Support Our Troops

We have the magnets on our cars. Hey, I even soldiered for 20 years. In fact both of our sons are soldiers – Scott in the U.S. Army Reserves and Kenny in the 82d Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. We’re even members of the Patriot Guard Riders (www.patriotguard.org), and while we haven’t been overly active (especially lately), we do our part. I even go the extra bit and talk positively to people about the Army and the opportunities available to those who serve. I work for a defense contractor. I’m a center of Influence (or was) for the Huntsville Recruiting Company. Kim volunteers at Army Community Services. We were even nominated for and were selected as the Huntsville area Association of the United States Army – Volunteer Family of the Year for 2008. So we support our troops…

But, this past week I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about and praying for our troops. Especially (selfishly) in light of Kenny’s impending deployment to Iraq and his current mission as an escort of SGT Justin Duffy’s remains. I recognize that his personal involvement has made it much more real to me.

How much do we really support our troops? I don’t care about the politics of the situation – whose fault it is, was, or isn’t does not change reality. The Truth demands that we as citizens do more for our troops than just stick the magnet on our cars and think about the troops every now and then. Do you really want to make a difference? It is not found at the ballot box; it’s found in the presence of the King of Kings. Do you really have HOPE? Do you really expect change? Then participate – www.militaryministry.org

Pray! Pray! Pray and earnestly pray for our troops and their families, their (our) leaders, and for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dale,

This is a good post. I wish your sons, Denny & Scott, the best and our troops need our support. Like you said, it doesn't matter about the politics, but to keep our troops safe and support them. I was in the Marines for 3 years so I can really appreciate what they do, and what you did since you served for 20 years. Thanks !!!

Dale, I say so much to so many people so often that I feel like it gets a little corny to some of the people I am around everyday. Then I read a post from a parent like you that has sons or daughters in the service. Similarily, my wife and I took a little scooter ride last Friday and stopped for gas on the way home. I noticed a license plate on a vehicle that pulled in behind me that said.. "Army Dad". I walked over to him and asked if he still had kids in the service and he said, "yes. two sons. One in Iraq and the other to deploy to Afghanistan in August." I asked him if I could hug him and he said, "sure". I know it looked funny to anyone that happened to turn and watch two grown men hugging in a gas station in Sheridan, Arkansas. But I deeply feel honored to both the service men and women as well as the moms and dads that send them off to serve not just this country, but this whole planet from fanatics that just want to hurt folks for some perverted religious or political reason. I don't just think this way for the American troops, but for friends in other countries as well. Thank you Dale and thank you others that have/are/will serve.

There were two young recruiters that were shot by a muslim fanatic outside a recruiting station here in Arkansas last week. One young soldier from Conway Arkansas was killed. His funeral service was Monday of this week. There were many people paying their respects for his sacrifice, including approximately 200 PGR. There was a handful of protesters that were allowed to voice their opinion about the war and one muslim lady drove by and stopped to object to some of the signs referring to islam as a violent religion. She was quoted as saying 'Islam is a religion of peace. Do you see me carrying sign saying Christianity is violent religion?" She was allowed to speak her piece and get back in her car and drive home. No one grabbed her. No one whipped her with a leather strap. No one slit her throat. Some countries would not allow a woman to speak out like that... wait, some of those countries are islamic, peaceful countries.

Great country, America. Great opportunity, Freedom. We hear it all the time and I take it for granted so often. "Freedom is not FREE"

Thank you again Dale. Your sons and others like them are heroes. I wish them well. I want them to know that the vast majority of this country support them.

God bless defenders of freedom everywhere.

As I sit here with a tear or two welling up, my heart and prayers go out to all those who are currently serving our country and to the parents who have had to watch them go and even die there. Even though I spent 20 years in the military, I was never really in "harm's" way; which only increases my admiration for those who are or were. Every Sunday in our little church here in Harveyville, Kansas, those military men and women are included in our prayers.

About 2 months ago I decided to be more actively involved in support of our military and switched my American Legion membership to a more active unit that also had an American Legion Riders (ALR) group of which most were Patriot Guard Riders (PGR). I subsequently joined the PGR too. Have not been able to attend 'all' the missions but at least I'm doing more now than I ever was.

I can only echo Dale's and Opalsboy's sentiments and send out my own heartfelt thanks to all those involved, past and present.

Dale and all others:
I so much agree with your sentiments and pray for Dales son's and all others defending our nation. Freedom did not come free. Thank a soldier or His/Her family every time you can. Dale your family is to be commended on its sacrifice to serve our country and that goes to all others who read this post who served in one capacity or another. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND THIS COUNTRY. Dick

I could not agree more with you guys (i worked on the london underground on the day of the bombings)i will share a beer with one and all :union jack:

Amen... to a modified rider.

A little bit on the other side of the coin, sort of: I'm a psychotherapist by profession, and I've signed up with an organization called Give An Hour. This is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political, non-religious outfit who's mission is to enlist therapists to volunteer to provide free mental health services to returning vets from Iraq/Afghanistan and to their families. The unfortunate reality is that the toll of combat on many - the statistics are actually pretty scary and significant - service men and women, and of deployment and its aftermath on many military families, is traumatic and profound, in a troubling sense.

There is also a pretty strong bias against seeking mental health services in military culture, so many of these vets, and their families, suffer, perhaps unnecessarily, for years and years, without the treatment and the support that could help them, after they've already given so much. PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, addiction, suicide, domestic violence and other problems are, I'm afraid, much more common among returning vets that we would like to believe. These folks need our prayers, yes, and many of them need and deserve to get, free of charge, counseling services as well.

Please tell whoever you might know that could benefit from such services about giveanhour.org. And please pray, along with your prayers for safety, that these vets and their families get all the help they need after they return from active service.

Bless you Matthew. This is a much needed service to our returning troops. They see and experience some pretty terrible / tragic things.

Thanks for what you and others are doing for our troops.

Super post. When we travel and see one of the service men or women at the airport I always say, "thank you for your service." On our way back from Alaska last week a family was waiting for their son returning from Irag...with signs and all. I said, "thank him for his service to our country...we have one in Iraq also". The man grabbed me and hugged me and shocked me a bit. Our son, Rob, is on his third tour. He just married in February a gal he met in Iraq who is a Marine also. Rob is returning early in July and she is leaving the military since they want to start a family right away. We are proud of Rob and of course hear what is going on that the news seems to leave out! Those young men give so much to us all. We pray daily for our troops.

We need more people like matthew in higher places in society to remind us all just because the soldier is no longer in the war he/she may now face the hardest fight of all adjustment....so i will always shake a hand and have time for servicemen and women around the globe.....


:union jack: