To the Viper guy, I just returned from one of many tours in the past 5 years as a US Navy Seabee. My brother is about halfway through his 15 months as an Army Engineer (Huahh!). I have a cousin who is about finished with his tour as a Blackhawk Crew Chief and two cousins will be home in October with the Oklahoma National Guard.
My bro was just hit with an IED, my cousin has flown with the danger of Stingers, RPG's and dust storms. The cousins with the Okla. Nat G have been guarding terrorist prisoners who plot death upon all the guards constantly.
I am due to transfer from a deployable unit back to Naval Special Warfare where I started back in 02 when I joined. I had a chance to take a "safe" job back here in the States but chose to transfer to a unit that can get me deployed again ASAP.
I know anyone one of my family members as well as Don (who is MY Brother, all of them are) would continue to lean back into danger and put themselves BACK into harms way in an instant if they were called upon to do so with good reason. We don't want to quit, although we always want to come home, we will never opt to surrender and leave a job unfinnished.
We have this thing, whether we were born with patriotism or it was simply beaten into us at boot camp, it is called pride, honor, courage and commitment.
I believe this war in Iraq was mishandled very badly by Donald Rumsfield and I blame Bush for sticking with him for so long but why leave something if it is broken? Have you ever heard, "If you break it, fix it?". It broke, WE have to fix it.
I don't type this all out because I like beating on the ole' War Drum. I don't like to see dead bodies, I don't like the fact that I have missed over half of my 3 year old girls life, I don't like the fact that my Mom has her only two sons in war or my Grandma has 5 grandbabies in. But I will tell you that I will do anything in the world for my BROTHERS and my country. It is the soldier most of all who wants to see an end to war, for it is he who has to endure its bloodshed. I want it over too but I want it done correctly most of all.
So, in closing, Sierra Tango Foxtrot Uniform!
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.