As deployment looms, military families say war takes its toll on them, too
Leaving his wife, Amy, and young daughter, Ella, was the hardest thing Drew Cummings had experienced when he left for Iraq in 2008.
“She’s standing there, watching me go, and I could hear her sobbing, saying ‘Please don’t go,’ and Ella was crying. It was awful,” he said.
It turned out the year-long separation during war would be the easy part.
The family's biggest battle hit when Drew came home.
Drew and Amy Cummings’ marriage hit rock bottom in the months following his return in late 2008 from his first deployment with the Michigan Army National Guard.
Now, Drew is set to deploy for a second time with the Michigan Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Unit. Its call sign is the Viking Battalion.
Drew, 25, will leave Amy, 27, and Ella, 4, for one year.
He extended his contract with the National Guard in order to deploy to Afghanistan again. Cummings will make the trip with fellow soldiers Neil Gikas, 26 and his superior, and Adam Betz, profiled on AnnArbor.com on 9/11. All three will share their stories with AnnArbor.com in the series "Vikings War" until the deployment ends.
Cummings and Betz, 30, know deployment can take a toll on families. Betz and his wife divorced following the battalion's 2008 deployment. Cummings came home full of rage and unable to sleep. For months, Cummings refused to acknowledge anything was wrong.
“It’s got to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Amy said, tearing up. “The hardest situation I’ve ever had to deal with. Afterwards is the worst.”
Drew was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, an anxiety disorder that can cause a wide range of symptoms, including nightmares, insomnia, depression, frightening thoughts, emotional numbness and other issues.
With help from doctors and counselors, they got through it.
National Guard solider Drew Cummings smiles as he poses for a photograph with his wife Amy and their 4-year-old daughter Ella in their Milan apartment.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Despite the hardships he encountered after his first deployment, Cummings is compelled to make another trip with his battalion.
“My brothers I went with on the last one are going,” he explained. “I don’t want to let them go alone. There are a lot of new guys coming in. They need someone that’s been there to develop them and help them grow and mentor them the right way.”
The deployment of 800 members of the roughly 1,150-member battalion is the largest single unit deployment from Michigan since World War II.
Gikas, 26, is one the new members of the Viking Battalion and Cummings’ superior. It will be the Pittsfield Township resident's first deployment.
The Bravo Company platoon leader is in charge of about 36 men.
He and Cummings left on Sept. 9 for the Michigan National Guard’s annual training at Camp Grayling, a sprawling National Guard training facility that spans three counties in northern Michigan. They’ll see their families again at the end of the month before departing elsewhere in the states for more training.
Gikas married his girlfriend of two years, Melissa, 24, on July 15. A whittled down guest list numbered 240, mostly because Neil is a second generation Greek American with a giant family that Neil describes as “loud” and “close.”
Like the Cummings in 2008, the Gikas’ will face a year of separation soon after a marriage.
The couple met through a mutual friend on Facebook.
They each have a big, bright smile, and they smile often. It makes sense; Melissa is a dental assistant training to be a dental hygienist. Until recently, Neil Gikas was biding his time as a security guard at Washtenaw Community College while waiting for the deployment.
Neil Gikas goofs around with his wife, Melissa, as they sit on their couch with their dog.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
“Everyone’s got to look out for themselves,” he said. “You’ve got to make your own future.”
He earned a degree in aviation management in 2009 from EMU. He had initially joined ROTC there in 2006 to work toward his dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. After a physical revealed mild color blindness, he signed up for the infantry instead. Gikas received his commission as a second lieutenant upon graduation from EMU.
Gikas said his platoon may be patrolling a highway, and could be heading to southern Afghanistan with another company within the Viking Battalion. So far, though, the Army has kept the details vague. Orders can change at any time.
Melissa and Neil are bracing for the separation, but not overly worried about it or their future afterward, the couple said. They picture a home together, and maybe in a few years, children. Neil wants to earn a master’s degree in business after he gets back.
