ARE WE READY FOR THE TROOPS TO COME HOME?

After came home from Iraq

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Everyone's a cheerleader when it comes to "bringing the troops home." We're great cheerleaders. We yell good. That's a nice title to the book, but what fills the pages inside is what really matters. It's irresponsible to bring home 160K+ troops and throw them out in the street. That's what's happening now with the few lucky ones that get out of Iraq alive. There has to be a more intense transitional program for these men and women. People of any service are asked to perform various tasks civilians simply will not/can not do. A lot of times there aren't simple parallel job/skill sets outside the DoD. Where's the VA?

Another concern I have with this clip is why are these people out of the military. Are they doing tours and getting out? Signing up for shorter terms? Guard? Reserve? I know the enlistment requirements have "loosened," but I wasn't aware of 12-15 month enlistments. The role of the Guard and Reserves has been totally redefined. Any recruiter will have to tell you 1-2 tours in Iraq in a 4 year enlistment. Weekend warriors no more. Their "real-life" jobs are not kept as required either. Companies employing them are required to allow them to serve and hold the job, but that return is no longer guaranteed. The company is put in a very tough moral dilemma. As has become apparently clear in any moral decision, the companies will put profit above people. They roll the dice...

Could you leave your job, serve 2 years in Iraq, then return without skipping a beat? What if you were hiring someone 3 months removed from Iraq? Would you discriminate? We can't deny the mental well-being of people who volunteer to do what we won't, for what we want. What does that say about us?



We made a terrible mistake after invading Iraq. No plan. Look what has become of the situation. Possibly, an endless war. The Americans who've sacrificed to serve for this cause will forever be questioned, right or wrong. Right now they're doing what they NEED to do in order to survive. Needless to say, most of what's going on in Baghdad would not fit into everyday life back here in the US. And like any human, they need help. Regardless if you agree with the war, those sent to fight it have earned our support. No price is too high.

Gas is now more than $3, never to return. Food, clothing, and shelter are as expensive as ever. Although your TV will tell you different, we are in a very bad fiscal position. Have been and only getting worse. It's a challenge for anyone within this economy of ours right now. A year or two to fight a war helps no one, but the arms dealers. We've sent so many jobs overseas that it's almost impossible to revive an economic model where the middle class could thrive like it once did.

Over 35 MILLION Americans went hungry last year. That's 12% of our population. The bottom 12% don't eat, while the top 10% controls 71% of the wealth. One is aware of the other. Sadly, the wrong one.

Not many of us will ever get a chance to perform a job where we would give our life doing it. It takes a great cause to warrant that intensity of purpose. Or a great lie. Many of our neighbors, family members, fellow citizens are being used as tools for a plot that has nothing to do with what they're told. For the cause of AMERICAN FREEDOM. When they return from their noble cause they're treated as if their contracts have expired. It's as if those running this war are fine with 100% casualty rate on both sides. Play your position, slave.

I WANT THE TROOPS HOME, BUT I WANT THEIR EXPERIENCE TO BE BETTER THAN BAGHDAD. THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A GIVEN.

WHAT MORAL HIGH GROUND?

IF PERCEPTION TRULY IS REALITY...

I remember a time when I could've laughed at this video. No longer. It's very sad to me. If you've never been to another country and talked to PEOPLE from there, it may be difficult to follow me. Please do. I want to discuss the perception of Americans and how we feel about it. This is the true stereotype we need to be concerning ourselves with. It has nothing to do with your skin color, race, creed, religion, etc. It's about BEING American, as opposed to ACTING American. We have some flaws, ya'll. And we have to take responsibility for these flaws and more importantly acknowledge them. It's impossible to fix the problem if you don't know what it is.

Many people are stuck in the era when MADE IN USA meant something good. There was a pride that went along with it. This is no longer true. The majority of our exports are PIECES, which get put together in another country, then imported back in for us to consume. Usually child labor with little to no safety standards. Where we now excel is EXPORTING ARMS.

