'It's definitely not normal with him being gone'
National Guard solider Drew Cummings smiles as his wife Amy reaches for their energetic four-year-old daughter Ella in their Milan home on Sept. 8, 2011.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
On Thursday, the family from Milan rose at 4 a.m. to drop Drew Cummings off at the Michigan Army National Guard Armory near Saginaw.
Cummings, 25, is a sergeant in Bravo Company, one of six companies in the guard’s 800-member 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment. Headquartered in Flint with bases throughout the state, the combat unit's call sign is the Viking Battalion. Cummings is among hundreds of Viking Battalion soldiers leaving this week to train at Camp Shelby, Miss., for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
Back at home, Amy’s training had come to an end. Ready or not, she will spend a year as single parent to their daughter Ella, 4. Her first task: conquer the Dream Town House - its label reads "55+ pieces!"
It was easier than she expected - the whole ordeal took about 40 minutes.
A low-key Drew quipped to his wife while home on leave this week that the thing he’d miss most at war was his guitar.
She knew he didn’t mean it. “We’re goofy at home,” she said.
It’s part of the reason she bought that Dream House.
Drew had wanted to build their daughter a nice dollhouse, out of wood. Time before the deployment was running out.
At the last minute, the Army cut short the leave time soldiers could spend with their families. Originally, Drew and his fellow soldiers were to have about five days leave, squeezed in between annual training at Camp Grayling in northern Michigan and the departure to Camp Shelby.
With little notice, that leave shrank to two days. A going away ceremony originally scheduled for Friday in Saginaw was abruptly pushed up four days. Amy scrambled to change her schedule at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, where she works as an ER nurse, to make all the last-minute changes fit.
A homemade wooden dollhouse? It was a nice idea that evaporated fast, along with Drew's time off. Amy, 27, bought the pink plastic Dream Town House partly out of necessity, but partly “to twist the knife,” she admitted.
The dig about missing his guitar was a little bit of pay back for the pretty, pink, easy-to-snap-together Dream House.
The first day without her husband was a little tearful, a little strange and overall, exhausting, she said.
“His stuff’s here and he’s not,” she said. “It’s definitely not normal with him being gone.”
“I can’t mope,” Amy said.
There’s really no time for it.
On her task list: earning a nursing degree from Eastern Michigan University. She's one course away from earning a bachelor’s degree, she said.
She said she and Ella are determined to keep busy during Drew's second deployment.
Ella suggested a trip to the water park on Thursday, but Amy reminded her it’s a little cold for that.
Drew's first deployment, in 2008, was hard on the family. They understand now the challenges that are ahead, Drew said.
From new bride to Army wife
Neil Gikas, 26, and Melissa Gikas, 24, say goodbye at the National Guard Armory near Saginaw, Mich. in Buena Vista Township on Friday, Sept. 30. Neil Gikas is leading a platoon of soldiers on an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
Jeff Schrier | The Saginaw News
Melissa Gikas could hardly stop the tears in the hours since her husband, Neil, left to train for war Friday, she said.
It’s been an emotional week topping off an emotional month - and a lot of those emotions are conflicting.
“I’m proud,” she said. “I’m angry. I’m worried.”
Those feelings mean Melissa has broken down multiple times this week over Neil’s departure to Camp Shelby, which marks the start of his mobilization as an active duty soldier on his first deployment. Gikas is a lieutenant in charge of a platoon within Bravo Company in the Viking Battalion. That platoon includes Sgt. Drew Cummings.
Like Amy Cummings, Melissa dropped Neil, 26, off at Bravo Company’s headquarters near Saginaw.
Neil and Melissa, who live in Pittsfield Township, were married July 15.
She once vowed to herself she’d never be one of those overly zealous Army wives.
But even before Neil left Friday, Melissa, 24, reluctant recipient of the “Army wife,” title, got her first series of tests in that role.
She stood in for Neil, lending support to her in-laws after Neil’s grandfather, the patriarch of a large, close Greek-American family, died on Sept. 11. The Army granted Neil less than 24 hours leave from annual training at Camp Grayling for the funeral.
