Something I've always believed....

I just read through 598 posts on a discussion board based on pictures of Soldiers serving over in Afghanistan. It’s amazing how pictures can bring out both the best and worst in people not just from the US but from around the world.

Iraq just held elections and elected their government freely. Coalition Soldiers there have taken a back seat and continuously train new Iraqi soldiers and police, so that eventually they may take the fate of their country in their own hands. American deaths have dropped dramatically since the surge, which showed a force capable of adapting to a new war environment.

Because a lot of attention was placed on Iraq, Afghanistan was somewhat forgotten about. However, Obama has left in place the military’s strategic leadership and Republican Secretary of Defense. Which has shown to be a smart, strategic decision.

In Afghanistan, because of NATO’s determination, we have a completely different strategy in place to defeat the Taliban and the foreign fighters waging their “jihad.” Americans and NATO soldiers are not bombing wedding receptions. We do not seek out to kill innocent civilians. The mission has changed to provide basic reconstruction projects and to support the Afghan civilians, even if it means the troops fight with “one arm tied behind their back.” Comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam or the Soviet invasion is a gross mistake.

Casualties in Vietnam were obviously much higher. Today’s technology is saving lives, and we have learned lessons and strategy from the battlefield that still carry over. The Soviets had absolutely no way to win because they didn’t offer anything in return for their victory. They made it loud and clear they didn’t care for anyone. All they wanted was to invade and conquer by any means necessary.

Today, NATO troops are trying to free the oppressed. The war started with the hunt for Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, but has transformed into something much greater. A very large percentage of the Afghan population does NOT support the Taliban. They are ruthless oppressors who deny even the most basic human rights to the people they wish to rule.

For those of you who say “leave, the war is pointless and can’t be won,” or “they’ve been fighting for thousands of years, nothing will ever change” I disagree. One, with a defeatist attitude in life, nothing will ever be won. Change your mindset and you will see that there is a lot of good coming from this country and we’re trying to give them this chance. Two, Afghanistan has been in a constant state of war for quite some time, however it used to be a model of a modern Middle East nation with a quality infrastructure and technology.

Maybe I’m naïve. Maybe I’m “brainwashed.” Maybe I see how this stirs up people’s emotions so much that they must resort to calling others “stupid” or “morons” or any other kind of name in order to make themselves feel superior in their intelligence. I’m not like that. I’ve read enough of what people think about these wars to learn how people feel on either side of the fence. I’ve read enough to understand how all this discussion makes me feel, and that’s one of the reasons why I decided to enlist in the Army.

There is a moral code that should be followed around the world. Most basic, to treat others with respect and dignity. Another, consisting of freedoms to live your life as you choose. We as United States citizens expect these freedoms everyday. We have paid a price for them long ago and continue to pay for them till this day and for as many days ahead.

After WWII, the United States was faced with a situation that no country before it had ever seen. We became the world’s most powerful nation, capable of striking any nation in the world that wished ill upon us. With this power came great responsibility, a responsibility that many people today believe we have overstepped. Some call us imperialist. Others call us the “World Police” or factions of the “New World Order, ” hell bent on one government to rule the world. Even some of our own citizens call us war criminals.

To these people I would say you misinterpret what our goal, as a nation, is to do. WWII taught us that appeasement in the face of a dangerous enemy would never work. It taught us, along with Pearl Harbor and 9/11, that we must be proactive in our search for enemies foreign and domestic. We must be vigilant because there will always be people out there that wish ill upon our great nation.

We as a country face great trials ahead and we must be steadfast in our mission. While other countries and people wish to turn a blind eye to the injustices around the world, the United States stands ready to defend the simple rights given to each man, woman and child. We will stand up to the face of injustice and fight back, no matter the cost. It is what makes our nation unique and great. We have soldiers willing to defend these rights across the world, a task very few ever consider.

Our men and women know exactly what they signed up for. For those of you who wish to hide behind your computers and bash us for our goals I say shame on you. What do you do to make a difference? What does your job do for society? What do you do that gives you the right to call others stupid, pointless or brainwashed, who believe in something much greater than themselves, much greater than you could ever possibly comprehend?

The United States of America, while far from perfect, is a giving nation. We are lucky to have such men and women fight for our freedoms and the freedom of others who are incapable of defending themselves. We are willing to make that sacrifice, while the rest of the world wallows in self-pity because they do not have the intestinal fortitude to stand up for what is truly the obligation of the world. If we all want peace, then we must stand for peace and not allow rogue leadership and dictators to oppress their citizen’s freedoms.

Maybe there is a reason as to why only about 1% of the US population will ever serve their country. Maybe those who serve are blessed with a special understanding of the sacrifices of those well before them, and they don’t ever want those lessons to be forgotten.

This post/response all came from me reading the responses of people from across the world based upon pictures of US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.