Today I leave for the war (an American deploys to Iraq for the 3rd time)

[bornright]

Yea, compulsory military service has served our country well.

There were many names of honorable men on that wall. Like all wars men die. Respect them and their service without trying to use their death to make an invalid political point.

 

[AllieBaba]

Good luck maintaining a peaceful lifestyle if you live in a country that refuses to fight until it can only fight and produce no casualties, and no bad dreams for soldiers.

 

[midcan5]

funny thats what the crazy isalmofascist are supposed to think as well..let me guess and if your offed ..the instead of 7 virgins you go to a land of milk and honey

And he's allowed one virgin. Our religions are (mostly) monogamous.

 

[BrianH]

Today I leave for the war

Well it's time to go and do what I have been called to do. Today I head for to the war for the third time and I have some things to say. To me this is a blessing, a calling from God to do what I can to help our brave men and women in uniform. Also this post is for my family as some of them still don't understand why I am on my third trip to Iraq. First of all:

K, you have been the best sister a brother could ever have, you and I had some good fights when we were kids, but you were always there if I truly needed you. We don't see eye to eye on anything political, and you are one of those people calling for our troops to come home now. I love you, but you are wrong in this count, you have three boys and if we don't do this right, it will have to be done again and it could be your boys next time. When I'm in Iraq, I think about my three nephews and how I don't want to see them in DCU's in the next decade, I want to fight our enemies in their country until they either surrender or become so ineffective they aren't a threat to any of us. I don't want my nephews fighting a fight that I couldn't finish, I want them to go to college or play professional soccer, or be beach bums. However, if they choose to become soldiers I would be proud to be in the same chain that links all military personnel past present and future, the chain that holds America together. That being said I would prefer they not have to fight the war I have seen, I would prefer they not lose any friends like I have and I wish that they would never lose their innocence by having to kill another human being. War takes so much out of a person, it changes us in ways that are almost never positive and I would not want your boys to have to go through what I have. I hope one day you understand, that I don't do this for the money, that Bush is not Hitler, and that the people of Iraq deserve as much a chance at a better life as we were given. You and G and the boys will be on my mind the entire time I am in Kirkuk.

Mom, I was the baby of the family and I know you still view me as that little boy that wouldn't eat his green beans and only wanted peanut butter. I am still that little boy inside, but I am so much more now, I am a husband and a veteran, and now a successful man with my own family. I chose to go back to Iraq this time, because I believe in a better world. At 30 I am more of an idealist now than I was at 20, I believe one person can make a difference. I know you will worry about me the entire time I am gone, but you won't tell me how scared you are. I just wanted to say it's ok, I am on the path that brings me the greatest happiness. No matter what happens to me, I am doing what I believe is my destiny, I come from a family of warriors, your family and Dad's were all warriors, it's what they knew. I am a product of their collective service to nation, this isn't about adventure or money or some death wish, it's about doing the right thing. The men and women and especially the children of Iraq are worth fighting for, when I see them I know that any sacrifice I can make is worth it. What kind of man would I be if I refused to help someone in need? How could I live my life knowing that someone was being tortured and I stood by and sipped my latte and refused to get off my ass? I don't know if you will ever understand what drives me Mom, just being able to help one Iraqi is worth my life. People on this planet are so hell bent on persecuting others, they are so concerned with appearing strong that they prey on the weak and the helpless. Mom, the people of Iraq were helpless and being crushed by a petty clone of Adolph Hitler, now they have hope where before they had none. Iraq is a mess, but it is a mess because freedom is messy, we had to fight a Civil War that nearly killed 500,000 of us just to make all men and women free. Iraq is already having to fight a soul searing conflict with itself to find itself. How could we abandon these people to this chaos? I will continue to support this cause until we win, we lose, or I am knocked out of commission. I cannot call myself a man and abandon the men, women and children of Iraq to brutal butchers, I've made my choice. You'll be in my heart everyday.

Dad, you are my hero, I don't know if I've ever told you that, but you are. You served in Vietnam and came back and made a life for yourself and your family. You did everything you could to provide for K and I, you worked extra hours to make sure we never went without. You never took sick time even though you were out in the elements everyday, you are the definition of what a man is, I hope one day I am half the man that you are. I think you understand what drives me and why I have to keep doing this job. When you were here in Hawaii to visit me and you told me you were proud of me was a moment I'll never forget. I can't let the people of Iraq suffer without doing something, I know I am only one person, but you were only one person and you did so many things in your life. I want to be like you, but I want to do so much more, I know I'm not going to "save the world", but everyday I can do a good deed, whether in Iraq or in Hawaii is a day that I feel like I have done my job as a man and an American. I know you understand!