Then she stood by him as everyone close to them cried and cried over his departure - like her 11-year-old brother, Tanner, who considers Neil his hero and likes to parade around in his Army gear.
Neil came home from annual training at Camp Grayling this week bearing gifts for Melissa that reflected their new life together. The first, a big, fleece camouflage blanket. He got her a license plate holder that says “Proud Army wife.”
Melissa has already found herself leaning on other Army wives for support, she said, through a private Facebook page one of them set up.
The “Proud Army wife” license plate holder she might have cast a skeptical eye on before means something now that her husband’s gone.
This series is funded by George Polk grant affiliated with the George Polk Awards program at Long Island University.
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:- Welcome to Viking's War
- A soldier's life, shaped by 9/11 and heading back to war
- As deployment looms, military families say war takes its toll on them, too
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
Will Warner
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 3:58 a.m.
The burdens of security fall very unevenly upon us.
WalkingJoe
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 2:35 a.m.
Just remember people, it's because of sacrifices by Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines you can freely express your opinion here.
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 11:26 p.m.
grams, I am pointing out a fact representative of the environment we are in and the combatant we face. In late 2001, my team used a former girl's school as a base in Mazar I Sharif. It was "former" because the Taliban closed it. This province is now largely stable and the school is now open.
Gramma
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 11:15 p.m.
Arborcomment: Are you saying that we are in Afghanistan to fight for education of women?
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
Mavfun, under the Taliban, Afghan women would not be free to express their opinion here (or in any written form). That's because they banned education when they were in power. And regarding "unchecked funneling of money" only the defense department initiated $750 billion in cuts PRIOR to the republican control of congress. Funny, I didn't see other departments lining up to do the same.
mavfunn
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
That might be a comforting, pseudo-patriotic sophistry, but it's simply not true given the current purpose of our military over at least the past decade. Those serving (monied interests at home, not some vague "America" or "Americans") are not fighting for my freedom, for 9/11, or any other propagandistic reason that fuels the government's virtually unchecked funneling of money to the military, whose consequences are devastating, even fatal, to those serving. But of course we have to pretend like there's nothing wrong here because they are "heroes."
Wolf's Bane
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 12:07 a.m.
At least now they can serve openly. Thank goodness.
West of Main
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 6:54 p.m.
Can we stop pretending that soldiers are heroes?
ProudArmyWife
Sat, Oct 8, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
You have got to be kidding me with this.....
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
Mavfun, well written 1st and 3rd paragraph. This coming from one who has served. Your second is nonsense; it ignores history, the mindset of those against us, and the opportunity we are attempting to give to the people of Afghanistan for security and a better way of life. For example, while your "handle" is gender neutral, female posters to this blog should be reminded that under the Taliban, education for women ceased.
mavfunn
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 4:43 p.m.
Although I can't speak for the OP, the misunderstanding is that the refusal to automatically lionize those in the military as heroes equals disdain. It does not. Those in the military who behave as competent, respectable professionals should be treated as such. But still, that does not automatically make them heroes. That's especially true of those who voluntarily serve a corrupt military industrial complex. This has nothing to do with forgetting or remembering 9/11, especially given how little "the war" has to do with it except pointing back any time rational criticism arises. It is a delusion to assume that the military is protecting ordinary citizens given the actions of our military in this past decade. Just because you want to take part in this and risk your life to do so does not make you a hero any more than a UPS driver is a hero for not getting into an accident on the freeway risking his/her life to deliver your packages (or any other similar comparison). People are making money off of them--their lives and their deaths. And it does nothing to promote the guise of security, except for those easily swayed by patriotic blather. Members of the military can behave heroically because they are people, just like those who are not in the military. They can also behave atrociously and inhumanely, likewise. The point is, of course, that your profession does not make you a hero simply because it is your profession; your morals, actions, and consistency in them do (for starters).
leaguebus
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 3:04 a.m.
