Rebekah,
Great article! I for one hate all of these people who complain and grumble about this war yet they have given nothing towards it. I think we are there doing a great thing for the Iraqi people. Pulling out now and leaving them with nothing would make them worse off than before we ever went in. I hope that who ever wins this election can look beyond party lines and see that.

I wish your family and husband well.

Cindy…Ga.

I appreciate your blog and I understand where you are coming from. I do not think that you understand where I am coming from…

The reason I am tired of this war is due to the way we got there. There are several tell-all books that shed light on exactly how our government led us to war with Iraq. We were all duped into thinking it was necessary when it actually WAS NOT necessary. Bush wanted to bring peace to the middle east and sold it to us in the form of a “must act now to prevent WMD’s” initiative. Of course we would all be behind preventing Iraq giving terrorists WMD’s. The problem is that this was not the main reason Bush wanted to go and the administration WAS NOT sure about WMD’s. If you don’t believe me…do a little research and read as many books about it as you can find…from all perspectives. You will find that I am right. So having said that, I am tired of this war in Iraq that we should never have been in. Thousands of our men and women are dieing in an unjust war.

I do think we should be in Afganistan. I don’t like war, but sometimes it is necessary. If we had not gone into Iraq, we probably would have won in Afganistan…but that is obviously only speculation. If you put all the money, troops, and years that we have spent in Iraq into Afganistan…it is hard to imagine that we wouldn’t have better results than fighting 2 wars at once…one being unjustified.

I am not unpatriotic, uneducated, or uninformed. I love our country, I just don’t always agree with our actions. And how can you say that most people don’t even know someone in the armed forces…that statement seems a little rediculous!!

We are “War weary” because our country is constantly at war. More people than you think have military family members. My father was sent to Iraq twice, so I can personally relate to the sacrifice. I also have 2 cousins who just got home from Iraq. You say most americans don’t know anyone in the military. I beg to differ. Many of us live in towns or cities where we encounter multitudes of veterans. We must also remember how many national guard troops, from many states, were sent to Iraq (my dad was one of them). We should really stop with thinking that somehow our sacrifice is greater than someone elses. I appreciate everyone who serves this country, but that is their decision. No one is forced into military service here, and we should treat non veterans and every-day working people with respect as well. So someone tells me they’re “War Weary”, I don’t blame them. There are mothers and wives who have lost their sons and husbands to violence right here at home. I greive for them equally as much as I greive for the soldiers we have lost in war. I believe soldiers in Iraq are fighting for Iraqi freedom. Not mine.

Thank you for your service- You and your Husbund are the true heroes of this country. I don’t know how you all do it. God Bless and our Family will never forget the sacrafices you and others have made.

I am weary, and I do have a dog–several of them–in the fight. No one is saying that the American people have put up with more than military families. No one is saying that these soldiers haven’t gone on tour after tour fighting valiantly for their nation.

What we’re saying is this: In 2002, America had more allies, was more powerful, and was more prepared to destroy the culture of terrorism in those places that nurtured it than it had ever been in history. That chance was squandered by turning to war. Nineteen people flew planes into those buildings on September 11th. Nineteen. Never, ever, has there been or will there be a time in history when we can fight enough wars to stop 19 people from hating us. There are more than 19 people in our own country that hate us. There are more than 19 people in our own military with a growing distrust of their government’s intentions.

We should not and cannot change the world and the mind’s of its 6+ billion citizens by killing everyone that wants to kill us. Soldiers lives are as precious as anyone else’s, and no one, no matter how much they want to be, should be put on the front lines thinking they can defeat a concept as old as humanity like terrorism. It’s just plain stupid. Our soldiers deserve better, their families and friends deserve better, and America has done and can do better.

What an awesome article! My husband is in the Navy Reserves and has been deployed twice. Every day we wonder if we’ll receive news of another mobilization. Thus far, we’ve been spared a third. And we know we are among the INCREDIBLY fortunate! Our prayers are with you and your family and ALL of those who serve our country as well as those they leave behind. Thank you!

As a US Veteran who volunteered, I can tell you why we are war weary. We’re war weary because billions of our tax dollars are being spent on a war built on lies. We’re war weary because we value life, even the life of people we do not know, American and Iraqi. We’re war weary, because our energy and money could be put to better use like improving health care and education, as well as creating jobs for the people who are losing their homes. We’re war weary just like the Germans on the homefront were in World War II, because war is a *bad* thing. That war was and this war is a war of aggression. Like this war, there were many Germans in World War II who blindly followed their leader (German: Führer). Like that war, there are some people who have eyes and and brain. That’s why we are war weary.

I can’t agree with you more.

I think your view is a bit immature. It’s not that folks are weary of a war per se, they are weary of an unjust war, launched on false pretense that has drained our economy and national spirit.

I spent nearly 15 years in the military; no one is bad mouthing the military. It has a job to do, and should be supported. I think, however, many people have opened their eyes to this current war as being ill conceived and supported only by lies and conjecture.

That, ma’am, is of what we’re ALL weary.

