About Military Mom columns
I am a Military Mom. My son is in the United States Air Force and has been deployed to the Middle East 4 times. These experiences have changed my life. I write a column for a local newspaper every month and am putting them in my blog for others to read as well. It is my passion to let people know that the war goes on and until it ends, people need to constantly be reminded of our troops over there who are doing their job. They are there for us, we need to be there for them.
Thanks for your readership.
Military Mom
May 31, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Military MOM
I am a Military Mom.
My son is over in Iraq.
This is his fourth tour of duty to the Middle East since the war began 4 years ago.
It gets harder every time he has to go.
The hardest part is dealing with ‘what people don’t see’ about being a military parent; not being appreciated for what my son is doing over in the Middle East because debating politics is more important to U.S. citizens than remembering that our soldiers are keeping our freedom alive by following their military orders.
People don’t realize just how much support the families of military soldiers at war have to give to their loved ones while they are fighting. We ALL get to enjoy our freedoms so we all need to be there for our troops – even when they are so far away.
The parents of the fighting soldiers need to keep their sons or daughters emotionally/mentally healthy – this is part of their job. And it is a job one should not take lightly.
Being at war is exhausting – mentally and physically. It leaves one spent, one’s emotions fragmented. Military sons and daughters are lonely. WAR IS HELL! The soldiers AND their families pay the price dearly and, I might add, feel the pain and aftershocks of it for many years to come.
Americans are preoccupied with whether we should be at war, what the president has/hasn’t done wrong and how we can change the situation. But we the parents of the military at the same time, need to reassure our soldiers and ourselves, that they are over there for a reason and that following our system of democracy and their military orders, is doing what is right for our country. We need to ask ourselves if we are grateful for their fighting this war? Most people are not willing to admit their freedom is not free – somebody will have to fight, somebody will have to die. SOMEBODY WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW ORDERS AND DO THE JOB AT HAND while many get to sit back and have the luxury of just debating.
Every American’s attitude of gratitude is the ONLY way our soldiers will never die in vain.
How have you expressed YOUR gratitude?
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to email me at mom_military@yahoo.com. I would like to hear especially from other Military parents; what they are experiencing / feeling.