So now my son is heading to Iraq, not in a tank (he is a driver), but doing security detail

[The Straight Story]

Guarding bases, convoys, etc.

He leaves next August (subject to change of course, which I hope it does - before he was supposed to head to Afghanistan).

I have no problems with our troops, they do the job their boss (Obama now) tells them to do. They signed up to do so and I have an immense respect for them - especially since they had to put up with bush for so long.

My problem remains - why are we in wars over there when those countries pose no threat to us?

I guess I hold an overly simple view - we (ie, bush and crew) saw a threat, went to war, beat the other armies and their leaders....then you leave. If a new threat pops up, you go back, rinse, repeat.

My son will do his job, he signed up for it and told me he will make the best of the whole situation. He is pretty much a conservative - but he also respects Obama as the CIC and has not complained about him or what he has been asked to do. "I signed up knowing I would probably be deployed" he has said and it is not him complaining about it all so much as it is me - but like soldiers from another time he has also asked "I am not sure what 'winning' means anymore".

Not sure I do either.

Our troops beat opposing armies and their leaders. 'Mission Accomplished' we were told.

And they are not home why?

They have went from soldiers to baby sitters with guns. And for what???? Saddam is dead, his army all gone, Taliban leaders dead or captured (you can't kill a mindset, but you can the leaders who use said mindset sometimes).

And still our kids/loved ones are sent there.

---Side note - I asked him to fill me in on the shooting there at fort hood. Basically it boils down to, what he has heard/been told is "We need to get past this, move on, and keep working together. We don't need people worrying about whether or not to trust fellow soldiers, etc". It reminded me of shows I have seen about WW2 in a way. People die, get over it, keep fighting.

Maybe I am just seeing it all wrong, but it does disturb me some.

[panader0]

1. Wow

All my best wishes for a quick end to this madness.

[Mari333]

2. sending you tons of love

I still have a prescription for xanax from this and I intend to keep it. it helped a lot.

[SPedigrees]

3. I hope your son will stay safe while he is in Iraq.

----My problem remains - why are we in wars over there when those countries pose no threat to us?-----

This is a good question for which I have no answer. I wish Obama would bring our troops home. Our military defense is supposed to be just that -- for defense. It seems to me we should not be squandering this resource on illegal invasions of other countries and putting our loved ones at risk. I hope your boy will come home to you soon, unscathed.

[mrs_p]

4. sending peace and prayers your way. nt

[Solly Mack]

5. If things don't change before then, I'd be happy to send him care packages.

I can ship within the MPS for free.

My best wishes!

[The Straight Story]

6. God willing he will be here for Christmas

Scrapping together some money for him for gas to make it back to Ohio. One good thing about being on the base and such is that he does get vacation time. Might be a merry christmas after all for me :) Have not seen him since last fall. This might be the first Christmas I have spent with my son since I was 29, and I am 44 now (the one Christmas we could have spent together was in 2006 but he was out of town, we did have Halloween together that year though).

[Th1onein]

7. You're not seeing it all wrong.

We don't need to be over there. Period.

I hope your son stays safe while he is there. I hope they ALL stay safe.