Hey, get this: STOP ENLISTING. Our opposition to the war is the fact that it is completely pointless, accomplishes nothing, and is not going to do any short or long term good to anyone. I’m sorry, but the sacrifices our soldiers are making aren’t accomplishing anything, and we (the taxpayers, the people who sign the paychecks of soldiers so they can afford to buy a computer to play holier-than-thou in the first place) get to bankroll it to the tune of $10 billion a month, not to mention the cost of developing new technologies and maintaining a giant military infrastructure on the domestic front to compensate for all the increased deployments. The war in Iraq may only be $10 billion a month, but the total cost at the end of the day is much higher… And get this: we’re sick of it. We’re sick of paying a disinterested group of politicians to pay a bunch of idealistic, confused young people to go play army in the desert for the purpose of bolstering Halliburton’s stockholders’ portfolios. I’m grateful for what are soldiers are WILLING to do, as in fight and die in the name of freedom, but am I grateful for what they are doing now? NO! I would consider you and your husband 100000x more patriotic if you refused to fight or support this stupid war. The lesson of Viet Nam is a sad one: the government DOES NOT CARE what the majority opinion is, and as long as people keep supporting the troops, they will be willing to die for our politicians. I’m supporting you better than anyone by refusing to support you.

PS I will pray for your husband. May the LORD watch over all our servicemen.

Excellent job of putting perspective on the situation. I applaud you and your family.

Perhaps we’re tired of paying for this misadventure.

I guess it makes your life easier to believe the sacrifice you are enduring is somehow worthwhile. Now the majority of us see that it is not. It’s now painfully obvious this the Iraq War and The War on Terror has been a terrible ruse to propogate a political adgenda.

I am appalled that this condesending article has been posted on CNN. The thought that those of us not fighting in the war don’t know what it’s like or have loved ones fighting is absurd.
the idea that just because we are not in the military, we are doing none of the work is crazy. I have nothing but respect for the men and women who are fighting and I not only have family but also friends fighting; however as far as optional is concerned, there has been no draft. Your husband knew what he was risking when he signed on the dotted line, and more respect to him for doing so. Do you think that just because you are a bit closer to the families of those dying on a daily basis, you are somehow better than the rest of us who work a job and take care of our family? I don’t think so. You’ve not been on the battlefield either, nor does it sound you’ve been in the hard workforce lately. How about those of us that put in countless hours only to pay taxes and healthcare for our families so that you can have yours for free? Perhaps next time you decide to call all americans not in the military lazy and selfish, you should take a look around and see that if it wasn’t for us hard working americans your husband would receive no benefits. I hope for a safe return for your husband, and I hope he gets to spend his best days with his children, however when I leave my job today as lazy as I may be, I’m going to go home and see my kids and think about how unintelligent I am for choosing to stay with them instead of join the armed forces.

God bless the troops, but bring them home. More Americans to die is not the answer.

Thank you. There are still some people out here who know and appreciate the sacrifices you make. I am praying for you.

I am a veteran and I understand what it is to serve your country and make sacrifices on her behalf. …and I am weary. I am weary of seeing young men who had the same noble inclination to make themselves available to be of service to their country die, be maimed and emotionally scarred in a war that we should have never undertaken. This has become the longest and most costly war we have ever waged and it was began under false pretenses.

I am weary of hearing that the war in Iraq is keeping me and my family free. That is the most senseless statement ever uttered in defense of this indefensible war.

I am weary of hearing that we are spreading democracy and creating an ally in the region. Democracy should be the choice of the people living in that foreign land and to think of Iraq as an ally is laughable after killing thousands upon thousands of Iraqis and destablizing their country.

I am weary of blind patriotism. I am weary of needless sacrifice and a blundered attempt to bring the real conspirators of 9/11 to justice. I am weary of our government surrendering the moral high ground to torture and unlawfully detain people.

I am weary of people telling me I have no right to be weary…

Ma’am,
With all due respect to your sacrifice. Have you been drinking?
I’ve sacrificed my health, youth and marriage to the service. On multiple deployments to include our current military mistake. The American public has to question our leader decisions in this area or your family and mine will continue to suffer from tragic foreign policy.
It’s going to take years for our military to recover from this and until then we will be vulnerable to the true threats in this world.
This nation has to be more than war weary, it needs to be war wary.

There is no doubting your husbands dedication and your families sacrifice and everybody else’s sacrifice that has anything to do with this war , but it sounds like you are the one that is complaining. Everything you are saying about being there is true. Your husband is where the war should be, IN Afghanistan and not in Iraq. We are stretched thin and everybody is tired of it. Our #1 focus should be getting out of Iraq and getting more in Afghanistan. You are right in the fact that us civilians have no idea of what it is like, but it is also our choice to not know what it is like. Bush and his yes men should be more careful about what battles to pick. Its not the rich that are affected so much by the war as the middle class and poor and people are sick of it. Hell some of the rich are profiting off of the privatization of the war. Everyone should however support the troops and families that did decide to go and to make it their career to protect our country…..

No one forced the author or her husband to (a) sign up for the service, (b) have so many children even though she claims to realize that she might be responsible for them alone.

Rebekah, I hope your husband returns safely. Many wil not. I will tell you why I am weary of war.

I am weary of feeling guilty that my government invaded and destroyed a country that did nothing to us.

I am weary of the pain that I feel inside for the innocent people that we have killed.

I am weary from watching my privacy and human rights being taken away ,in the name of protecting me, by Bush and Chaney. More of the same promised from McCain..

I am weary of a government that cannot afford to provide health care but don’t blink at 10 billion a month for a usless war.

Rebekah,

Yes Americans are war weary. But I (and I presume they) are also saddened by the sacrifices our military is making. I (but definitely not some of them) are even more saddened that the 2nd war (in Iraq) was a war based on deceitfulness of George Bush, Colin Powell, Karl Rove and the GOP in general. The GOP in general also includes the preponderance of the senior military (by all accounts), and these senior military have sold out their integrity, their common sense and the lives of their soldres to the GOP.

