Loved one/friend/yourself served in Iraq/Afghanistan?

I don't have any loved ones or friends in the military, but San Diego
is a military town and when I see these young soldiers down at the
harbor waiting to be shipped out, saying their tearful goodbyes to their
families and children, I get choked up every time. When the ships
leave, the soldiers stand very still around the outer peripheries of the ship,
just like statues, not moving at all, and I always think to myself: it must
tear their hearts out seeing how loved ones cry and wave to them,
their silhouettes getting smaller and smaller while they themselves disappear into the sea, not knowing if they ever return.

I always support the soldiers. Those poor souls are caught in a situation they cannot control. My heart goes out to them.

Bush does not deserve our support, not then, now or ever! He's brought
nothing but misery to Americans and the entire world for that matter.

I have identical twin cousins that have served in the first Gulf war and again now both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have never suppoerted Bush.

I have never suppoerted my cousins, Kevin and Kyle more. They go and serve without complaint.

I have no problem seperating supporting the troops from not suppporting the president.

I do not have any family in the military, but my neighbor's son was killed in Iraq about 2 months ago. He was a good kid with big ambitions and now he has died in a pointless war. Within a 2 mile radius of my home I know of 4 families with children in the military.

I thought Bush was an idiot from the first time I heard him speak. My opinion of him has only gotten worse over time. Supporting him would be like supporting the Devil. However, supporting the US military is like supporting the country as a whole. The military must go were they are commanded, and I feel they are doing the best they can in the worst of circumstances with the worst of leaders.

Wow. That's it? Just us?

Squinney is the only other person with family in the military? I could have sworn there were more. Perhaps they haven't been deployed to either war.....

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone more patriotic than my mom. She's a flag waving, cheerleader for the US of A. That hasn't changed - she'll always be like that. But about Bush... it's strange to talk to her. She takes it very personal, these wars.

I was just curious as to how many people on this board have had a friend/loved one/themselves serve in the current wars?

My husband was in Iraq for six months and might have to go back. He was also in Afghanistan.

Has your opinion of the President changed over the years?

No, I never liked him?

In what way?

N/A

Do you think supporting our soldiers means supporting our President?

No, I think there are a lot of poor guys out there, who in my eyes are absolutely crazy for doing the stuff they do! I feel absolutely sorry for them, and this has nothing to do with supporting the president!

Do you think supporting our soldiers means not supporting our President?

see above

Is your opinion centered on whether they served in Iraq or Afghanistan?

I suppose it's part of what he is.
I don't like it, but since I love him, I accept that he thinks it's what he has to do! It does not make me proud of him! I will be much happier/relaxed once he has left the Army!

I was just curious as to how many people on this board have had a friend/loved one/themselves serve in the current wars?

My husband was in Iraq for six months and might have to go back. He was also in Afghanistan.

Has your opinion of the President changed over the years?

No, I never liked him?

In what way?

N/A

Do you think supporting our soldiers means supporting our President?

No, I think there are a lot of poor guys out there, who in my eyes are absolutely crazy for doing the stuff they do! I feel absolutely sorry for them, and this has nothing to do with supporting the president!

Do you think supporting our soldiers means not supporting our President?

see above

Is your opinion centered on whether they served in Iraq or Afghanistan?

I suppose it's part of what he is.
I don't like it, but since I love him, I accept that he thinks it's what he has to do! It does not make me proud of him! I will be much happier/relaxed once he has left the Army!

And just to add to your list:

My brother-in-law (my husband's twin brother) has also been to Iraq several times. Last for a year, about eight weeks after getting married.

In terms of "that's it?", I know Joah's husband is in Iraq, and Baldimo was there. Seed too.

I have very little direct connection to soldiers. About the closest is that my former neighbor's brother was in charge of the (batallion?) that caught Saddam. (They were all very pro-Bush at the time, haven't spoken to them in almost 3 yrs.)

I have a young cousin in Iraq, now. He's West Point, Career Army and certainly knew what he was getting into.

I did not support Bush. I did not support invading Iraq. I do not feel that The Surge is a good idea..but I'm wondering whether we can get off the tiger without leaving the Iraqi people more at risk than they were when we invaded.

I support the troops.

I hold Bush responsible for all the ills of war: the dead and wounded American and Allied troops; the dead and wounded Iraqi civilians; the stupid actions of green troops under pressure; the anguish of military families.

I'm proud of him Bohne. It isn't an easy life and yes, it is so much easier once they're out.

Is his service the reason you're in Germany? My brother was stationed there for about 12 years!

The soldiers I feel sorry for are the National Guard. "One weekend a month" has turned out to be..... something else entirely.

I thought about Seed, soz. We haven't heard from him in a long time. I knew Baldimo was military but I don't guess I was aware that he had been deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Asherman has a son in the Army, and Snood is military, Army if I recall correctly.

Noddy said:



This sounds like my mom. With the added bonus of feeling guilty for having voted for Bush. She feels personally responsible in a way.

I think her turning point was hearing my brother talk about knocking on (a few) doors, having to tell people that their child/spouse/parent was dead. I'm sure she imagined getting just such a knock, or getting a call from my brother's wife. I'm sure she imagined having to call and tell us. I'm sure she imagined that folded up flag.

My brother's served two tours. It's so hard. And if anything I think supporting my brother and the rest of the troops is done best by being angry with W and his admin....it makes me sick to think of my brother or anyone else risking their life for such a stupid thing-- that they've put their lives on the line supposedly to fight terrorism, and all it did is make America more despised-- that makes me so incredibly angry that I can hardly think of it.

[quote="boomerang"]Is his service the reason you're in Germany? My brother was stationed there for about 12 years![/quote]

Yes, he's been here for over six years now, which is more than most people get.
He's been here twice before, too.
It looked like he had to return to the States for two or three years last year, but luckily so far we got out of it!

I've been trying to think of a comparison to the claim that if we don't support Bush, we don't support our troops.

The best I can come up with is that if yur child is assigned by the school board to an unsafe school, do you send them because you support education (the USA)? By not sending them to the assigned school, do you not support the teachers that teach there?(the soldiers) Do you continue to re-elect the same board members, whose children go to private school, and go along with whatever they decide?

Not a perfect analogy, but...