Jan, my wife, my love, my life, this has got to be the hardest on you. This is the third time I have asked you to take a leap of faith and believe that no harm will come to me in Iraq. Three times I have left you and our puppies behind to pursue some quixotic belief that I can make the world a slightly better place. Three times I have left you behind to pay the bills, and manage the house and so many other things that no one should be forced to do by themselves. I have not been with you for 3 of our seven anniversary's because of my commitment to this. All I can say to you is thank you! I will always love you for your patience and your support of me and my ideals. I know that I make your life hard with these deployments, and for that I am sorry, I wish that it were easier to be away from you, but it's not. In fact, each deployment it gets harder and harder for me to say goodbye, I've lost friends now and had a few close calls myself, but I can't quit doing this. You know why, you more than anyone else understand why. You and I both believe it is our destiny to do whatever we can to make the world better. We are two tiny fish in the enormous universal ocean, but we both know one person can make a difference. When I am in Iraq I know you are in my heart at every moment and that our faith and love protects me. I firmly believe God has a plan for both of us, we are his instruments to do what we can to make the world better. So don't worry about me this time, I am doing what I was meant to do, and I have never been happier. So go and find my molly-molly and give her a scratch behind the ears.

For anyone that reads this; yes I am a 30 year old idealist, at 20 I was a cynic, but now I have a mission in life and a purpose. I found God, but I am far from a religious fanatic, I found a God that inspired me to do good deeds just for the sake of doing good. I can feel his prescence in everything around me, the sunset, the waves crashing on a Hawaiian beach and even in the evening breeze that is laced with plumeria. I would call myself a soldier of God, but not in any way that says he favors me or my cause. I am a soldier of our lord because I choose to serve the side of good, good is opening a door for a stranger, or helping your neighbor empty his trashcan, or going to Iraq because you want to help a people find their voice and feel what we feel when we think of our freedoms. The most fundamental question I ask myself every day is: If I have the chance to do good, even if there is a terrible price to pay, why wouldn't I? I wish more Americans would ask themselves this question, if you can do good, what on earth would stop you from following through?

Finally I just wanted to state one more time, Iraq is the whole bag of marbles, if our ideas win there, then militant Islam will wither on the vine and eventually die. If we lose in Iraq, the world will become a much darker place where the evils of the past such as slavery and holy wars will become the norm. I ask the people of America this question; We are the last hope for this planet to realize its potential, the Europeans are too weak to do it, what kind of world do we want for our children to live in? I made my choice, and now I leave to do what I believe is my duty. God bless my family, God bless our brave men and women in uniform, God bless all Americans and God bless America.

Caelestis

P.S. Love you my hummingbird


Today I leave for Iraq

Good luck! Thank you for your service. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

[Larkinn]

Good luck maintaining a peaceful lifestyle if you live in a country that refuses to fight until it can only fight and produce no casualties, and no bad dreams for soldiers.

You seem to be confusing "refuse to fight" and "refuse to fight for no good reason".

 

[sealybobo]

To start with there is a very small percentage of military personnel that have post tramatic stress disorder. The vast majority of war veterans come back, get jobs, and raise their families in a responsible manner. This country would be much better off if all had served in the military.

wow. "the majoity of service ppl" come back safe and sound? setting your bar awfully low?

the number of suicides is way up. ptsd way up. these guys are losing their jobs, homes, wives. going back 5 times and staying longer each time because the army is broken.

all because blackwater is wreakin havoc. disaster capitalism. break the army so you can outsource it..

stop being RIGHT about everything.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

*Yawn*... They voted for it because they got the cherry picked intel... d'uh! I'm really not certain why the right insists on taking your position. It simply makes you look really silly.

Why on earth would you believe this president? At some point it's "fool you twice, shame on you..."

or was it "won't get fooled again" as baby bush said?

That tired old lie didn't work the other 100 times you trotted it out and it won't work now. Bush did not cherry pick anything. Congress receives its own briefs and has the power to call before it any and every intel service we have.

The NIE was written by the CIA using the information provided by all 16 agencies. The President did not write it or make changes to it, or cherry pick it at all.

Keep on lying, does it work in court to Jillian? DO you routinely lie to your clients and the Judge? Ohh wait, I believe you have stated your just a wanna be Lawyer that has little to no dealings with real legal work.

 

[Reality]

That tired old lie didn't work the other 100 times you trotted it out and it won't work now. Bush did not cherry pick anything. Congress receives its own briefs and has the power to call before it any and every intel service we have.