Wow. I am genuinely touched. You painted a very vivid picture. I seriously almost cried at one point, where you talk about letting go of that one last hug before a deployment. Now I feel bad for not serving. I seriously considered it but decided it just wasn’t for me. Thank you, Rebekah, for sacrificing all you have for this war, and please, if you get the chance (and remember to, haha) thank your husband for me. I know it’s not easy. Just stick in there, and in the end, I’m sure everything will be alright.

Ms. Sanderlin -

Millions of Americans are war weary because this senseless war without end never had any chance of producing anything but dead and maimed soldiers and civilians, international derision, and economic ruin. All of us will be “pitching in” by paying the tremendous economic, political and security costs of the war for decades to come.

Those who joined our all-volunteer military should have known that they risked being sent off to war. I didn’t ask your husband to join the military. He had his own reasons. Maybe he thought it was his patriotic duty, maybe he wanted excellent free health care, or maybe he actually thinks Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11.

Your family does deserve a break. But don’t expect the rest of us to volunteer to get killed for a lie. Instead, join millions of your fellow citizens telling Bush, McCain and Obama to end this damnable, useless war TODAY! THAT’S what will bring your husband home.

Wow, bitter much? Your husband probably signed up for the military for the same reason most do: hope for a cheap education and to not be deployed.

Being “asked to do anything more to support this war than sit back and watch as [my] tax dollars are spent.” s exactly what I’m complaining about. EVERYONE’S children will have to watch their country mortgaged away to foreign debt holders, not just soldiers.

It’s not like being in the military is a volunteer job; you get paid, and quite well considering the educational background most soldiers have.

All I have you say is you seem to be very naive and that you must not love your husband very much.

I recently finished my term in the Air Force and my wife is still in and currently deployed. We would both love to be on peaceful footing right now as opposed to seemingly never-ending war.

In order for war to deserve continued support it must be for a good and noble PURPOSE. The public is war weary because we’ve come to understand that the current wars no longer server a noble purpose. We are imposing our “help” on people who don’t want it and who are unwilling to help themselves. Now, that is not to say our troops are not doing good in individual situations, but the larger picture has lost it’s focus. You can blather on about the threat of terrorism if we leave all you want, but I’m not buying it.

This statement, “The only way our family and other military families will get a break is if more Americans sign up to join the fight.” indicates to me that you have no idea how the military works. Each branch of the service has caps on the number of personnel they can have at any particular time, imposed for financial reasons. The military is not some limitless pool that can take all comers.

The ONLY way your family and mine will get a break is if we end these senseless wars and take care of our own affairs.

- Schevus

Beautifully written piece. I feel for the families of military personnel. Its them that suffer the most in any war. Unfortunately its not the politicians who suffer like this and thus are not affected by snding hundreds of thousands of young people into the face of danger, the rational be damned.

The Demagog doesn’t work all the time in politic and Mccain and Palin saw it last week. I saw McCain so apologetic defending Obama that I thought he was going to say,”He is so decent that I will be voting for him and Joe Biden.

I agree most American’s haven’t sacrificed. Most have no idea what it means to serve this country with your life and limb.

I support the troops whole heartedly, but this should not be our fight. America should be a beacon for peace, hope, democracy, and freedom. We’ve become a capitalistic country full of selfish greedy people(5% of the world population). Our soldier are only the tool of those greedy capitalist. I have relatives that fought in the Iraq war. Without complaint they endure treatments and misdiagnoses. They returned with disappointment and discouragement.

People make accusations and generalizations about the definition of America, but we aren’t really Americans. We’ve become capitalist. We fear terrorist, well we’re the terrorist. We’ll trample any nation that restricts our interest. We allow other countries to starve. We allow human beings in our own country to wilt away, while we complain about the price increase of milk. We must become Americans again. Fighting wars for capital gain of a few is not American. Fighting wars for peace, freedom, and justice is worth fighting. I’m a proud American who fights for freedom.

Well said. As a mother of a son in Iraq I say Semper Fi to you and your family. We together can hold each other up to face another day of the unknown that no one understands if they are not connected to the military. One day at a time is all we can do and pray that the day will come no bad news. I keep you and your family in my prayers along with every military family and those serving.

Everytime I hear that another “American Hero” has died in this horrible war a cold chill runs down my spine. I am so sorry for the suffering that you and other families are going through.

I wish that I had a solution for you but I do not.

I have two college aged sons and I would never, ever encourage them to join the military. The leaders of our country started this war, let them go and fight it. I will not jeopardize the lives of my sons to fight a war started by that moron Bush, a war that he and his cronies are profitting from.

The leaders of this country are focused on winning the war. Well why not just say that we won the war and get the heck out of Iran. A democratic government has been established and there have 79 billion dollars in reserve while we pay millions for them every day to fight this war.

Despite what that dunce Palin said during the vice presidential debate, I see no shame in waving the white flag of surrender. None at all.

I don’t want “American Heros” in my house. I want my sons, alive,

There has been some very thoughtful dialogue here. I would like to add this little bit. The US military (and their immediate families) experience a significant amount of brainwashing, day in and day out. The differences between military media outlets and civilian is like night and day. Perhaps this is necessary to keep up the morale when fighting an endless war with ambiguous reasons and goals.

And you are definitely wrong when you consider yourself so separate from “us” civilians. I am recently retired from the military and have a child enlisted now. Not to mention another child married into a military family. I’m not unique. Most people I know have very close ties to the military one way or the other.