I am a little fuzzy why your dislike for the war translates to disdain for our locals who serve? Sounds like what our Vietnan vets saw when they came home. I don't like these wars either, but I have a son who serves and he is my hero as is all the others who serve. It must be real easy for you to forget 9/11. It's not for me.
Bear
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 1:27 a.m.
maybe you should stop pretending that they aren't.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 11:18 p.m.
Bin Laden FLED to Pakistan once the US and the Northern Alliance broke the Taliban's back in late 2001. The only reason the US declared war on the Taliban was because they refused to surrender Bin Laden. Historically, the Taliban and Al Quieda haven't seen eye to eye...however we were a common enemy and they now see the mistake in their decision.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:51 p.m.
The Taliban did not attack us. Some agents of Al Qaida, not representing any government, did. We believed that they and Osama Bin Laden were in Afghanistan. Bin Laden was in Pakistan. Invading and occupying another country does not help anyone.
West of Main
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:25 p.m.
You aren't helping anyone.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:23 p.m.
I certainly don't think I'm a hero. I'm doing a job as a professional infantryman in a professional Army fighting a war the American people (Gamma and West of Main included) have told me to go fight. I'm no pawn in a game because unlike some who have not seen the suffering brought on by Al Quieda and the Taliban, I don't see human suffering as a game. I volunteered for this and have a very good civilian job...I was not drafted. No hero. Just a guy trying to do something about some people who attacked us 10 years ago, murdered 3,000 of our fellow countrymen and who have been torturing and murdering the people of Afghanistan for nearly 2 decades. West of Main and Gamma...what are you doing to help your fellow man?
dotdash
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.
Do you have a problem with "brave"? Or "committed"? Or "probably doesn't want to die"? Those are the characteristics that make these stories poignant.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 7:14 p.m.
Most of them are only pawns in the game.
dotdash
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 6:18 p.m.
I was very touched by these stories. I fervently hope nothing happens to these young families (or any others fighting for us). How about ending these oil-interest-instigated wars and save the billions of dollars for something better?
xmo
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
It's nice to see stories about those who risk their life for this Country. It use to be that the best and the brightest were the first to volunteer for service and the press use to back them. Things have changed greatly.
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 11:51 a.m.
Gramma has never heard of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" or the cold war - unless of course she chooses to forget the latter because her side lost?
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:44 p.m.
Adam, we have not declared war on either Iraq or Afghanistan.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
Gamma....I'll give you two examples: Iraq both in 1991 & 2003 as well as Afghanistan in 2001. All 3 were declared wars by Congress. Again, you're trying to make things too simple and history is anything but. Please do some further research.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.
Adam...give me one example of a U.S. war declared by Congress since WWII. Do you have an example of any government taking military action against the US since WWII? We have supported a number of dictators since WWII: Pinochet in Chile, the Somoza family in Nicaragua, Saddam in Iraq, the Saudi Dynasty in Saudi Arabia. Noriega of Panama was a CIA informant for years starting in 1952. Later, we invaded his country and kidnapped him then imprisoned him.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 7:01 p.m.
Gramma....it could be if one were close minded enough to think the rest of the world should fend for itself. Yes, our elected officials have made horrible mistakes and bad choices in entering conflicts in the past...but every action since WWII? I think that is very far fetched. Reality is not so cut and dry.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.
Could that be because we are the aggressors in all military actions since WWII?
David Haig
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
I am a member of the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor. We are looking for families of deployed soldiers in Washtenaw County to help with home maintenance during deployment. Please, contact me at dhaig@ameritech.net if you can help me contact families in need.
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 1:06 p.m.
Thank you very much David, great initiative. For those looking for other ways to assist: a) just say "thanks for your service" to those you see schlepping through the airport in uniform. Watch a young kid blush. Watch when you get on the plane, look for that military haircut, camelback backpack, are they in the middle seat? Inquire if they are in the service, if yes, offer them your window or aisle. Consider your two plus hours in their middle seat "community service". They've probably already had 16+ hours in the belly of a C-17. Volunteer at the USO lounge at Detroit Metro.
leaguebus
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 2:54 a.m.