The NIE was written by the CIA using the information provided by all 16 agencies. The President did not write it or make changes to it, or cherry pick it at all.

Keep on lying, does it work in court to Jillian? DO you routinely lie to your clients and the Judge? Ohh wait, I believe you have stated your just a wanna be Lawyer that has little to no dealings with real legal work.

This thread is not in the flame war zone, so your childish personal attack is out of line.

We know what they got. Summaries. We have intell that says there are mobile weapons labs. Truth - we have a drunk cousin of the guy who wants to be installed as president of Iraq that says mobile weapons labs exist. This is what even the Gang of Eight got. This has been documented over and over and over again. Because you don't want to believe you supported a war of national liberation, not unlike Castoesque policy in his African Wars, is your own problem that you can sort out with your maker when you meet him.

 

[Reality]

There were many names of honorable men on that wall. Like all wars men die. Respect them and their service without trying to use their death to make an invalid political point.

There are more than many honorable men on that wall. Its a crime our government decided to send them on a mission that had nothing to do with protecting the US or her citizens based on a myth of a political theory. I do respect their deaths tremendously. I take the never again approach. Folks who find that approach "invalid" tend to want more Wars of National Liberation. Learning nothing is a denigration of their service and memory, not denying the reality of the circumstances of their deaths.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

This thread is not in the flame war zone, so your childish personal attack is out of line.

We know what they got. Summaries. We have intell that says there are mobile weapons labs. Truth - we have a drunk cousin of the guy who wants to be installed as president of Iraq that says mobile weapons labs exist. This is what even the Gang of Eight got. This has been documented over and over and over again. Because you don't want to believe you supported a war of national liberation, not unlike Castoesque policy in his African Wars, is your own problem that you can sort out with your maker when you meet him.

Once again dumbshit, Congress receives any and all briefs it wants independent of any thing the President sends. The President does not write the NIE. All 16 intel agencies have the right to dispute what ever is put in the NIE.

The ones living a fantasy are you rejects that keep claiming Bush lied to Congress. Read the damn Constitution and take some classes on HOW our Government works. Your knowledge is pitiful.

I love this claim Bush lied. If true it means Clinton and all his top advisors lied. It means the Democratic leaders in Congress all lied. It means all our allies, the entire west, lied. It means even Blix lied and the UN.

Remind us again about Dubya's secret mind control ray that he started using in 1992. I bet he keeps it right next to that Nintendo controller Cheney used to control those Jets on 9/11?

 

[Reality]

Once again dumbshit, Congress receives any and all briefs it wants independent of any thing the President sends. The President does not write the NIE. All 16 intel agencies have the right to dispute what ever is put in the NIE.

The ones living a fantasy are you rejects that keep claiming Bush lied to Congress. Read the damn Constitution and take some classes on HOW our Government works. Your knowledge is pitiful.

I love this claim Bush lied. If true it means Clinton and all his top advisors lied. It means the Democratic leaders in Congress all lied. It means all our allies, the entire west, lied. It means even Blix lied and the UN.

Remind us again about Dubya's secret mind control ray that he started using in 1992. I bet he keeps it right next to that Nintendo controller Cheney used to control those Jets on 9/11?

NOBODY BUT DIA KNEW THAT "CURVEBALL" WAS NOT RELIABLE. DIA IS AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH FUNCTION.

Maybe they didn't lie, maybe they were just criminally negligent. Doesn't matter either way, send em all to the firing line. Put every congressperson who voted to authorize next to them.

 

[editec]

NOBODY BUT DIA KNEW THAT "CURVEBALL" WAS NOT RELIABLE. DIA IS AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH FUNCTION.

Maybe they didn't lie, maybe they were just criminally negligent. Doesn't matter either way, send em all to the firing line. Put every congressperson who voted to authorize next to them.

Hear hear!

 

[bornright]

wow. "the majoity of service ppl" come back safe and sound? setting your bar awfully low?

the number of suicides is way up. ptsd way up. these guys are losing their jobs, homes, wives. going back 5 times and staying longer each time because the army is broken.

all because blackwater is wreakin havoc. disaster capitalism. break the army so you can outsource it..

stop being RIGHT about everything.

There is no higher suicide rate among veterans than the general population. Perhaps the liberal media and their rejection of accomplishments of the military personnel has a hand in the very small number of suicides that do occur. Many veterans do come home to what appears to be an ungrateful nation. Please tell a returning Marine that the Marines are broken.

