19 Going on 35: The Decisions One Makes Before Going to War

What we see on t.v. is sometimes an effort by the media to get us to think and sometimes react to the war in a positive or a negative manner. We all have our opinion on the war. I am not here to say it is right or wrong, but I think we forget about the Soldier and the difficult decisions he/she has to make. Even though the Soldier takes an oath to serve, he/she bares a burden as much as the next person. Sometimes we fail to try to see it through their eyes and understand their perspective of how human they really are.

A 19 year old male just getting back from basic and AIT is notified he is being deployed to Iraq. He was scheduled to deploy in late October, but for whatever reason, it is happening a month early. This young man has a couple of days to get his things together, say good bye to his parents for within a week, he will be mobilizing and heading to Iraq.

He is not alone. What he calls his "battle buddy" is deploying as well. They will be serving side by side in Iraq together. When he enlisted, there was an enlistment option that gave him two years stabilization. Meaning he would be safe from being deployed for two years. Him and his battle buddy are getting things together, paperwork, records review, making out a will and power of attorney when someone looking at his file sees has enlisted for this stabilization.

Knowing he enlisted for this stabilization, he elects to deploy anyways waiving his right to a two year stabilization, and taking a reduction amount on a incentive as well. All because he does not want to leave his battle buddy. The Soldier is told his rights and what benefits he would be entitled to and is torn for he know he does not have to deploy. His battle buddy tells him not to do this for him. After soul searching, he looks to his battle buddy and says,"if you go I go. That is it."

May I remind you he is 19 years old, has a girlfriend he wants to marry and was hoping to start college shortly this Fall and someday go to ROTC and become and Officer.