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Of the five people living in my house, three are veterans. Many, many of my friends have served. Some are now gone.
They've served in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc), Europe (Serbia peacekeepers, etc), and South America in Reagan's dirty secret wars. They've served on sea and on land. Some carry mental scars, some carry physical scars, all have memories of a different kind of reality. Even "peacetime" service is hazardous - and can get you killed. Some of them have used their weapons for real, and were the ones left standing.
I want my meatspace friends and my net friends to know that I, at least, appreciate what it takes to step up and serve our country. While I may disagree with various wars, "police actions", and "training missions", I won't say nasty things about those who did their duty and went. I save that for the faceless bureaucrats and politicians that think that military lives are cheap, an "easy" resource to use.
I hope President-elect Obama returns our military to what it should be - a force for honorably defending our country, not a force for petty wars and internal suppression. The military should only be deployed when all of the diplomatic options are exhausted. The National Guard should be returned to it's proper use - home defense and disaster services - not a pool of bodies to just throw into the maw of a illegal war.
I won't recite names, there are too many, and I don't want to leave anyone out. But know that I remember, and respect, where you've gone and what you've done for our country.
They've served in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc), Europe (Serbia peacekeepers, etc), and South America in Reagan's dirty secret wars. They've served on sea and on land. Some carry mental scars, some carry physical scars, all have memories of a different kind of reality. Even "peacetime" service is hazardous - and can get you killed. Some of them have used their weapons for real, and were the ones left standing.
I want my meatspace friends and my net friends to know that I, at least, appreciate what it takes to step up and serve our country. While I may disagree with various wars, "police actions", and "training missions", I won't say nasty things about those who did their duty and went. I save that for the faceless bureaucrats and politicians that think that military lives are cheap, an "easy" resource to use.
I hope President-elect Obama returns our military to what it should be - a force for honorably defending our country, not a force for petty wars and internal suppression. The military should only be deployed when all of the diplomatic options are exhausted. The National Guard should be returned to it's proper use - home defense and disaster services - not a pool of bodies to just throw into the maw of a illegal war.
I won't recite names, there are too many, and I don't want to leave anyone out. But know that I remember, and respect, where you've gone and what you've done for our country.