Wonderful offer. We have heroes here too!
Bear
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 1:26 a.m.
Thanks Dave, for your assistance to Vets & their families. I really appreciate that. I was very thankful to those who helped out my wife while I was deployed 23 years ago and am always heartened by such gestures and sharing from others who do their part to help. Kudos.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.
That is a generous and thoughtful offer.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
Unfortunately, these soldiers probably won't be home in a year. They may never come home at all. They definitely will never be the same. No one who fought in a war ever is. There is no declared war. The goals of all our undeclared wars are unclear. Democracy does not come at the end of an occupier's gun. Support our soldiers. Bring them all home.
eagleman
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 4:10 a.m.
That is a simplistic understanding of the situation. We are in Afghanistan because the Taliban made the conscious decision to permit Bin Laden to use Afghanistan as a base of operations to launch terrorist attacks.If the Taliban had chosen differently there government would be in the process of consolidating power instead of fighting just to hang on. It was a strategic blunder on the scale of Hitler's decision to invade Russia in June of 1941. The seeds of war are planted by much more than past wars. They are planted by intolerance, fanaticism, and perceived injustice. Wars can be started desiring to dominate and those desiring to bring equality. WWII happened even though people went to extreme lengths to achieve a lasting peace. Sometimes, Gramma, war cannot be avoided. This is especially true when you are dealing with fanatics, which is the case with Al Queda. Our wars have to end. We simply cannot afford them any longer. But we should also not embrace false beliefs of how the wars came about. the story of the Afghan War is much more complex than simply us "arming Bin Laden". It involves the decisions of the Taliban, the spread of extreme Sunni beliefs, and the millions of a scion of a Saudi construction company. Without any of these factors, Afghanistan is still an irrelevant country to Americans today. Gramma, whether you want to admit it or not, peace is not up to us. Even if we were to leave both nations tomorrow that does not mean the war is over. They could very well bring it back to our shores. The conclusion of a war depends on BOTH parties agreeing to it. You and the rest of the peaceniks need to grasp the reality that we are likely to live with war for decades to come no matter if we are in Iraq/Afghanistan or not.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 10:27 p.m.
Adam, I did some checking. Osama bin Laden was among those who were in the Mujahadin and trained and armed by the CIA, supported by the Reagan Administration. It seems that the Mujahadin morphed into the Taliban. With each war or military action, we sow the seeds of the next.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:16 p.m.
Gamma, I am a history major...I'm pretty comfortable about the knowledge of the country I'm about to go in with the formal and personal education I've received about the society and culture I'm about to interact with. With that being said, you couldn't be more wrong about the Taliban. We (the US) did NOT put the Taliban in power. We assisted the Mujahideen against the Russians which later mostly became the Northern Alliance. The NA assisted us from the get go in 2001 and they continue to do so. The NA were the enemy of the Taliban ever since the Russians left. Your knowledge about the history of Afghanistan is greatly skewed....please look more into it when you have time. As for Saddam Husein, you're absolutely right. I agree the invasion of Iraq was a wrong war to get involved in. However, I am talking about Afghanistan right now...two completely different wars and locations. Let's not try to simplify the world by comparing the two...it cannot be done in an honest effort.
Gramma
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 7:05 p.m.
Adam, read up on history. We put the Taliban in power in the first place to fight a proxy war for us against Russia. We also put Saddam Hussein in power to fight for us against Iran, where we had supported the Shah, a dictator.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 6:58 p.m.
Gramma. I appreciate your comment. But I hope you read up on current events in Afghanistan and Iraq from the point of view of those over there. There is much more complexity to it than calling us "occupiers". We are re-building a nation that was once democratic. The Taliban were the only alternative to stability after the Soviets left...we are offering them a different path which they would rather have. Talk to those who have been there and not just the Americans...talk to the people of Afghanistan and I think you'll find a different outlook.
Bones
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2 p.m.
