Apparently the military has started telling families that their deployed servicemen and women aren’t coming home as scheduled because we don’t have the money. Seriously. Uncle Sam is now your deadbeat uncle that can’t come up with the twenty you lent him last payday. He’ll catch ya next time as he mumbles something about brakes and a demanding baby mama or some other such nonsense. Honestly though you knew you weren’t getting that twenty back as soon as he snatched it from your hand.
Uncle Sam though, he’s supposed to be different. He’s not supposed to be that guy. Or at least I thought he wasn’t.
Old Sammy boy needs to pull his head out of his ass and get people home as promised when promised, barring any change in circumstances of a military nature. Being strapped for cash is not a reason to abandon our troops and their families. Not even a little ok.
I get that servicemen and women sacrifice much in order to serve and protect and they’ve handed themselves over to our military to deploy as necessary. That comes with very specific risk and a tremendous loss over their schedules and lives. They understand this when they enlist, as do their families. The least – the very least – that you can do is not jerk them around. They sacrifice their time.
They miss milestones: birthdays and first steps and anniversaries and graduations. They miss the mundane: driving kids to school and being scout leaders and making breakfast and yelling at their kids and painting their houses and fighting with their spouse. They miss a lot. For our benefit and protection. Let’s not make it harder for them.
This was brought to my attention by a friend who has two boys serving on active duty. One is a Marine on his second deployment. This time in Quatar; his first was in Afghanistan. He was supposed to be home the first week in March. Over a month ago. They cancelled him and gave him a new date. March 14. Cancelled again. They mentioned April 7th. The family is cautiously optimistic but they’re not sending out invitations to the homecoming party either.
Their oldest son is in the Air Force. He’s been approved and scheduled for a course that requires tuition assistance but they had revoked that benefit (although according to the most recent news that benefit has been reinstated.) However, that could change at any time which makes it difficult to plan for your future and advance your career. Frustrating and entirely unnecessary.
I’m discouraged by my friend’s frustration and I’m disgusted with the games that are being played with our servicemen and women and their families. Disgusted that Washington is pitting regular, ordinary American’s against each other in their rush to be the country’s biggest ass. Well done you, you’re all giant asses.
She mentioned to me that her youngest son wants to follow, not only in his brothers’ footsteps, but in the footsteps of his ancestors. This family’s military service stretches back five generations and they are seriously considering trying to talk their youngest son into not serving.
How’s that for an American tragedy?