All the best to you and yours.

A well thought out perspective but one that I am getting a bit tired of hearing from the military family community. Having been a military wife during the Vietnam war we didn’t have the advantages of email and computers to link us to our loved ones. Nor did we have a media that allowed us a platform to chastise the public for their lack of support. For many of us we didn’t have the kind of salary/housing or family support you have now. I can remember a few years when he national budget wasn’t voted in we didn’t get paid on time and yet our husbands didn’t get to walk off the job. These young men and women who are now serving are not the first to be fighting in an unjust and illegal war nor to have a country who may appear not to care about the family. We are all weary of the injustice and lies not only to the people who are paying for this war but also your husbands/wives who have fight this unjust war.

Sadly many military families have bought into the right wing mantra if you don’t support the war then you don’t support the troops. It is insulting to assume that most Americans quietly sit back in the comfort of our homes and watch our tax dollars get spent on a war that we personally are not involved in. We sit in our homes after working a long day on jobs that move the economy of this nation and educatie the next generation and watch our hard earned taxes dollars go into the hands of American companies who capitalize on war profits while our wounded servicemen and women suffer with lack of care. We watch our own savings filter away to pay for this war, forcing us to tell our children they will have to find another way to pay for college. And why is it the government has the means $$$ to pay for large signup and reenlistment bonus to our military but can’t also provide money for those who attend college to work for the most disenfranchised in this country? Heroes come in many walks of life and we want to make sure when we use our military it is for a noble and just cause built on reason and facts, not on greed and lies. We owe our military that.

I hear you and believe I understand your perspective. If anyone has a reason for feeling “war weary”, it would be the many servicepeople and their families who have voluntarily sacrificed all that they have and their futures in Iraq.

Where did the term “war weary” come from? Neither I nor anyone I know personally has used the term. I have seen it reported in the Media and spoken of directly by this Administration. So, on that basis, I would have to assume that it originates there, or some government think-tank as to why peope “support the troops” but don’t “support the war”.

I think some people will always oppose war. As a veteran, married to a veteran, from a family of veterans, so I am not one of them. However, I am outraged with this Administration’s handling of the “War on Terror” and the “War in Iraq”, partly because of how we got there, partly because of how the wars have been mishandled, and mostly because of the “waste of patriotic, volunteer, servicepeople and their families”. You see the benefits to being in Iraq, and I am glad that they are there. I see the lives, futures, and money wasted in Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11, or making America safer.

If you are determined to call that “war weariness”, that’s your privilege to do so.

I very much enjoy all of the extremely polarized political comments made about an opinion piece that, in its substance, has very little to do with current politics. From many of your crazed responses to this opinion piece it is quite evident that some of you view the military as some refuge for societal misfits. Let me tell you nothing could be further from the truth. The military is everything that some Americans are and many hope to be. It is full of hard working, clear-minded intelligent individuals. I should know, I am one of them and I have a law degree and am currently a student in an M.D. program.

The problem is that the media is portraying the war in the proper manner. The media finds that negative reporting seems to work than the truth. All these people who claim to be war weary have no idea what is truly going on. They need to look at the bigger picture. Yeah, Bush took us to war for perhaps the wrong reasons, but what about all the right reasons that makes the US what it is today. Those right reason consist of bringing freedom to people who never have had it. Ok so according to the media nobody in Iraq and Afghanistan want us there. First hand correction, for I am a war on terror vet myself, they want and need us there. A vast majority of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan will tell you this. Only the media has turned and bent the truth. So people of America what’s wrong with bringing freedom to people who have never had it. I’ve gone to three places to up hold or bring new freedom during my time in the military. All three places thanked me for what I was doing; well before any American ever did so. Time for the people of the Untied States to crawl out of the TV set and have a real clue of what’s going on and how the troops and those who we have brought new freedom to feel.

As evidenced by the responses to your article, Rebekah, most Americans now realize the folly of this particular war. Our grievance has never been with the people who enlist to fight for their country, but rather with the short-sighted politicians who started this one. I highly recommend reading “A Time to Fight”,by Senator Jim Webb, a decorated veteran of both Vietnam and the Reagan Pentagon. His lucid description of the origins of the Iraq War will open your eyes and make you as determined as many of us to end this endless war . Thank you for your service to the country.

Sorry, but your premise that most of us don’t have a stake or aren’t affected by this horrible conflict is just not true. We all know someone who has been directly impacted by a soldier’s death or injury–and we are all paying for this mistake, so don’t try to claim all the hardship. We have an all volunteer force, and they and their families, of course, are doing most of the work–but we are all impacted–and we all feel the pain. That’s why most of us want it to end–now.

It is obvious that a great number of Americans believe they are know the facts but do not. I live in a military town and talk to soldiers every day. What they describe is much different from the news media.
In 1980 a lady from India told me that Moslums would cause trouble for us. In 1990 a young man from Iran explained to me how many things were being done in Komanie (sp) name and we faced trouble. I did not believe either of them, not here, not us.

I’m sorry this lady wasted her words on the likes of you.

We should have learned from past experience that military victories do not win wars. The more people we kill the more enemies we make. It’s hard to make up with someone that is responsible for the death of a family.

It’s easy for us to tolerate war because we are fighting in someone else’s house. For those who are actually living the situation its like a 9/11 environment. If we teach our children one thing and support another that is hypocracy.

Thank you and your colleagues for your sacrifices. It is your willingness to do so that helps preserve our freedom.

