In today's Atlanta Journal Constitution, Army spouse Elisabeth Kadlec writes:
When we married our spouses, I am sure that none of us were signing up to be single parents. But in essence that is what we become. Many people I know, like my husband, have already been deployed more than three times, and will go again. Most of these deployments are to Iraq or Afghanistan. It always amazes me when people ask me if my husband has to go back. I even laugh at this question!
I think it shows that the public has no idea how many troops make up the armed forces and how many are deployed at a time. Somehow, that message has been lost when we talk about the war. I am pretty much resolved that my husband will be deployed almost every other year. You can only imagine what this does to a family, and how important it is to us that smart decisions are being made for military members.
I don't know Ms. Kadlec, but I sure do know a hell of a lot of people like her - enough to know that she is far from the only military spouse who will be voting Obama this year. She understands, as does every member of every Army family, that the current deployment tempo cannot go on forever, or even for much longer, without causing long-term damage to the army as a whole.
In other news, updates here will be fewer and farther between than normal this week. I'll be spending most of my free time working at the Obama campaign's Pensacola office.
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Keep up the good work for Barack Obama. Though all parents are justifiably proud of the service their sons or daughters render in the military, I cannot imagine any parent who WANTS their child to return to combat again and again. Having served four years during the Vietnam War, I know my parents worried about me every day. And it must be doubly difficult for a spouse with children of her own. I only hope Pres. Obama will be able to bring all our troops home as soon as possible.
Do you *really* think Obama will have *fewer* deployments of troops than we have now? He's an old style Democrat interventionist, it will just continue on the way its been, only with the added fig leaf of calling it a "humanitarian" thing. He's already made noises about Pakistan and Sudan, who knows where else he'll see the need for troops. Of course Mad Mac would be far worse so where does that leave an anti-war voter?
"Though all parents are justifiably proud of the service their sons or daughters render in the military"
I would not be proud of a potential child joining the military. I would be worried and scared for them. Same goes for a friend, obviously i'd respect their decision, but would probably make a game attempt at trying to find if there was anything else they'd rather do.
The military is useful, and it is necessary, but I really wouldn't want anyone I know in it. Join the police instead, that way you get to stay at home :)
"grew up" in Pensacola in the '70s. Family still there, & makes me sad to go down. Best wishes with your campaign efforts.
Way to walk the talk, Mike.
The light at the end of the long, dark, republican tunnel is ahead.
have to agree with larry on current democratic position.no real feeling of really cutting back on our "involvements".no criticism of our "drone and sf attacks" in any countries.for all their willingness to keep the troops on the line, no mention about making va funding mandatory not discretionary or what to do about the current suicide rate in the military. how about calling apparent siucides apparent suicides? calling them non-hostile isn't correct.you don't get more hostile than blowing your brains out or other self-inflicted actions.money talks and grunts walk.bring back the draft and this nonsense will end in a hurry.bring democracy back to america. good move from galveston to pensecola.keep those hurricanes guessing. mike
I would be worried and scared for them. Same goes for a friend, obviously i'd respect their decision, but would probably make a game attempt at trying to find if there was anything else they'd rather do.
Anyone has to feel some sense of sorrow for Ms. Kadlec. I would think the average person at home would have little knowledge of deployment time - how many, how long and how often. Most people are not directly involved with the military, so, it is a case of out of sight, out of mind. Overseas deployment has financial advantages at present in the future - it helps greatly with retirement. So most people would assume those families are going to be taken care of. Very little thought is given to the family stress of prolonged absences and the trauma of young children growing up with one parent.
Military spouses are not in a good situation.