Melissa said she avoids thinking about her husband going off to war.
When she’s asked to, tears fill her eyes.
Battles fought at home
The Cummings, high school sweethearts who met at Milan High School and still live in their hometown, said what they have overcome has made them feel stronger now, more confident about their future together, facing Drew’s second deployment. They married at a small ceremony of family friends in Milan four days before he deployed to Iraq.
Amy is an emergency room nurse at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Drew is a noncommissioned officer within Bravo Company. He’s wanted to be a soldier for as long as he can remember, like his dad, and like his grandpa. He joined the Army National Guard at 19 in 2005, opting to enlist in the Army over the ROTC after spending one semester at Eastern Michigan University.
As a squad leader for Bravo Company — one of six companies within the Viking Battalion — he’ll oversee eight other men in Afghanistan.
“If you’re going to be in the military you want to be GI Joe, right? You don’t want to be a finance clerk or a truck driver,” he says. “No offense to those guys. They've got their place, but as an infantryman, you’re at the forefront of everything most of the time. What you see on TV - if you see combat footage of Iraq or Afghanistan, generally, it’s infantry guys. I guess, it’s the fighting spirit.”
The fighting spirit doesn’t come without a cost.
Amy frequently encounters veterans, young veterans, like her husband, in psychiatric crisis in the VA emergency room.
Symptoms surfaced about a month after Drew returned from Ramadi, Iraq in late 2008. He was full of rage and suffered from insomnia, he said. She could do nothing for him.
“I didn’t have any tolerance for anybody else other than my military buddies,” he said. “I shut myself away from everybody and did my own thing.”
The sudden friction in the relationship took them both by surprise. While he was away, the separation had brought them closer. They talked on the phone at any hour, whenever Drew had a chance to call. They wrote letters, and she sent him lots of care packages. She sent memory cards in the mail that showed videos of their daughter growing up. When he left, Ella was 1.
“I felt closer to her when I was gone,” he said of Amy.
“She needed me more and I needed her more,” he said. “When I came home it was good, except I had issues I had to deal with,” he said.
It took about six months for him to acknowledge the symptoms he was experiencing were PTSD.
“Being over there changed my view on life, seeing the way these people live; it’s an alien world,” he said. “Coming back here and trying to readjust into this society where people are pretty much sheltered. They don’t understand what it’s like unless they go over there and spend time and interact with the locals and see the poverty those people live in and the suffering.
"I think I was just more angry about peoples’ ignorance back home than anything.”
Amy couldn’t reach him at first.
“I could recognize everything, but I couldn’t nurse my own husband,” Amy said. “I couldn’t do my job on him because he was someone who was attached to me.” “It was hard,” she said. “He thought I was attacking him and I didn’t understand.”
His welcome to Iraq entailed a truck bomb blowing up in the middle of his first night at the gate of the compound where he slept.
Pot shots at U.S. soldiers as they patrolled Ramadi, the provincial capital of Al Anbar Province, weren’t uncommon. At a provincial government center where U.S. soldiers worked with the Iraqi police, buildings jutted up far above the compound, all around. There were a plethora of choice vantage points for anyone looking to lob a mortar or aim sniper fire in their direction. Cummings said he took fire, and he returned it.
Danger was all around, but the Viking Battalion didn’t lose any soldiers in 2008.
Other, smaller deployments have not fared so well. Twenty Michigan National Guard soldiers have been killed since 9/11. Ten of the soldiers killed were members of the Viking Battalion from either the Saginaw-based Bravo Company or Big Rapids-based Echo Company. They died on small, but dangerous deployments, to Iraq in 2005 and 2006, said Lt. Col Ryan Connelly, 41, commander of the Viking Battalion.
The battalion has had at least one duty-related suicide in 2009, related to Echo Company’s 2006 deployment to the Baghdad area. The company saw heavy fighting every day.
“It’s the war that killed him,” Connelly said. “It just took longer.”