 

[BrianH]

There is no higher suicide rate among veterans than the general population. Perhaps the liberal media and their rejection of accomplishments of the military personnel has a hand in the very small number of suicides that do occur. Many veterans do come home to what appears to be an ungrateful nation. Please tell a returning Marine that the Marines are broken.

Yeah, and not to mention it's the most effective and powerful "broken" military on planet Earth.

 

[jillian]

There is no higher suicide rate among veterans than the general population. Perhaps the liberal media and their rejection of accomplishments of the military personnel has a hand in the very small number of suicides that do occur. Many veterans do come home to what appears to be an ungrateful nation. Please tell a returning Marine that the Marines are broken.

Given that you didn't link to your opinion on that subject, we can assume opinion is all it is. The factual reality is there is a much higher suicide rate among returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan than among the general population.

November 15, 2007

America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans

More American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq, it was claimed yesterday.

At least 6,256 US veterans took their lives in 2005, at an average of 17 a day, according to figures broadcast last night. Former servicemen are more than twice as likely than the rest of the population to commit suicide.

Such statistics compare to the total of 3,863 American military deaths in Iraq since the invasion in 2003 - an average of 2.4 a day, according to the website ICasualties.org.

The rate of suicides among veterans prompted claims that the US was suffering from a “mental health epidemic” – often linked to post-traumatic stress.

*skip*

The suicide rate among Americans as a whole was 8.9 per 100,000, but the level among veterans was at least 18.7. That figure rose to a minimum of 22.9 among veterans aged 20 to 24 – almost four times the nonveteran average for people of the same age.

*more*

America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans - Times Online

The military is broken b/c the troops are being overused. It's not the fault of the troops. It's the fault of their civilian leadership.

You should really support the troops more.

 

[jillian]

facts suck, don't they?

 

[bornright]

please keep checking the stats that you give. You might find many different numbers. Perhaps it is the sources that you look at.

If you will research the number of suicides in the age group from 20-24 which is appropiate you will find there is actually less military vets committing suicide than the general public. One would have to even question that as there are so many drug overdoses that are not considered suicide when they very well could be.

 

[Toro]

Best of luck to you, and thank you for your service.

 

[Taomon]

Today I leave for the war

Well it's time to go and do what I have been called to do. Today I head for to the war for the third time and I have some things to say. To me this is a blessing, a calling from God to do what I can to help our brave men and women in uniform. Also this post is for my family as some of them still don't understand why I am on my third trip to Iraq. First of all:

K, you have been the best sister a brother could ever have, you and I had some good fights when we were kids, but you were always there if I truly needed you. We don't see eye to eye on anything political, and you are one of those people calling for our troops to come home now. I love you, but you are wrong in this count, you have three boys and if we don't do this right, it will have to be done again and it could be your boys next time. When I'm in Iraq, I think about my three nephews and how I don't want to see them in DCU's in the next decade, I want to fight our enemies in their country until they either surrender or become so ineffective they aren't a threat to any of us. I don't want my nephews fighting a fight that I couldn't finish, I want them to go to college or play professional soccer, or be beach bums. However, if they choose to become soldiers I would be proud to be in the same chain that links all military personnel past present and future, the chain that holds America together. That being said I would prefer they not have to fight the war I have seen, I would prefer they not lose any friends like I have and I wish that they would never lose their innocence by having to kill another human being. War takes so much out of a person, it changes us in ways that are almost never positive and I would not want your boys to have to go through what I have. I hope one day you understand, that I don't do this for the money, that Bush is not Hitler, and that the people of Iraq deserve as much a chance at a better life as we were given. You and G and the boys will be on my mind the entire time I am in Kirkuk.

Mom, I was the baby of the family and I know you still view me as that little boy that wouldn't eat his green beans and only wanted peanut butter. I am still that little boy inside, but I am so much more now, I am a husband and a veteran, and now a successful man with my own family. I chose to go back to Iraq this time, because I believe in a better world. At 30 I am more of an idealist now than I was at 20, I believe one person can make a difference. I know you will worry about me the entire time I am gone, but you won't tell me how scared you are. I just wanted to say it's ok, I am on the path that brings me the greatest happiness. No matter what happens to me, I am doing what I believe is my destiny, I come from a family of warriors, your family and Dad's were all warriors, it's what they knew. I am a product of their collective service to nation, this isn't about adventure or money or some death wish, it's about doing the right thing. The men and women and especially the children of Iraq are worth fighting for, when I see them I know that any sacrifice I can make is worth it. What kind of man would I be if I refused to help someone in need? How could I live my life knowing that someone was being tortured and I stood by and sipped my latte and refused to get off my ass? I don't know if you will ever understand what drives me Mom, just being able to help one Iraqi is worth my life. People on this planet are so hell bent on persecuting others, they are so concerned with appearing strong that they prey on the weak and the helpless. Mom, the people of Iraq were helpless and being crushed by a petty clone of Adolph Hitler, now they have hope where before they had none. Iraq is a mess, but it is a mess because freedom is messy, we had to fight a Civil War that nearly killed 500,000 of us just to make all men and women free. Iraq is already having to fight a soul searing conflict with itself to find itself. How could we abandon these people to this chaos? I will continue to support this cause until we win, we lose, or I am knocked out of commission. I cannot call myself a man and abandon the men, women and children of Iraq to brutal butchers, I've made my choice. You'll be in my heart everyday.

