I spoke with Soldier who not long ago completed his second tour in Afghanistan. \u00a0 I knew him as a teenager who was unsure what direction to take his life. I know him as a man for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration. \u00a0I have seen first hand the growth and the pain he and his family have endured by his decision to become a Soldier.<\/p>\n
Six years ago he was sitting in his Grandmother’s house watching a video on YouTube. The end of the video asked what have you done to support our troops? Within a few days he had been to see a recruiter within a few months he was in the Army. \u00a0His first day of Basic was also his 20th Birthday, He celebrated his 21st in Afghanistan. \u00a0He wears his CIB with pride, he can also wear a Purple Heart that he does not think he should have been awarded, you see he was in an explosion and spent a few days in the hospital and a few weeks recovering from TBI, but, in his opinion that’s not the same as getting shot or otherwise wounded in action. These are the facts verified and vetted. The facts don’t always tell the truth of events.<\/p>\n
We live in a nation that has been at war for 13 years. \u00a0The average recent high school graduate has no memory of our nation at peace. \u00a0Anyone joining the Army in the last 13 years knew they were going to war, but they still joined. They knew that there was a good chance that not only could they be asked to give their life for our way of life but to take lives as well, But they still joined. \u00a0We tied yellow ribbons around tress and gave parades for those going to war and for those returning, in time our nation at war became our way of life. The ribbons were not as prominent and the send offs and return were not as well covered by the news. \u00a0They still came and went. \u00a0The truth is we have grown weary of war. Most people don’t understand why we still have troops deployed. \u00a0Public opinion changes with the political wind, but the truth remains. Our sons and daughters are fighting a war.<\/p>\n
The Soldier with whom I spoke had nightmares when he came home, \u00a0he relived time and again the pain and suffering he witnessed as well as endured. \u00a0When he spoke to me about the injury and death he had seen, it was with barely restrained tears. The emotion in his voice transcended time and space, he could have been any Soldier speaking about any battle in history. \u00a0But he was not just any Soldier and it was not just any battle. \u00a0He was talking about the death and injury of his people, while they may not be brothers in flesh, \u00a0they are brothers in arms. I know that sound cliche but I cant think of any other term.<\/p>\n
He thinks that the people at home look down on him and his fellow Soldiers. He thinks that admitting he has bad dreams, or no longer likes loud noises or crowds makes him weak in some way. He told me a few stories about friends getting injured by IED’s. \u00a0He told me about how he coped with taking a life. \u00a0He told me about the reality of war. The whole time he talked I kept thinking to myself “how do we get such men?”<\/p>\n
He talked about “getting blown up” – his words. \u00a0He has survived 3 IED explosions in close proximity. \u00a0He was injured slightly “took some shrapnel, bot not bad enough to worry about” \u00a0the first time and suffered TBI the last time. The second he doesn’t talk much about. \u00a0While he was not physically injured he will carry the emotional injuries for a long time to come. \u00a0 I still ask myself where do we get such men?<\/p>\n
I know his experiences are average for any Infantry Soldier with two deployments. \u00a0They are not what the average 25 year old American males has dealt with. \u00a0I know I spoke with a professional soldier. He believes in what his nation stands for. \u00a0He doesn’t see himself as anything but a soldier, he cannot grasp how anyone could see him as a Hero. \u00a0I cannot grasp how anyone could see him or anyone else that has answered \u00a0the call as anything but Hero’s. \u00a0I thank God we have such men.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"