Viking's War
AnnArbor.com is outfitting several Michigan National Guard soldiers with audio and video capabilities, enabling them to create dispatches to document for roughly one year what the longest war in history sounds, feels and looks like from the ground. Two soldiers'’ wives will share their experiences from home, too.
AnnArbor.com is calling the project Viking’s War.
It’s named for Michigan Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment. Its call sign is the “Viking Battalion.”
You can follow the reports on AnnArbor.com, as well as Facebook and Twitter
Read our past coverage here:PTSD among soldiers in his battalion is incredibly common, he said. Overseas deployments to war have become much more commonplace for the Michigan National Guard as conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia unfolded over the past 10 years. “I think everyone that deploys comes back with some form of PTSD,” Connelly said. “It’s a matter of degree.” You’re taken away from your family, your life. You go to a foreign place. You know people want to kill you. You’re introduced to foreign cultures. All of these are stressors. You can not get shot at once and still have PTSD.”
He said he encourages his soldiers in the battalion to seek help, and many of them do. The military’s macho culture has come a long way in accepting PTSD since 9/11, Connelly said, but he acknowledged a stigma still exists, as does the fear that admitting to the anxiety disorder can harm a military career.
Ten years ago, as conflicts spun from 9/11 unfolded, Connelly said, he couldn’t have imagined discussing PTSD so openly with a reporter. PTSD in his ranks, he said, is a challenge, but not an overwhelming problem.
Cummings describes being at war as “90 percent boredom and 10 percent adrenaline. That’s pretty much it.”
He says of coming home: “The breaks got slammed down and you’re used to going.”
The couple — in person affectionate and caring, but subdued and serious in the face of another deployment — agreed the six months after he returned from Iraq were the hardest six months of their lives.
Counseling saved them.
“I ended up going to the VA and met a really cool doctor, he said. “I was really comfortable with him. I laid it all out to him. Talking to other guys, guys I deployed with, was a big help, too.”
The couple also saw a counselor together.
“Things are good now,” Amy said at the apartment they share in Milan.
On Sept. 9, the day her husband reported for his annual training at Camp Grayling, Amy moved the family to a new home in Milan with help from family and friends.
She and Ella will say goodbye to Drew later this month, much like they did on that emotional day in 2008. On Oct. 1, along with other members of the battalion, he’ll depart for more training at National Guard facilities in Mississippi and California before heading to Afghanistan.
This series is funded by George Polk grant affiliated with the George Polk Awards program at Long Island University.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Follow Viking's War on Facebook and Twitter
Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Ms. Smith
Fri, Sep 23, 2011 : 2:54 a.m.
My husband is currently at Camp Grayling. He is in the Alpha Company and will be deployed after the new year. I have read over a lot of these comments and I agree with some and disagree with others. I don't ask questions, I don't blame anyone, and I don't try to understand or put myself in my husband's shoes. My only concern and the one thing on my mind is obvious. I want to see him and his entire unit come home safely in October, 2012. Katherine Willson, thank you so much for your post! I feel that everyone should become familiar with support groups, FRGs, and especially militaryonesource.com. Some people could use a chill drill. We live in a small town that had already lost it's fair share of soldiers but that did not stop my husband from enlisting and I will do nothing but my best to support and pray for not only him but for every man and woman fighting for my country. Adam, Drew, and Neil, thank you for sharing your stories. I appreciate it! Good luck and God bless!
ProudArmyWife
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 1:19 p.m.
If you can, you should come to the military support forum Katherine mentioned. Its October 8th. It is a great resource and full of wonderful supportive people.
Katherine Willson
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 7:30 p.m.
Less than 2% of our country's population choose to voluntarily serve in the armed forces so that the remaining 98% of us don't have to. Those 2% and their families and loved ones have my unending love, support and greatest appreciation for their sacrifices. As a military spouse of a twice-deployed soldier, I understand all too well the struggles, frustrations and fears that military families face during (and after) a deployment, and I hope that they're able to call on the many resources and support that are available to them. The University of Michigan Depression Center operates a monthly program/support group for Michigan military families called M-Span (<a href="http://m-span.org/programs-for-military-families/strong-families/)," rel='nofollow'>http://m-span.org/programs-for-military-families/strong-families/),</a> and its members have started a Facebook group for social support (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132622120146379/)" rel='nofollow'>https://www.facebook.com/groups/132622120146379/)</a>. Additionally, Military One Source (<a href="http://www.militaryonesource.com" rel='nofollow'>http://www.militaryonesource.com</a> or 800-342-9647) offers free resources and support to all military members and their dependents, with an office that's staffed 24/7/365 by clinicians who are trained in counseling military families. Again, I send out my love, support and appreciation to all of our military families - the servicemembers, spouses, parents, children, and loved ones - for their immense sacrifices.
Mary
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 2:51 p.m.
I wish I would have been able to get to the support group at the UM depression center. The dates always fell on dates that I had something going on or could not get child care. I have heard nothing but GREAT things about this group!! I really do appreciate the sentiment behind Military One Source and everything they stand for, however all isn't as it appears. I have been trying to get counseling for my husband and I and they can't seem to find anyone in the area to provide this for us. I would go through my health insurance but right now we are living on one income and can't afford any additional co-pays right now. We were really hoping for those free services that were supposed to be available to military members and families going through deployments. There needs to be support for the families at home. The last year of my life has been completely turned upside by this deployment. I seek therapy for myself to try and sort it all out but now our marriage is in serious trouble and he needs counseling for himself but has been "military programmed" to think he's just fine. I know the military is really trying to shatter the stigma of counseling, but I'm not sure they are there just yet. I think this deployment has left me jaded. Where I sought out help for myself and my husband I have come up empty handed. When we expected benefits that he is entitled to, we have come up empty handed because things don't get processed as they should. He fullfilled his contract and did what was asked of him. Now why can't the NG fullfill their end of the bargin?
ProudArmyWife
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.
Thanks Katherine! I will be at the Military Support forum in October. (Its Megan Schopp :) Focusing on the support and appreciation makes it so much easier. This area is not the most military friendly and I appreciate all you do to help make it better! I have come to be incredibly resilient and strong from deployments thanks to all the support and love!
Marilyn Wilkie
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 10:39 p.m.
Good information. Thanks for posting this. I only wish it was not necessary.
DeeDee
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
It's offensive to use as the quote of the day, a comment that dismisses the contributions made by the many, many service members (and civil servants) who support those at the front.
pbehjatnia
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
"You don't understand a brotherhood because, well, you probably have never served in the infantry or in a capacity for something that is greater than yourself. Don't mistake our service as something that we do for you, pbehjatnia. It isn't. Those of us in the infantry brotherhood do it for each other...Like the Greek warriors long ago, we're a Legion that believes in the greater good of mankind...the unit. It has been like this for thousands of years...and will never change." This is Mr. Betz' reply to my comment supra. This is amazing. Mr. Betz goes to foreign countries, wearing a US uniform, paid for by US tax dollars and he isnt there for the good of the US. Nope. He says he is there for his buddies. Not to serve his country. Mr. Betz I am not impressed.
marymartha
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 2:21 p.m.
If you don't think a loyalty to the brotherhood is the most profound reason to join the armed forces, you never learned to read between the lines in history class. This unprecedented act of selflessness has always been the number one motivating factor for every war since the beginning of time. It is that type of dedication to the people around you that make this country great, and our armed forces greater. Afterall, what is a nation if it's not the culmutive effort of its citizens?
Arborcomment
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.
Pbehjatnia- your post clearly proves you do not understand combat. Analysis and interviews by the Army Warfare Analysis Center and others have consistently shown that veterans report they were in the fight for their buddies more than the cause or orders. Even the "good" war (WWII) where infantry units basically fought until they were killed or wounded for the duration of the conflict, reported continued unit cohesion and fight
Arborcomment
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 11:14 p.m.
