Most of the email conversations I have with the men and women overseas are pretty humdrum stuff. I am sure they wondered why I was mowing the grass on Monday, while walking in water standing deeper then the tops of my crocs {shoes}, but were not surprised at all to hear me talk of snow here last week. Yeah I live in a northern state, but SNOW in the beginning of October?? Come on now....
I tend to steer clear of politics, I figure they are living it and don't need to hear from me what I think on that subject, and I won't ask them direct questions about their views of our President, period! I think it is unfair putting them on the spot while they wear the uniform. Plus that is not really a subject I am very good at backing up my opinions with facts. Ask me mom questions, no problem! So for whatever reason, I included the following in my email to one of my guys.
When I offered up that idea that perhaps the CinC had too many choices making it hard for him to come to a decision on what to do over in Afghanistan, this veteran fired back at me (with the utmost respect of course).
"....I have noticed a trend among people lately in their discussions about Afghanistan and it is pretty discouraging to see, especially when I am hearing it from a few who are actually over there! I am not saying it is a general attitude of the troops, sometimes I hear what an individual feels after a long day or a loss and they just need to express themselves.
Personally, I just want him to make a decision, almost any decision is better than this constant "Next week I will decide what course we shall take" bull crud the WH is spewing constantly!
There are too many choices on the table I think! Each a slight variation of the others, and then which is the least likely to bring on a case of political suicide is added into the mix."
From my friend, an NCO preparing to deploy to combat.....
Choices? Variations? When the General says I need 40,000 more Troops, the POTUS should ask the Air Force how soon it can get them there and the Joint Chiefs how soon they're available, and the General how soon he can be ready for them.
Next would be working out the variations of whether an National Guard Buck Sergeant/Agriculture Professor or a civilian contractor/Agricultural Professorwill teach Afghans how to raise bees that will pollenate their new crops.
And then would be the questions of SecState and minions about what the best policy would be if the Afghans chose Karzai rather than Abdullah, seeing how the JAinC decided to permanently p*** on the relationship while he was trying to prove what a tough guy he was to get elected as POTUS.
With the plans for getting the General what he needs to win, the POTUS can do his job and explain to the American people why their sacrifice, why their sons and daughters are still needed in distant lands to prevent Terrorism the base of operations the guy in his office in the 90's let happen and why the Afghan people are not so convinced that we have the resolve because we've abandoned them twice already and how Al-Qaeda has expected from day 1 that they can just wait us out and then declare victory that they again defeated the short-sighted Americans. That's the job of the POTUS.I know why I'm going. I know why it's necessary. The officers I have, my fellow NCO's must know why, because we must be able to tell our Soldiers why. But it is the job of the President to tell the citizens why he's sending me and my Soldiers. It is his job to make sure that my officers have every tool we need to get the job done that he sends us to do. It is his job to make sure he sends enough Soldiers with us, as determined by the General he put in charge, to get the job done. I'll do my job to the utmost ability I can, even if I have only half of what I need, even if I have to personally buy half of that, if that's what it takes to get the job done. I bought my own gear in the 90's and I can do it again now, if that means winning and living, if it means more of my Soldiers come home, if it means fewer or our citizens are murdered by terrorists.
My Soldiers know why we're going there but it is time the POTUS explain to the American people why we're there and why he hasn't honored the request by the General he sent there. On why he hasn't given our General and our Troops the things needed to do what we must do.
I have to say, I was a bit taken back by his reply, but in retrospect, it shouldn't surprise me that he felt comfortable enough to tell me what he truly thought. For obvious reasons, I have not included his name.
I do hope he feels he has the backing of not only his fellow countrymen, but of our President as he deploys. God Bless our troops wherever they may be!
Stumble It!