That said, the reality is that our money (i.e. tax dollars) has to, for most of us, be earned. We are trying to help you. I agree that complaining does not help so I challenge my fellow citizens to cut down on the complaining.

Keep in mind that our short time in this war pales in comparison to the citizens of countries chronically at war (Israel, Iraq, Venezuela, etc.)

We have an all volunteer military. If you could choose whether to fight a real war on terror, or to invade sovereign nations then I’m sure that more people would join up. There has never been a convicted Iraqi terrorist before we invaded and started destabilizing Iraq and empowering Iran. I feel sorry for all the Americans who are having their lives destroyed by this Iraqi civil war that our leaders caused. Many Americans would join if the cause was just (like in Afghanistan). But most Americans don’t want to live with the guilt of being involved in an illegitimate war, with the blood of innocent Iraqis on their conscience, just to thicken up George and Dicks pocketbook.

I have two sons in the Marines - one in Iraq, one will shortly be deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Both volunteered, against my wishes - they said they were following in my footsteps because I was a Vietnam era Navy vet (an enlistee, not a draftee) - and I am proud they are willing to serve our country. Do I agree with our political leadership and how it is trying to battle an ideology? No - but I would rather we engage in a real debate about how to solve the issue (without political party or partisan spin) and then implement the solution than wait for the IED’s to start showing up on the Long Island Expressway.

In the meantime - even if you do not support Bush or the war, do not forget that the sacrifices being made are being made in part so we can all have our right to express our opinion. Support the troops.

Rebekah,

I don’t think you quite understand where I’m coming from with regard to this war. I became “War Weary” when American forces were sent into Iraq, leaving Osama Bin Laden, and the true culprits that we were supposed to be after in the Afghan hills.

I’m sure there are plenty of Iraqi citizens who are grateful for our support. Saddam Hussein did some terrible things to his country, but this was never meant to be a humanitarian mission. There are people in Darfur and elsewhere that are in dire need of our help, yet we do nothing.

If Americans are going to risk their lives, and loads of money are going to be spent on war, then it had better be well thought out, and prudently accomplish its goal. From its inception, this war has been unfocused, and unnecessary.

So, Rebekah, I’m weary, and I think you should be too.

~Andrew

I’m a veteran myself, Vietnam era. My father was career Army, 21 years, and fought in WW2 and in Korea. And while I hear what Rebekkah is saying, and agree with parts of it, I disagree with part of the root of her discourse. We aren’t tired of the war in Afghanistan — we are tired of the war in Iraq. I haven’t gone out and maxed out my credit cards — I don’t have any because I had to file bankruptcy after the economic “problems” in 2001. I’ve been fighting my own war here, to keep my head above water while the government has been misappropriating my money from a legitimate conflict in Afghanistan to an illegimate conflict in Iraq. THAT’s what I’m tire of. Some of us, quite a lot of us now, don’t want to see any more precious American lifes lost in Iraq while our troups in Afghanistan are undermanned and underequipped.

I admire and respect the heroic mission of our military, and the stalwart support of their families. But some sacrifices being made are unnecessary. The wars my father fought in, the job I did in the Air Force during Vietnam, the sacrifices my family made for my father, the schoolmates I lost in Vietnam, and the children of friends that have been lost in Iraq — I have to think, Rebekkah, that there are a lot more of us out in the civilian world who have been affected as our government spends $10 billion a month in Iraq.

We’re weary our of our brave soldiers returning maimed and not getting the care they deserve or return in a coffin Rebekah for an oil war. We’re weary of spending 10 billion dollars a month for an illegal war while the middle class becomes the working poor. We’re weary of our jobs being sent overseas while the company gets tax breaks or pays no taxes at all. We’re weary of the greedy Wall Street fat cats who walk away with 400 million in parachute benefits, while running their company into the ground and leaving investors high and dry. We’re weary of an incompetent and dangerous president and vice president, who have violated the Constitution and Rule of Law while our elected officials refused to hold them accountable. We’re weary of our government making life great for the rich while casting aside the working , middle class. We’re weary of conservatives who say they believe in the free market until they lose money then ask us, the taxpayers to bail them out with our tax dollars. We’re weary of the soaring jobless rate, daily foreclosures, elected politicians who could care less about their constituents. Does that answer your question of why we are so weary, Rebekah?

Many of the Americans for whom you hold distain are ‘war weary’ because of the extent of a war started on false pretenses. Bush used poor judgment in bringing us into the war (weapons of mass destruction… that DIDN’T exist). You say that the Iraqi people would be worse off now than when we went in? So perhaps we should have left them alone and concentrated our efforts where the problem lies: Afghanistan. All I know is that I paid for my college education; I am saving money. I pay off my bills to zero balance every month. I volunteer in my community, and I am not an executive in a financial institution. I do my part as a socially and fiscally responsible person. Our national debt is out of control and spending billions upon billions in Iraq is crazy when so many things in our own country need improvement i.e. educational system overhaul, healthcare/medicare/social security reform, roads and bridge repairs, etc.

So war weary Americans deserve credit. Not everyone agreed with a war in Iraq, and fighting in the war is a decision that represents Americans to the rest of the world. the decision was made by our ‘fearless leader’ and he couldn’t even figure out how to respond to Katrina, a disaster in between his home state and his current residence. Tons of people are still suffering there.. how are we supposed to fix Iraq if we cant even fix our own city of New Orleans?