Canada is only 40 minutes away
Adam Betz
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.
The greater good is the American society founded on the U.S. Constitution of which I took a pledge to uphold and defend. That is why I joined. Why I keep going back is something much more complicated, which is why I said you will not understand it. Most of us keep going back, just as SGT Cummings pointed out, because our brothers are still engaged in an unfinished fight that the American people wanted us to go fight for them. I still serve for both of these principles It is up to you, a citizen, to do your part by voting for representatives who will choose just wars on the nations behalf. But once we are there, don't change your mind because you are tired of hearing about it on the news. Take action. What are you going to do about the war if you disagree with the reason we are there? At least I am putting my money where my mouth is and taking action for what I believe.
Ignatz
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 2:48 p.m.
I can't have enough respect for people like Drew Cummings. We should all be grateful for his service to our nation. Many men and women have suffered for the misguided policies of our politicians, most of whom declined such sacrifices. It's sad, though that more did not contribute to the causes. I can't believe how easily our "leaders" duped us into spending the lives and treasure of this nation. Apparently, the lessons of Viet Nam were learned. As lonf as you don't demand more sacrifice by enacting conscription and raising taxes to pay for our violent ways, this country will support it. It's a good thing the economy is in the tank, so the enlistments will continue.
RuralMom
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
For those of angry that Obama hasn't pulled out of Iraq & Afghanistan quite fast enough for ya, you need to remember when you are pulling out its got to be carefully orchestrated tactical move. Otherwise a whole lot more of our soldiers end up injured and dead in the process. Educate yourself, remember he didn't put us there, lie about why we are there, or spend billions without raising taxes thus putting us in a huge hole!
xmo
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
Didn't President Obama Promise to end these Wars? Thanks for voting for him!
Charlie Brown's Ghost
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 8:50 p.m.
Gitmo closed yet?
Homeland Conspiracy
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 6:21 p.m.
NASHUA, N.H. — A woman's tearful plea to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to end the Iraq war momentarily caught him off guard Friday at a New Hampshire town hall meeting. The Illinois senator vowed to end the unpopular conflict if elected, a position that later earned him thunderous applause during a 5,800-person rally in Boston. April 20th, 2007
Anonymous
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
So I suppose you are now going to vote for one of the wonderful TeaPublicans choices? Good move! Let's quite the stupid bickering and party lines and quit blaming Obama. He didn't send them to war or spend BILLIONS of dollars and get this country in the hole it's in right now! We need to unite as a country or we are going down!
willowrunistillcare
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 1:12 p.m.
Best wishes to all the families as they endure their separations. Always believe that everything will work out. While the year is long in perspective, continually do things to keep busy and the time goes even faster. Make sure to use skyp often to keep the family intact and updated. Also relish in the companionship of others in the same situation.
ProudArmyWife
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 1:10 p.m.
thank you. How refreshing than the same old 'bring em home comments' Ann Arbor is certainly unique....
Top Cat
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 12:58 p.m.
God bless our warriors. Time to bring them home. We need them on our southern border.
Adam Betz
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 12:47 p.m.
Tax Treeder, I think that is the wrong answer. We went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. While I believe the war in Iraq was made my politicians for the wrong reasons and got a lot of good men I know killed for nothing. Afghanistan is a different war and issue though. Regardless of the reason we are there, the fact is, we've been fighting the Taliban, Al-Queida and their off-shoots for 10 years. Do you really think it would be a good idea to simply leave and abandon all the Afghani citizens, police and military personnel who have assisted us in the hope their country can improve and move away from Shari Law? Should we do to them what Bush Sr. did to the Kurds in '91 and leave them to fend for themselves after they helped us? THAT is one of our major foreign policy problems...American citizens are weak, have no skin in the game and give up too quickly. The rest of the world will never trust us if we keep leaving them to the wolves when Americans sitting on the couch in small town Michigan get tired of having their Grey's Anatomy and Oprah interrupted with reports from war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The rest of the world is not Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's time to grow up and break out of your bubble. The world is full of bad people...let's understand that.
