Four Years of War: A Time for Reflection

I can still remember sitting in my living room watching the news four years ago when the first airstrike started in this senseless war. I can remember parts of the Gulf War, but was still not mature enough to fully understand it. So this was the first time I really sat and witnessed something like this and understood it. I spent four years on active duty in the Air Force and somehow was fortunate that these four years were all fairly peaceful. When I made the decision to enlist I knew what I was getting into. I knew there was a chance that I would be asked to do things that I didn't agree with. I knew I was signing away my right to be an individual and independent thinker. I was young and really didn't grasp the impact of this. I went through my four years doing what I was told to do. I tried to learn and experience what I could and make the most of it. Now it is 10 years later and so much in the world has changed. I can remember how crushed I was that Bush got re-elected. I couldn't believe there were so many followers in the world who were afraid to think for themselves. Four years now we have been fighting a war that still nobody knows really why. Actually, many of us know why, but the government won't admit it. We were misled into a massacre that has killed countless people on both sides. Our government has spent billions to fund this massacre while the average person is struggling to feed their families and put gas in their cars to get to work. I can remember sitting in classes and being forced to learn the laws of war. The principles behind the Geneva Convention sounded great, but what a bunch of bullshit. War is not a game with a set of rules that both sides follow. No one is given the chance to call time out. Everyone is a target. It doesn't matter if you wear the uniform or not. It doens't matter if you are a woman, child, or medical personnel. And the worst part of all is their are no winners. Many of our troops are fortunate enough to come home with their lives. Unfortunately they often leave behind limbs, sanity, and their souls. They bring their wounds, mental and physical, home to their loved ones. So much money is going to fund the war that the government cannot afford to help our own people. Many children are growing up without their parents. Others are growing up believing that violence is the answer.

We often hear news stories about some soldier who has tried to go AWOL or claim conscientious objector status. Some people label them as cowards. I had to really stop and think about it. Being that I am now in the reserves and my unit is in a highly deployable spot I had to evaluate my own beliefs. Being a part of the military means that you do give us your personal beliefs to some extent. But I do have to say that if I was put in a spot to risk my life and take the lives of innocent people I would probably do the same thing. So many people give up themselves for a country who doesn't give a shit about them. I have a family and a life that I have worked hard to achieve with very little help from our government. To be asked to give up what I have earned in exchange for the opportunity to "defend my country" is crazy to me Not that I believe that war solves anything, but if it really was to defend our country and freedom I would be right there with my combat boots shining.

I think this four year anniversary should be a time of deep reflection. We don't have to believe everything that we see and hear. It is ok to think for ourselves and question what doesn't seem right. Whether you agree with this war or not it is important to support our troops. Many are fighting because they took an oath and were told to do so. Some choose not to face the consequences of speaking their mind. Regardless of the reason they are fighting this war, they are still sacrificing some part of their life. We need to stop and think about all of the lives and souls that have been lost on all sides. America has enough to worry about with hunger, homelessness, crime, and poverty here in our own backyards. After four long years it's time to bring our troops home and start rebuilding our own country.