Many people do know soldiers and veterans, and all the suffering imposed on them, their spouses, children, and friends is terrible, as cited. Let’s let your daughter meet her dad. Get everyone on the road to recovery. Let’s mend the infrastructure we have and continue to destroy in Iraq, quit spending precious money we don’t have, and get the hell out of there.

This was an excellent article, it presents a different kind of view for myself and although I will not join the military, I will try to do what I can for those families in need

Well said, from a veteran that’s with you.

I am an Army Veteran, daughter of a WWII veteran, granddaughter of a WWI veteran and great-granddaughter of a Civil War veteran. I understand very well about family sacrifices and what it means to serve this country. However I have been very vocal in my criticism of this war since day 1. It is more of a disservice to our military to let them fight and die unnecessarily than it is to blindly go along with our government.

It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from his government. ~ Thomas Paine

Naive - no way this military wife is naive - military families have had to face reality; whether it be burying our friends and family or the tears of goodbye for a long deployment. The reality is that no matter how we got to war, we are in war - period. Don’t want Heros in your house - what a sad unpatriotic statement and we don’t want your pity; we know why we fight. We military families chose this life and are proud of it. You want to lay down our country to a white flag - spineless!

NO THANKS, I completely respect the men/women who serve this country (like my father), but I do not support any more young people signing up to possibly ruin their lives. I feel sorry for you and your family and do not want more generations to suffer as you have testified. Ultimately, it will do further damage everywhere - at home and abroad. Many, many are weary. If we are policing the world, caring for our homeland and our families is not top priority. Face it, your husband is not ~directly~ benefitting your family. Sometimes, you need to put family first, over wars in places most of us will never see as you explained.

A strong America starts at home…and “Rome” is falling. Peace.

Hey, I’d love to pitch in — if by pitch in, you don’t mean “pick up a rifle” but you clearly do.

There’s more to sacrifice than killing insurgents, lady. Get some perspective.

How biased of an article can you possible write, the introduction says it all: “Rebekah Sanderlin is a mother, an Army wife and a freelance journalist. She lives near Fort Bragg, Norh Carolina ”

First you browbeat the civilians and then you end the article asking to sign up? Incredible. As a veteran that sees both sides of it, I’m simply amazed how blinded you are, just as President Bush as been and “led” our country into the toilet. We support the troops but that doesn’t mean we have to support the ill-advised war in Iraq, there’s an incredible difference between the two. Perhaps what we’re most sick of lives in the White House. Get out and vote and make a change for what is best for our country, not your pocketbook (I’m registered as an Independent, not a Democrat).

We have every right to be “illegal war-weary”. We have every right to demand that our troops come home instead of sacrificing their lives and limbs while destroying America’s reputation and wasting tax payers’ $$. The money could be spent for education and wealth care for the soldiers’ kids back here at home. We must stop saying, “Those who are against the war do not support out troops”.

Sad as it may be, there is a psychology that forces relatives of soldiers to support the War. Because, if they don’t, they cannot justify the lost lives of their near and dear ones. It’s hard to sleep at night if you feel that your son gave his life in vain. Saying “God bless our soldiers”, “Support our troops” etc. is easy, but offers no strategy to end the war. It’s easy to talk like Ms. Sanderlin; it takes courage to be Cindy Sheehan. Sorry, Mrs. Sanderlin. And yes, I will pray for your husband’s safety, but you need to make the distinction between supporting the war and supporting the troops. Get over it.

“In the military community we roll our eyes when we hear that Americans are war weary. Just what, we wonder, are you all weary of? Hearing about the war? Seeing stories in the news? Most Americans don’t even know anyone in the military and won’t have any direct contact with the war besides seeing uniformed soldiers in the airport. You all haven’t been asked to do anything more to support this war than sit back and watch as your tax dollars are spent.”
Oh, really? So, because we’re citizens, we have no say in the war? And you’re dead wrong when you say “most Americans don’ even know anyone in the military”. This sounds like military elitism: ‘because we’re military families, we’re better than you’.
EVERY family in society is just as important as any other, and that includes just as important as any family in the military. And she complains about the civilian families, yet wants us to ’sign up’?
I have a clue for you: stop signing up.
And there are homeless and about-to-be-homeless people because in part, of the mortgage and economic crisis which is fueled by this senseless, inane, false pretenses war.
So tell a homeless person they’re not as good as you are, simply because they’re not in the military.

Lets not forget, we have been grinding away in Araq starting with Desert Storm 1991. That’s 17 years with no end in sight. Bush had a private vendetta from the day he went into office. This is what he will be remembered for in the history books.

Victor

This war has not been easy…as in every preceding war on this planet. We as Americans are always asked to give, no matter what, all over the world. We are the only nation that stands for peace, and peace keeper for nations who cannot defend themselves, and always will be.

Thank you for what you and your family endure each and every day. Thank you.

My father was in the military, had a 24 year career…was in Vietnam. I can relate to the life of a family without the father around. It is difficult.

Americans have forgotten the where we were at in the year surrounding the beginning of this war…forgotten the loss of life of 9/11, forgotten Iraq

You’re all entitled to your individual opinions, just don’t take them out on our troops. They don’t decide, they act.

Yes, our country would have made everything ok by just sitting this one out. That is to say Iraq. Perhaps your husband would be home with you right now, and this mess with Afganistan would have been dealt with. Do not confuse patriotism with hawkish politics.

War??? what war… Combat operations finished May 5, 2003. The police action/occupation/nation building that is going on in Iraq doesnt affect my life or anyone I know a bit except for the mountain of debt we are leaving the future generations.