Arborcomment
Sun, Sep 25, 2011 : 3:47 p.m.
sig, you are correct, there is a criminal element and there is also that the Taliban tax opium production to fund their activities. That is why one of the prime goals of the PRTs is to shift farmers away from growing poppies to the traditional items they did before (very sucessfully). The equation of the Soviets and British with current US objectives is not similar. The USSR invaded Afghanistan after a violent coup, waged total warfare, and made no effort towards rebuilding Afghan society and infrastructure. The Brits attempted colonial power and subjucation.
sig.melvin
Sun, Sep 25, 2011 : 1:57 a.m.
yes the times are bad and families pay the price, yes even in the years of the veitnam war ..families left behind had to leave the post and move to the civial side.with ads in paper aprt.for rent no children no dogs..that was the beginning ..and after two tours in vietnam end of a marriage , fatherless children etc etc no comfort from the military ....
sig.melvin
Sun, Sep 25, 2011 : 1:46 a.m.
Before the american came to afghanistan ..there where the russian for 10 years and before that the English...it is not the taliban etc etc it is the OPIUM they after...no american live is worths this ...National guard ..is to defend there country/STATe not be send to forgein countries!WE need our men home to rebuild america and families ..
Arborcomment
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.
Tex, until you CLEAR and HOLD, you can not begin STABILTY. Currently seven provinces in Afghanistan are now under the complete administrative control of the Afghanistan Government. Provincial Recnstruction Teams (State, USAID, Others) are in all provinces More provinces will be turned over to Afghanistan by the end of the year. Two large areas are contest in the HOLD, RC-S and RC-E. It is no accident that both border Pakistan where Taliban elements find relatively safe haven and move across the border. Bottom line: if we want to do this right this time, we must hold until those areas are stable and capable of defending themselves. When that happens and the Taliban comes back across the border (with the possibility of harboring ALQ with them - they have shown no indication of disavowing), they will find the locals not so afraid of standing up.
Mike
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 9:23 p.m.
The people who serve in the armed forces understand what real evil is and have seen it first hand. Evil that is unchecked will eventually show up in our pacifist society doing harm here. We are being infiltrated right now by various groups who are patient and use our "tolerance" against us, i.e. political correctness. Evil perceives those who cut and run as weak and vulnerable; something most on these forums wiil never understand. Someday you will and these young men will still be fighting to protect people like you from harm and pay the price in numerous ways both physically and psychologically. War is a fact of life as is evil and will always have victims. The pacifists are eventually over run and subjugated so we need to support our military. In order to have a well prepared and experienced military it must be involved in conflicts until there is "world peace" as Miss America might say.
Tex Treeder
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 8:41 p.m.
Adam, I have visited some of these folks. Twice, in fact. Their history and culture are irrelevant for this argument. We invaded Iraq on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction. Over the next few years, we toppled the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein, captured him and hanged him. Seems like that should have taken care of Iraq. As for Afghanistan, we eventually found and killed bin Laden and a significant number of Al-Qaeda leaders. I no longer feel a moral responsibility to the majority of people in Afghanistan who clearly don't want us there any longer. Can the US assist in developing civil society in Iraq or Afghanistan? That's unclear to me. What is clear to me is that the Army's mission is over and the troops should come home.
Marilyn Wilkie
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:10 p.m.
Brainwashing isn't just used on prisoners, it's also used to get our young folks to engage in killing each other. Everything boils down to money, who's got it, who wants it, and most importantly, who wants more of it. Pretty platitudes kill people.
Adam Betz
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.