When I was in the Air Force, I always said it was like living in a bubble. I was stationed in 3 countries for 6 years, and the bases overseas are all-inclusive. You can live a pretty full life without ever leaving the base. Movies, bowling, shopping, sports, clubs, shooting range, you name it--it's on there. It makes for a powerful community. It may sound crazy, but the proudest and most AMERICAN I've ever felt was when I was outside of the country. So much so that when I finally got stationed in the US, it completely turned me off to the military. Here it was treated like just another job. There was nothing special about it. I got out shortly thereafter.

Two experiences that I will NEVER forget and that completely awoke me to the true perception/stereotype of Americans. First one was during the 2000 election. I was living in England and worked with a British lady in her mid-50's. She was very "cheeky." She matched my sarcastic wittiness, and that's the relationship we had. I would always get on her about the Queen, and paying 17% on EVERYTHING to her. So for those few days during the recount/theft, she left me have it. As a result, I took an interest and made it a point to keep current on politics. At first it was foreign policy because I was living outside of the US.

The second experience I've mentioned before, but it's just as relevant now. It was in July-August 2001, Mozambique Africa. While there, to skip the operational details, it was me, my Contracting officer (military), and a local civilian off the streets. He was the one that spoke the best English. Our trio was together when we weren't sleeping. The man's name was Hanifo. A few things I learned about Mozambique that surprised me was that it was a Muslim country and they drive on the left side of the road. Looking back now though, I remember having a conversation sprouted by his question of "where were our jewels, chains, diamonds; we're American, right?" He got this American stereotype from MTV. I say American because I'm not Black. He mentioned P. Diddy during the discussion, but he didn't mention him being Black. He mentioned him being American.

This bothers me. This is firsthand experience; not a damn video game! This is what REAL PEOPLE think about us. The stories of the feelings of the people of Panama are a whole other chapter. We Americans identify everything as a THING. No matter what. Whether it's a price, a figure, statistic or anything else that can sparkle in a PowerPoint presentation. That's the issue we face in this Internet Age of marketing campaigns, mind control consumerism, email, chat rooms, and everything else that keeps you inside your home and avoid SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE.

Since the Civil Rights Movement, Americans have been getting more and more apathetic. I don't believe it's the people's fault entirely because we've been bred as a people to not settle for less. Everything to the extreme. Corporations tapping into our emotions to recoup the wages they pay. That's valid only if you're unaware though. Now we know. Expand your awareness, go outside, talk to people, travel, experience.

I truly believe we are what we do. If you don't do shit, you ain't shit. And you shouldn't go through life with pre-packaged ideas that aren't even yours and think you got a leg to stand on. It's easy to say he's Muslim = TERRORIST; she's speaking Spanish = ILLEGAL; he's wearing a $3000-suit = CROOK. It makes it easier to DEAL with your own life to throw similar things into the same box, but look what it's doing to the world.

PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT YOU CALL THEM!

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, ANYTHING...

RESPECT THRU EXPERIENCE

Any butter bar LT will tell you they're not fully prepared for the amount of responsibility bestowed upon them in their first couple of years. It's understandable; ROTC cannot simulate being in charge of 50-60 people and sometimes being the face of an organization, with a Colonel or General to answer to. In these cases, the LT usually has a seasoned enlisted person as training wheels until they get the hang of it. Even though the LT may out-rank the enlisted person, knowledge and experience demand respect. There's no substitute for experience. No degree is worth a damn if you can't apply it.

Experience is a level of truth. What we do molds us into who we are. That's why most people prefer on-the-job training compared to classroom instruction. Personally, I think the classroom instruction would be far more effective AFTER some time on the job, but that's another topic. The point is that experience exudes confidence, which breeds leadership. There's nothing more powerful than the aura of a great leader. I've yet to experience this outside of the military. Civilians tend to have "bosses."