However, the savvy Chinese are securing oil there while we are trying to secure our banks and they havent lost a single person in Iraq.

This is your husband’s job, it would be dangeous if he was away on a North Sea oil platform or was a deep sea welder. They all take dangersous jobs and should be be compensated for it.

Thank you for your service. I have nothing but respect for those who volunteer, and your service during the 2nd Iraq War has been nothing short of extraordinary.

However, the issue with Iraq has nothing to do with being “war weary”. It has to do with government deliberately misleading, and attempting to misinform, at every possible opportunity, to be able to claim it had support from an international community. The conduct of this government before and during the war was dishonorable and an absolute outrage. The duration of the war and continued sacrifice by families like yours won’t change what the facts are.

If you are concerned about Americans upset over the war, you should bring it up with the Commander in Chief. He’s the main protagonist here. He started a war without the support of the American people, and he didn’t care.

A democratic country in the Arabic/Muslim world will significantly advance peace and prosperity in that region. The sacrifices made today will result in few sacrifices in the future. It is shameful that politicians and the media focus only on the costs and not on the benefits. There will be no peace in the middle east until justice and liberty take hold.

Saddam was one of the most brutal dictators of the 20th century - should we have just stood by? WMDs were just one reason to intervene - and was it so foolish of our administration to believe there was an active program? We know Saddam used chemical weapons on his own people, and years earlier the Israelis bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. It is certain these programs existed in the past, and there was evidence that they continued.

Thank you for your sacrifice, that our children may live in a better world.

I personally resent the remark

“Most Americans don’t even know anyone in the military and won’t have any direct contact with the war besides seeing uniformed soldiers in the airport”

What Americans are you talking about? I come from a family of upper class conservatives on one side and lower class blue collar workers on the other and we have veterans and current soldiers on both sides. We have lost our relatives, friends and loved ones. We have lost our moral authority with other countries. Why does everyone assume that if you are a soldiern, veteran or someone close to them, you must believe in every thing we do. I come from a long line of proud military service and we will go where our country asks us to. Don’t insult most Americans by assuming that they are clueless about the military and our governments actions.

and that ladies and gents is the sole reason why i left. it has been dificult to say the least to get on with a life outside of the service. PTSD and depression have maniested themselves in several ways at various times. but the fact of the matter is that this woman is dead on about everything. i am tired of hearing folks moan and grona about how “war weary” the country is. stand ip, grab a weapon, and go on a patrol in the middle of mosul, iscondaria, or baghdad. then you will finally learn what it means to be war weary.

The War in Iraq was ill-conceived, ill-planned, and ill-executed. Over 4000 US troops dead and over 150,000 Iraqis dead (many of whom were innocent women and children). The Iraq war had nothing to do with “protecting our freedoms” and everything to do with political expediency. It was sold to a frightened American citizenry thirsty for vengeance by an administration that used trumped-up evidence of WMDs as justification. The Iraq war has now devolved into a quagmire — a military occupancy of which no side will win or could win. Ignorant Bush administration advisors so poorly understood the dynamics of the region and so poorly orchestrated the conflict that any hope of stability is now lost forever as various sectarian factions revert to their warring tribal ways.

THAT is what we are weary of. So don’t arrogantly pretend that your voice somehow counts more merely because your husband is in the military. It doesn’t. We the people will speak in November and we will vote for a President who will get us out of Iraq ASAP.

As a member of the military with 2 tours in Iraq under my belt I can still say, I am willing to go back. The way it started is for history to decide right or wrong, but the outcome’s effect is still up to current and future actions. Losing will only embolden terrorists, pulling out before the job is done will guarantee future attacks in the U. S., this is basic military 101. Wether intentional or not we created a battlefield of our chosing to fight them, and thankfully its not in America. Every resource they send to Iraq is less resources they can send anywhere else, including the U. S. and they have a lot less resources then we do.

Reading some of these comments I do believe if they were in another time in history they would have supported appeasing Hitler in 1936 and demanded a pull out of the Allies after the casualties of Kasserine Pass, D-Day or the surprise counter attack at the Battle of the Bulge, which they would think Germany couldn’t be beaten. But guess what Germany was beaten, and it would have taken a lot less time and casualties in 1936 too!

I think referring to ‘war weary’ as a civilian in these times is applicable to the constant media saturation of the event for years. Most people I talk to are sick of talking about it - paying for it (taxed or not) - and the effect its had on the Country’s moral. We’ve watched our children’s future be mounted with trillions in debt as a gift to them that will never be rid of in their (or their children’s) lifetimes.

Most people don’t like talking about it - it’s an unpopular subject. Many feel powerless as they feel their voice has been lost in a sea of politics and regardless will never be heard. Most were against it from the beginning - and most still are. Approval ratings show this trend.

We’ve watch the numbers climb of those injured or killed, watched families weep on the television, and watched on the internet as they unload caskets off planes of sons,daughters,fathers,brothers, and sisters. All in the search of something that was never there.

Need now I mention the military and it’s families? Need I talk of my personal experiences while I was deployed? The cost to my family and my health? No. I think the above is enough.

No one is discounting the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families. But…yes, we as a nation have grown very weary of this war. And I beg to differ with your statement that most people don’t know anyone involved in this war. In the seven years since 9/11, hardly a town or city in this country has not been touched by this war in some way…hometown reservists and guardsmen have been killed, wounded and injured, local economies have suffered through non-stop deployments, our VA hospitals are stretched to their limits…

I’m a combat veteran of the Gulf War, and a former Marine myself, but I don’t assume that being war-weary is a special burden reserved for military families and military towns. As a nation, we are all paying for this war one way or another, and as a nation we have every right to be sick and tired of it.

