Hi Spikeygrrl

My oldest daughter (23 in sept 08) is in the Army Natl Guard. She joined in her jr yr of high school ('03} So far, she has served one tour as a transport spc/mission sec. Turned 21 1 mo into deployment & 22 at Camp Anaconda 2 mos before returning home. She was also at Taji, the main base for Iraqi Natl Guard.

I know, more info than asked for, but leads into my answer...

After witnessing some of the conditions over there, the attitudes of the Iraqi military, as well as some of our own soldiers' atrocious behaviors [towards each other & Iraqis] Even she has an extremely differnt POV than when she enlisted. I have/will always supported the troops but don't necessarily support the war, itself. Many political reasons for this.

Granted, she did not experience any of the front-lines action, but her 'behind-the-scenes' experience [at least for now] has changed her original plan of a full, lifetime military career into one of just completing her current contract. :(

The bad judgement of the few does not overshadow the honorable for me.

Thank you to you & your husband for all that you do/endure in his service.

May God Bless You Both and every service person.

BABS

SG;

Thank you and yours for your service. I don't expect any support from the idiots who call me and mine "Baby Killers" and treated me like second class citizens, and it's happing today. as I served as a Special Forces Ranger during Vietnam.

My two youngest boys are serving in the US Army today My youngest just returned from a tour in Iraq, and he's heading for Afghanistan in 5 months, #3 is waiting for deployment. #2 just finished his service in the U.S. Navy, I asked him, "where did I go wrong?" He said that he just hates sand! LOL gotta love that logic.

None of us have high expectations from the "bong smoking, American hating, salmon eating, tuna saving hypocrites on the Left side of the isle."

Be very clear my entire family hates war, but we all have a high sense of duty and honor in service to America.

WOW, Dink. I mean, I know war protesters were awful to you guys 40 years ago, but I don't think the troops themselves receive such harsh criticism these days.

I don't support the war, never have, but I do support our troops. I send care packages along with the ones made through the school, I send xmas cards to soldiers I don't know to help them through the holidays, and I'm thrilled when they come home alive.

I don't believe that our troops should have been put in this situation, but I certainly don't blame them for it. I'm also angry that they have to abide by guidelines that the Iraqi insurgents clearly don't. That endangers them more than they already would be.

I appreciate the sacrifice your husband, your whole family, has been making. I just wish you didn't have to make that scacrifice.

I don't believe the treatment of our troops today are nearly as severe as they were in Vietnam . . . that was just plain awful! . . . and for all of the talk of "peace" from the protesters, flower-children, & guys seeking refuge in Canada.

With that said, though, we're seeing a lot of protests at military funerals (shame on them!!), and the constant anti-war comments from so many people, that it can't help but get to our troops. Many try to shrug it off and just do their job, and us parents do as much supporting as is humanly possible.

Since the parents & other family members have to do most of the emotional support, it seems that more citizens would be aware of that and not want to be throwing the war in our faces. The supporters need support, also. I do thank those at TBD who ARE backing us up, though!!

In answer to the question: I don't know if it's possible to support the troops, but not support the war. Supporting is a relative term. It affects money going for life-saving supplies & equipment, and affects the emotional & psychological status of our troops.

How many football players would want to win a game if there were no supporters . . . no one cheering for their efforts?

Well, in all fairness, the people that protest military funerals, WBC, barely qualify as humans. They qualify as Christians only because that's the religious text they choose to mangle to support their actions. It's a picture of Fred Phelps that's in the dictionary next to the phrase "crazy christian".

It's not just Christians like Phelps that are picketing. We've seen an influx of Left Wing hippie-type liberals (don't you just love labels? lol). They think that they can get there 15 minutes of fame at the expense of the families' grief. I don't think any of these people have one ounce of compassion or common sense in their bones!

Geez, you'd think they would smarten up and get their fame moment from defending family members instead of joining the Phelps brigade.

I think most of the "original hippies" realize that they were off back then to go after the soldiers instead of the government itself.