I do not think that the National Guard should be deployed over seas. I believe it should be used for its name sake. With all of the natural disasters we have here at home. But, with that said I wish them all Godspeed getting back home safe.
Arborcomment
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 12:10 p.m.
Some common comments and misperceptions (some fueled by agenda) on the make up of the volunteer armed forces and use of Guard and Reserve Forces. 1) Volunteer forces are made up of minorities and the poor. False. Army recruiting data shows the overwhelming majority of volunteers are solidly middle-class. Black americans make up a slightly lower enlisted percentage base than their general population, a slightly higher percentage base than the general population in the officer corps. Asian and Hispanic Americans are about even with their population percentage (Hispanics are a little lower - assessed cause may be language barrier to service). 2. National Guard was designed to be a a stay home, help with disasters organization. False. Never was. As cited in other posts, NG units have served in every conflict. As we reduce standing forces (i.e. no draft), NG forces have to be used. In addition, since Korea, military leaders have recognized that if you are going to use guard and reserve forces they better be trained and equipped to fight alongside standing US forces.
eagleman
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 3:33 a.m.
Bear, we had a draft during the Civil War, WWI and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Those also happen to be our bloodiest wars. I don't think a draft will change the "war dialogue" at all. The well connected can find a way to hide their son even if they are drafted.
Bear
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.
Yeah Adam, the only reason they have you guys on rotation 3, 4, 5 times is that they have this new model that tells them they can avoid a draft this way. Institute a draft, where the affluent have to send their kids into harms way and watch the whole war dialogue change. I feel the one's quickest to rush us to war are often the one's who've never been there. BTW, I agree in your statement that you are a professional, doing a job. I felt that way also, when I served. But I think vets deserve more than they end up getting, more often than not. Take Care.
Bear
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.
The National Guard has been utilized in all of our major wars. They were among the first in on D Day, they were used extensively in the beginning of the Korean war and even WW!. The national guard's task isn't only for guarding our nations shores, Bones. Check out some of the history.
Adam Betz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 9:09 p.m.
Walker101, quite a few of us Guard guys in the infantry are on our 3rd and 4th tours now as well.
walker101
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
Unfortunately we do not have enough regulars to do the job, many have been deployed 3-4 times since this has all started, initially the guard was used for homeland disasters in the US, it'll just b a matter of time that the reserves will be called back to help out.
SW40
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
Easy answer for you Mohomed, The Soldier is a hero, you certainly are not. Having a bachelor's degree is not a great accomplishment, as a matter of fact when I finished I started a master's and guess what, still not as difficult as being shot at in a war torn hell hole like Afghanistan. Secondly mohomed, life doesn't owe you anything, certainly not appreciation for trying to better yourself through education, when a soldier serves and is willing top die for his country it not only deserves our respect it demands it. Our soldiers, police officers and firefighters place themselves in harms wayfor us and even in the cynical world we find ourselves in; that should be recognized even though it rarely is. To the hero's in this article I say God Speed and a safe journey. To mohomed I say get a life.
Bear
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.
when I was in our guidon had ribbons all the way back toWW I & II
mohomed
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 1:40 p.m.
Who's more of a hero.. This Soldier fighting for his country and stepping up in a time of war or Me. I have a 4 year degree in Woman's Studies and had a great time in college paying still on $75,000 in student loans for my degree. Also I work at Starbucks as an Assistant Shift Supervisor and will be lucky to make $30,000 a year this year. I can't provide for my wife and kid while this Army guy is making a lot more than me over there with is basic pay, BAH, BAS, separation pay, ect including not having to pay taxes because he is in a war deployment. It doesn't seem fair to me that a Soldier without a 4 year degree like Me can provide for his family much better than I can. I believe I stepped up to the plate in life as well going to college and I should be rewarded handsomely for it but I'm not.
ProudArmyWife
Sat, Oct 8, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
Clearly your 75,000 was wasted. You never learned how to budget. Maybe stop living above your means or work more hours. Check out daveramsey.com and get some accountability, something that army guy had to learn.. I bet that if you worked the same hours as an 'Army guy' that you would make more. Why don't you work 365 days straight for 10-15 hour shifts and sleep at your job everyday. I bet that you would make more money and you would probably get paid overtime. I could sit here and give you the numbers but I wouldn't waste my time on you because you wouldn't understand anyways. Your mind is made up. My estimate is that a soldier probably earns around $1-2/hour. you might want to look at the whole picture before blaming others for you inability to provide for your family. A big reason that our family has more money after a deployment is because my soldier has no where to spend it and he works 365 days straight for 15 hour shifts and sleeps at his job.
Mary
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 3:24 p.m.
Wow is this even worth a reply? Some days they work up to 23 hours in a day. In 130 degree heat in some areas. Some work in the freezing mountains. Some walk 18 hours a day or drive all day and night while avoiding IED or RPGs meaning they have to stop almost every 1/8 of a mile. You think they are getting by on military pay? HA. Most of them joined so they could go to college. Not only in your opinion are they stepping up to the plate in life by going to college, they are putting their life on the line for their country. Those tuition dollars that are promised? Well they may or may NOT get it taken care of. Could be years and years of phone calls, and emails trying to get things paid by the VA. You seem to think military folk are living high on the hog and you couldn't be any farther from the truth. Try getting a job while being a member of the National Guard. No one will hire you because they fear you'll be deployed. Then there are those that fear hiring them thinking they could be a potential PTSD problem. So these guys have served their country and "stepped up to the plate" and gone to college for what - unemployment? Are you offering jobs to these guys? You should seriously do some research about military life/pay before you open your mouth and speak about it. I'm living it. It's not pretty. And seriously you're complaining about them not pay taxes while at war? I think that is the least our gov't can do for these brave men and women.
leaguebus
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 2:52 a.m.
What are the chances of getting killed or wounded working at Starbucks? That is why these guys are hero's. My son has been deployed with the Special Forces more than three times and every time he goes out he is in danger just as these hero's will be when they reach the war zone. My thoughts go out to their families.
Jen Eyer
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 6:19 p.m.
I read this as being supremely sarcastic, which is why I did not block it.
djacks24
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 5:10 p.m.
"How many jobs do think are out there for someone with a degree in womans studies? I guessing you'll be lucky to find one. Maybe you should have picked a more usefull course of study." Exactly...Definitely the soldier is way more of a hero. Why not trade places with him and go find out why. That soldier and many others (past and present) that have fought and died before him had made it possible for you to make those decisions you made in planning out your life. You are probably regretting those decisions about now ($75K in debt for worthless Woman's studies degree), but at least you had the freedom to make those decisions. Maybe you should have gone into the military in the first place for the GI bill to pay for your college and put it towards a useful degree.
cinnabar7071
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 4 p.m.
How many jobs do think are out there for someone with a degree in womans studies? I guessing you'll be lucky to find one. Maybe you should have picked a more usefull course of study.
tommy_t
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 3:14 p.m.
So join the Army and you will find out what life and freedom is all about. It would also solve your belly aching - man, you are a case study of current America. You don't get it do you?
walker101
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 3:07 p.m.
Unfortunately with the attitude you have you should thank your lucky stars you are even employed. Getting rewarded because you graduated from college does not guarantee automatic success or entitle you to a lifestyle that you dream about. It has to do with your attitude, maybe you should have taken self improvement courses on how to succeed in school. Being away from home and in harms way everyday for over a year is much more stressful than attending 10 years of college classes and hanging out with family and friends at your leisure, this soldier is sacrificing his time with family and may possible sacrifice his life so you can continue to work at Star bucks serving mocas to college kids and the wannabes. Like many of my peers I also sacrificed my time with family and friends and served during the war for about $5.00 a day 24/7. I did not graduate from college and yet I have a retired income that I pay more than $30K a year in taxes, do the math. It does't take a college grad to be successful, it takes an individual with a positive attitude and hard work to get ahead. So bottom line be gratful of what you have and change to attitude.