Tex, then I recommend you visit some of these folks. Study their history and culture. Talk to people who have left Afghanista. Most do not want Shari Law. It was forced down their throats in the 90's after the Soviets left because it was their only option to some type of justice and law. They are scared of the Taliban and their way of life. The Taliban refused to give up Bin Laden. They protected them. We went got into the fight there because of that. Now, we have a moral responsibility to help those pepole ie. the Northern Alliance who assisted us. Is it really that simple to you?
Tex Treeder
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
That's exactly what I'm saying. We killed bin Laden and we've taken out a substantial part of Al Queida's leadership. Armies are designed to use force, not build civil society. It's time to bring our army home and let them build their own country. If they want sharia law, so be it. That's their decision to make.
pbehjatnia
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 12:46 p.m.
These wars are wrong and have been misguided from the beginning. Sadam Hussein and the Taliban were not behind 9/11. What a waste of lives and money. And these young men, with wives and families, choose to go /back? To mentor and guide more cannon fodder? Serve your country, yes. Service for an unjust war? No. Service for your buddies and leave your daughter to be potentially fatherless and your wife a widow? No way in ....
ProudArmyWife
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
While my husband serves this country, he did choose to go back. I agree with Adam B. While I am not in the infantry, I choose to understand and learn why he does what he does. I know that being a widow is a potential outcome of this but I would rather be a widow to a honorable hero than have to go through life not knowing the passion and dedication to life and the greater good of mankind that my husband has.
Adam Betz
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 4:01 p.m.
You don't understand a brotherhood because, well, you probably have never served in the infantry or in a capacity for something that is greater than yourself. Don't mistake our service as something that we do for you, pbehjatnia. It isn't. Those of us in the infantry brotherhood do it for each other...Like the Greek warriors long ago, we're a Legion that believes in the greater good of mankind...the unit. It has been like this for thousands of years...and will never change.
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 12:40 p.m.
Well, at least they can serve openly now. Good luck.
Marilyn Wilkie
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 12:32 p.m.
I voted for Obama because I thought he would bring an end to these wars. I was wrong and "won't be fooled again" as the old song goes.
Tex Treeder
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 11:45 a.m.
How many more families do we have to damage? Saddam Hussein is dead and Osama bin Laden is dead. It's time to bring the troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mary
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 3:03 p.m.
I wouldn't say we are damaged but have certainly been impacted. They say it takes up to anywhere from 1-3 years for life to return to normal after deployment. Prior to the deployment I thought everything would be just fine. Now that we're post-deployment I'm seeing things that I truly never believed would ever happen to us. We are committed to our marriage and our kids. We are educated - this isn't supposed to happen to us, however it has and we need to work through it. Sorry but the reality is the military will do anything for you pre-deployment and during deployment but the minute you're home they really could care less. They've gotten what they needed from you. You are no longer a concern for them. Fullfill the rest of your contract and don't bother us is the attitude we have gotten from our unit, the FRG and Lansing since he's been home. Sorry but perception is reality in matters like this. Some units are better than others. However once you're home the priority becomes those preparing and getting ready to depart - not those that just came home.
ProudArmyWife
Mon, Sep 26, 2011 : 1:01 p.m.
My family is not damaged from this. We do have challenges to overcome and it takes an incredible amount of personal courage to work through it but we are not damaged, only stronger. I knew what I was doing when I married someone committed to serve his country and it is an honor to be an army wife. The positive sides to this story is rarely shown and few choose to understand.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Sep 24, 2011 : 1:27 a.m.
"Ever heard of Medusa?" Yup. But I've never heard of foreign policy being determined via Greek mythology. GN&GL
Tex Treeder
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.
Sbbuilder, I suspect you mean the Hydra, where 2 heads grew back when one was cut off. Yes, I have. That doesn't change my opinion though.
sbbuilder
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:45 p.m.
Ever heard of Medusa?
Smart Logic
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 4:15 p.m.
Killing a leader is not akin to the age old cliche of cutting the head off a snake. In many organizations someone new simply rises to take the previous leader's place. Just killing the leader does not mean the job is done.