Dad, you are my hero, I don't know if I've ever told you that, but you are. You served in Vietnam and came back and made a life for yourself and your family. You did everything you could to provide for K and I, you worked extra hours to make sure we never went without. You never took sick time even though you were out in the elements everyday, you are the definition of what a man is, I hope one day I am half the man that you are. I think you understand what drives me and why I have to keep doing this job. When you were here in Hawaii to visit me and you told me you were proud of me was a moment I'll never forget. I can't let the people of Iraq suffer without doing something, I know I am only one person, but you were only one person and you did so many things in your life. I want to be like you, but I want to do so much more, I know I'm not going to "save the world", but everyday I can do a good deed, whether in Iraq or in Hawaii is a day that I feel like I have done my job as a man and an American. I know you understand!

Jan, my wife, my love, my life, this has got to be the hardest on you. This is the third time I have asked you to take a leap of faith and believe that no harm will come to me in Iraq. Three times I have left you and our puppies behind to pursue some quixotic belief that I can make the world a slightly better place. Three times I have left you behind to pay the bills, and manage the house and so many other things that no one should be forced to do by themselves. I have not been with you for 3 of our seven anniversary's because of my commitment to this. All I can say to you is thank you! I will always love you for your patience and your support of me and my ideals. I know that I make your life hard with these deployments, and for that I am sorry, I wish that it were easier to be away from you, but it's not. In fact, each deployment it gets harder and harder for me to say goodbye, I've lost friends now and had a few close calls myself, but I can't quit doing this. You know why, you more than anyone else understand why. You and I both believe it is our destiny to do whatever we can to make the world better. We are two tiny fish in the enormous universal ocean, but we both know one person can make a difference. When I am in Iraq I know you are in my heart at every moment and that our faith and love protects me. I firmly believe God has a plan for both of us, we are his instruments to do what we can to make the world better. So don't worry about me this time, I am doing what I was meant to do, and I have never been happier. So go and find my molly-molly and give her a scratch behind the ears.

For anyone that reads this; yes I am a 30 year old idealist, at 20 I was a cynic, but now I have a mission in life and a purpose. I found God, but I am far from a religious fanatic, I found a God that inspired me to do good deeds just for the sake of doing good. I can feel his prescence in everything around me, the sunset, the waves crashing on a Hawaiian beach and even in the evening breeze that is laced with plumeria. I would call myself a soldier of God, but not in any way that says he favors me or my cause. I am a soldier of our lord because I choose to serve the side of good, good is opening a door for a stranger, or helping your neighbor empty his trashcan, or going to Iraq because you want to help a people find their voice and feel what we feel when we think of our freedoms. The most fundamental question I ask myself every day is: If I have the chance to do good, even if there is a terrible price to pay, why wouldn't I? I wish more Americans would ask themselves this question, if you can do good, what on earth would stop you from following through?

Finally I just wanted to state one more time, Iraq is the whole bag of marbles, if our ideas win there, then militant Islam will wither on the vine and eventually die. If we lose in Iraq, the world will become a much darker place where the evils of the past such as slavery and holy wars will become the norm. I ask the people of America this question; We are the last hope for this planet to realize its potential, the Europeans are too weak to do it, what kind of world do we want for our children to live in? I made my choice, and now I leave to do what I believe is my duty. God bless my family, God bless our brave men and women in uniform, God bless all Americans and God bless America.

Caelestis

P.S. Love you my hummingbird


Today I leave for Iraq

Although I pray for your safe return, I do not understand the mentality it takes to believe that invading, occupying and killing people in their own country is God's work. The US is the aggressor and we are the terrorists in Iraq. And you look forward to going?

 

[DiamondDave]

The US is the aggressor and we are the terrorists in Iraq.

John Murtha... is that you?