West Tennessee Unit Mobilized
March 27, 2008 by demarcationville
(AP) — An Army National Guard unit in West Tennessee is being mobilized for an upcoming deployment.
Maj. General Gus Hargett said Wednesday that 76 soldiers in the 30th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Headquarters in Humboldt are scheduled for deployment.
The date and location of their deployment has not been announced.
Several Tennessee National Guard units have been deployed in the last year and more than 12,000 Tennessee Army and Air Guard members have been deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.
Well, we knew this was coming. Last spring, the US announced their intention to deploy Guard units to Iraq - 14,000 over the next three years.
Currently, 11% of the forces in Iraq are weekend warriors: 21% in Afghanistan. (This is down from 40-60% in 2005-2006.) Guardsmen account for 12% of the fatalities: 70% were from the US Army.
51% of all US casualties were under 25 years old.
Don’t that just kind of hit you in the gut when you consider that most of these troops are kids, who joined up for college tuition or technical training.
Damn.
Heart wrenching!
“Don’t that just kind of hit you in the gut when you consider that most of these troops are kids, who joined up for college tuition or technical training.”
My Opinion: Anyone who joins any branch of the military for college tuition or technical training is deluding themselves. The purpose of the military is to fight, kill and/or put themselves in a position of being killed by doing the first two purposes. War is not pretty. War is not nice. I always taught my people, “Train, prepare, be ready for war and pray for peace.” No one loves peace more than a warrior.
I have met and talked with members of today’s military. The occasions that we met were funerals for the fallen, welcome homes, and send offs. I am proud of the members of today’s military. They have a purpose in life. They take great pride in what they are accomplishing. It is not easy for them (as it was not easier for earlier generations), but they are still there doing their mission. I will support them, I will welcome them home, I will see them off when they leave. As John McCain said yesterday: “I hate war.”
Tim, I understand what you are saying. The system is set up to take advantage of kids that way, look at the price of college, it can run $30 to $100 thousand a year, not including the loss from not having a full time job and learning a trade. We get propaganda all the time about how kids need a college degree just to work at McDonalds, even though there are very very few jobs that genuinely need college men and women, most just need a normally literate person and to have some training. But companies are not willing to spend $5000 to train, they would rather you go into debt for half a million dollars.
So we have the whole GI bill thing. That made sense to allow soldiers returning from WWII to go to college back in the days when you could afford to go to college anyway, this was just a nice bonus to not have to pay tuition. But the program is now abused as a carrot to dangle, and is the only possibility for many lower class folks who want a chance at a decent job, not that the degree will actually do that for them, what they really needed was a high school and primary school that taught them to read, to do arithmetic, to find Iraq on a map, and understand a train schedule.
Regardless of motivation, the men and woman who signed up for the Guards after the war started had a full awareness of what would be expected of them. I’m thinking primarily of those kids, who were committed at the time we went into Iraq (I will assume this is when we sustained the most losses.) Back then, the National Guard program was marketed as easy college money. Oh, for just a few weekends, a minimal investment of your time… Those kids never expected to see combat.
Tim, admittedly, I have reservations about military action in Iraq: I always have. That being said, my greatest fear has been we are looking at another Vietnam - not the action itself but the American people’s outcry and subsequent treatment of our troops. I think at the point lawmakers started playing politics with funding: it hit me - this is direction we’re headed. I’ve talked to many folks, who stood on both sides of the fence (served/protested) during the Nam era: most agree there are similarities in direction of media coverage, public perception and general atmosphere. We’re all watching opposition to the war slowly turn into to hatred for those fighting it. I really don’t think we should go there.
In my opinion, regardless of whether or not we needed to go into Iraq, we’re there. Without some level of support, it cannot turn out well. Chances are, after November, we’re going to withdraw some troops to please the masses. Those left behind will be slaughtered. A larger mess will ensue requiring another surge to maintain stability or we’ll walk away from an obligation we created drawing international ire and sending the wrong message to other countries who are a threat to us. Tim, you are a former military man. In your opinion are we or are we not in a pickle here? And can we fix it… or are we predestined to repeat history?
My apologies for not responding earlier. Thought long and hard about my response to your questions.
My opinion: We are at war. The saying, “Freedom is not free”, is never more true than today. Are we willing to pay the price? Are the Iraqi people ready to pay the price? Are you, am I, willing to pay the price. War is brutal. War is not pretty or nice. War is not a 9-5, M-F, (with vacation, personal days, medical insurance, and retirement benefits) type job.
“…are we or are we not in a pickle here?”: Yes. Do what needs to be done and come home.
“…can we fix it… or are we predestined to repeat history?: Yes. Either way, am I willing to pay the price? …Yes. Do I know the full price? …No…not yet… I am still learning.
The first country my oldest granddaughter learned about was Yugoslavia. One night, while watching the news, she came and sat in my lap while a story was on about the fighting and refugees in Bosnia. She asked “ Grumpa, Why is there war?”
What do you tell a 4 year old?
http://gatheringofeagles.org/2008/03/20/why-we-do-what-we-do-an-essay-from-iraq/
http://gatheringofeagles.org/2008/03/19/still-worth-the-sacrifice/
http://www.patriotguard.org/LettersofAppreciation/tabid/62/Default.aspx
From the families of the fallen. I can say no more.
V/R
Tim
Tim:
This got to me.
To shield mourners from protesters: that this would even be necessary disgusts me beyond words.
Angie:
What I told my granddaughter way back when was, “There are bad people in this world. Sometimes good people have to stand up and protect others from harm.”
I have been there when these protestors were present. Working in conjunction with law enforcement and the local community, we establish a line of flags with our backs to the protestors. A line is drawn. They have a right to “free speech”. As do we.
Our main goal is #1. We are there for the families. Honor and respect.
We gather from all parts of the country. I have attended services in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama. I have seen whole communities standing along the roads, young & old, male & female, every race under the sun, showing honor and respect. I have fallen to my knees as the sound of taps, the singing of Amazing Grace, the cry of a young daughter who suddenly realizes she’ll never hug her father again, the sight of a son who is now a man too early.
Look around at what you/I/we have. I can’t put a price to it other than “Whatever is necessary”.
PS: Did you join? Membership is free to any and all.