kind of staff job (not flying helos), but the Army is going to give him some two-week Infantry-wanna-be course. NOT voluntary.

Google "Blue to Green" for the voluntary part. Take a look at http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2007/April/NewCourse.htm Squids being assigned to ground combat training. NOT voluntary.

Nobody respects Corpsmen more than this Viet-vet Marine, but a lot of those Corpsman classes now go entirely and directly to the field with the Marines. NOT voluntary.

Happening to the Junior Birdmen, too. Air Force being drafted into convoy protection duty. Killed doing it, too.

Is it difficult for you to understand the concept that me - and everybody I know - loves our people who serve in the military, and respects their roles, and wants the best for them, and yet thinks this particular war is a tremendous waste of their effort, their blood, and their lives?

[1932]

7. To me, it's sad because she might get killed (or kill someone)

I guess it's another kind of sad if you have to cruise around the pacific for a month in a sub and you might bump your head on a low hanging pipe. But it's really sad if you're risking your life to secure oil fields for a bunch of cowards who are making millions for themselves and their buddies thanks to you risking your life and the lives of others.

[navyblue]

9. Thanks....

...from Sailors that man US warships. They so appreciate the dismissive attitude toward their service. Take the USS Cole crew for example. Yes, Naval service is so devoid of sacrifice.

And it's really sad that the sacrifice of Danny Dietz and his Teammates is written off as the mere securing of oil fields for cowards. Particularly when he died in Afghanistan.

[uppityperson]

8. If only, then....what? Please finish this thought/statement.

"Believe me, if only America had been this concerned about its Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines pre-9/11 when women like me were saying goodbye to our loved ones then too."


You missed the "then" part.

[navyblue]

11. Finis

If only there was this much concern for the military before the war, it might seem genuine.

[uppityperson]

15. Try this explanation. And if you chose to reply, best to reply to all...

rather than picking out 1 line to have an issue with. Thank you.

I have had respect for those in the military who chose this way to serve their/our/my country, yes before the Iraq/Afghanistan debacle. However, I know have much concern for those who have been stuck in the midst of this occupation, without proper equipment or training, and those with proper equipment and training too. I have concern because they are in the midst of a very wrongly run thing. I have concerns over friends that have been job stop lossed, and cannot come home as they had planned to when they enlisted. I am concerned for those who joined the National Guard to protect out nation and are now stuck in Iraq.

As Bigmack said in #5 above: (which you chose to not respond to except for 1 part, how about responding to the differences in the different scenarios, peace and this debacle?)

"Big difference between war and peacetime deployments. Big difference between sending a loved one off knowing they have an astronomical chance of being killed or hurt, and knowing that there is a very real possibility that they will be killed or maimed. Big difference between being a Navy person deploying on an aircraft carrier, and being that same Navy person being deployed on the ground - with little training - in Iraq. Big difference between deployment for 6 or 8 months in the Med, and (now) 15 months in the Meatgrinder.

Finally, big difference between going off to a war for national survival, and going off to a pointless, endless war of choice."

Because the military in peacetime did not get this much "support", you question us wanting to help the military now?, you question our motives about the occupation of Iraq? What should I have been protesting for the military in peacetime, to end peace? To bring them home now? To give the troops adequate equipment? To work for better vet benefits (I was and have)?

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. As a wife of a USN Chief retired I call bullshit on what you wrote

his deploymnets during peacetime were routine

War time deployments are not

Expereinced both, so when are YOU enlisting since it is not dramatic at all

[Bridget Burke]

19. Several relatives have had/do have military careers.

My own father served in WWII & was called up again for "The Cold War." He died when I ws 4 years old. In the crash of a SAC plane.

However, the military didn't leave the US unguarded before 9/11. Bush & his pals were responsible for that "neglect." The same gang of crooks then started the illegal, idiotic war in Iraq.

[qwertyMike]

4. Canadians

4 Canadians were killed Easter Sunday in Afghanistan

2 more today

Hardly a mention in the US media

The Canadians, Dutch and Aussies are fighting the the hardest part of Afghaniatan, the south which the Taliban control.
I cried too

[frogcycle]

6. I monitor deaths in Afghanistan

Have been noting what you say - relatively few US deaths in several months with the exception of the one copter crash. There is hardly a mention in US media of the US deaths as well.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/

[alphafemale]

12. When you said Georgetown Elementary.....

I wondered if you were from the Savannah Area.

Then I clicked on your MySpace link and you are!

:hi:

[B Calm]

13. kick

[Theres-a]

16. K and R