Last week, Mr Bush SAID he got some "FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE" of shooting at insurgents in Baghdad. WHAT?!? A FUCKIN' VIDEO GAME?!? I'm sorry George, but a couple minutes on a video game is not firsthand experience of WAR. You get NO RESPECT for that experience. In fact, you lose ANY that you may have had. Add that to the "possibility" of his draft-dodging escapade, and you see what kind of coward this guy is. He did everything in his power to avoid GOING TO war. What kind of confidence you must have in the greatest military EVER not to even go.

The man has NEVER had to start at the bottom and EARN his way up the ladder. There's NO experience that can garner my respect for this man. And the worst part about that is HE DOESN'T CARE. I doubt if he even knows OF people of my stature. The closest he's probably ever come was when he was THE TEXECUTIONER.

My plight, like millions of others like me, is FICTION. It doesn't exist, except for in statistics. There are no REAL programs to uplift us. There are EXCEPTIONS who prosper, like a rose from the concrete. Usually there's no looking back though. Get out and stay out. The people who control the quality of our lives have no connection to them. They vote based on dollars, not effects of the laws. S-CHIP is a prime example; that's not real money. And it's paid for! For God's sake, it's a program that will pay for itself. Taxing cigarettes for children's healthcare makes PERFECT sense to me.

IF BUSH KILLS ALL OF OUR KIDS, DOES THAT MEAN NOBODY WILL HAVE TO PAY THE BILL FOR THIS WAR?

IS IT ME OR AMERICA?

Firstly, HAPPY VETERANS DAY! And although it was technically yesterday, your government will take today off to remember (or forget) it. Great use of tax dollars, considering the current state of our country's checkbook. We'll be dead before the bill comes due I guess. As a veteran, it's such a slap in the face for this country's LEADERS to "observe" this holiday at the same time their actions show us they don't give a shit.

It has become cliche to thank veterans for their SACRIFICE. It seems elementary, but DEATH is not the ultimate sacrifice for veterans. I would say the disabled veterans sacrifice far more than those who give their life. This may not make sense to some. To you I would recommend researching the treatment of veterans.

HOMELESSNESS is a HUGE problem amongst returning combat veterans. You'd think with a combined budget in excess of $525 BILLION, that the DoD or DHS would at least be able to provide FOOD. CLOTHING, SHELTER to the returning veterans. Not our government and not US! Yes, us! It's OUR responsibility, as citizens, to hold our representatives accountable for their votes. UNLESS, we concur.

Most homeless veterans are suffering from an assortment of psychological disorders. And we're not talking about "bad childhood" repressions either. It's like transitioning back FROM HELL. Daily bomb blasts, dying comrades, no sense of purpose or reason. Just do, "follow orders." Work side-by-side with civilians, who earn 3X as much, have no laws, or respect. Not to mention, REPEATED & EXTENDED TOURS OF DUTY. Serve an initial 15-month tour, return for 3 months, get diagnosed with PTSD, then off you go for another 15 months.

There's no doubt it takes a special kind of person to devote your life to the defense of America. The devotion is layered. It's not just the ACTIONS of those who actually serve, but the REACTIONS of the families as well. This is the where you see the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. See, this word SACRIFICE has been sold to us to mean "servicemen/women who have died during war." But when you look beyond this surface meaning you can see where the military meets the civilian sector.

It's very difficult for civilians to understand (and accept) the requirements of military service. This leads to very stressful relationships in peace time, let alone a very unpopular war. It's a combination of secrets and absence. The great thing about relationships in general is sharing experiences and growing closer together. It's one thing to be apart from someone, but it's an entirely different thing when it's a SEPARATION OF WORLDS. A civilian wife with 3 kids, living in the US and an infantry soldier in Baghdad have very little in common. There will likely be psychological consequences for both. It's very sad to see how those responsible for sending these folks to war completely disregard them personally.



I see this and wonder how we can allow it. All the financial consequences of war aside, this is on a human level. There is something we ALL can do to stop this mistreatment of our citizens and service people. We don't seem to care about the cost, either financially or humanely. SO WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT WE DO CARE ABOUT? ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE? ANYTHING THAT ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE EXISTENCE OF OUR SPECIES?

Compassion now seems to be perceived as weakness...