To view your burden as necessary and inevitable shows a complete submission to authoritarian power. If this were Tsarist Russia then you may have a valid argument, but a key staple of Western democracy for the past 200 years has been dissent and choice - like the choice to be upset when a small group decides to invade a sovereign country.

My dad served our country for over 21 years, was in two wars, nearly lost his life, missed out on nearly all of my 8 siblings births. I am not griping about the war…….the bible says there would be wars and rumors of wars. I fully stand behind our military and President Bush for fighting for our freedom and others. There are always going to be those who gripe and complain, but most of our soldiers enlisted on their own to better themselves as well as our country. Those that are against the war only see their needs, live in a greedy state of mind. What happened to the SPIRIT OF 9/11? It is hard for all parties involved to continue this fight but we must keep the good fight, for there will be VICTORY! We must put our trust in God, not MAN!
Thanks for your letter. May God bless you and your family.

I’m sorry Ms. Sanderlin, but the message I get from reading your blog is that we, the civilian residents of the USA, have no right to complain about the futility and failure of the Iraq war, to worry about the spiraling path of what McCain/Bush refer to as an endless war, to raise our voices to call for an end to this war.

And you ask that we honor the sacrifice and commitment of the soldiers and their familys, which we should do, but also to fall in line with the same obedience that a soldier would in taking an order from a commanding officer, in this case the politicians who continue to push forward into war.

I CANNOT DO THAT. I must stand up and call for an end to this war. My heart goes out to all those families dealing with wounded or deceased family members who given their life for their country. But I won’t stand back and allow others to meet the same fate, in order to sanctify the sacrifice of previous soldiers. My sacrifice and commitment to this country is to ensure that other young men do not meet the same fate as many of those you and your husband have known.

I have not enlisted because I won’t fight for a war I don’t believe in, imagine that. I won’t fight in Iraq because it is an illegal war. I am sure that had I enlisted for college benefits or some other reason prior to 2003 I would have served my obligation and, if I survived, got out at my first opportunity. I am also confident that if I was of military age in 1941 I would have enlisted at my first opportunity.

That said, their are plenty of pro war people (Republicans) in this country that are hopeful we will be occupying Iraq for decades and want our country to bomb Iran and their men, women and children into dust starting yesterday. Why don’t these people (Republicans) enlist? They actually believe in occupying Iraq and forcing their people to live the way our government wants them to. I realize that the percentage of these people (Republicans) are down from earlier this decade now but even if there were only 10% who felt this way (there are more) we are talking about millions of (Republican) enlistees. I guess, like Dick Cheney, when it was their time to serve they had “other priorities”.

The truth is there were plenty of people (Republicans) willing to support this war as long as they didn’t have to fight it. Even now, the 10%-20% who still don’t get it (Republicans) and support their country right or wrong are not enlisting. I think it is because they are cowards. Only cowards would be part of initiating a bloody, misconceived, illegal war and then not step up to fight it. Cowards.

continued…
forgotten that Iraq was under an evil dictator, forgotten they were sheltering weapons of mass destruction in the underground (just as Iran and other coutnries…), forgotten that men, women and children were being murdered by the thousands.

Democrats have a hard time standing up to decisions made when the going gets tough, or when an outcome may take longer than we thought necessary. Fighting against the bad guy calls for us to do whatever it takes, and keep at it, otherwise, we will fail.

Fail, not only as a nation, but as the greater whole, democracy and world peace crumbles all around us.

Our nation is at a crossroads, and all we can do is pray for each other and the choices we make come November.

I could not agree more. My nephew has been deployed twice and still no request for sacrifice at home. I have and will always be committed to a draft. Every American, at the age of 18, should put in 2 years of service to their country in any one of a dozen areas. We should all be paying more in taxes to finance this war on terror. None of this comes for free and that is what we have been sold. If there were a draft, all Americans would awaken to the call, when old men, who never served in harms way, cry out for the expenditure of our brave young people.

I salute you and your family for your service to our country. I also agree that little was asked of the rest of us beyond the absurdity of spending more money.

I also agree that more people need to either willing sign up for the military or non-military service to our country.

This war for us however needs to end and end now. It needs to become the burden of the Iraqis people. Their money, their blood, their moment of commitment.

I am war weary. Weary of ruined lives. Weary of missed opportunity for our nation. I cringe every time I hear of a new casualty of American or Iraqi life. Even more so from a war that should never have happened.

Again I honor you and your family and all military families for your service and hope that you are indeed wrong on how many more deployments are needed, for your sake and the sake of our nation.

I believe we are war weary due to the utter mishandling of the war on terror. We are spending billions of dollars on a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. Our President lied and our country will feel the effects of Cowboy Diplomacy for decades. After 9/11 the entire country wanted to do something but instead we were told to go shopping. I think were weary because we could have repaved every road, rebuilt every bridge, remodeled every school, and built new University’s with the money going to rebuild Iraq.
As for the line about most Americans not knowing anyone in the service, I find that hard to believe. I can give you over 20 names of people I know serving over seas right now and another 40 who are college aged and serving domestically. The youth of the US are finally waking up because our friends, neighbors, relatives, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters are fighting and dying.
I think people are trying to serve in other roles, such as being teachers, police, firefighters, ect. We serve our country. Its a free choice we make, and our healthcare isn’t as good as the military’s.
Our troops should have the equipment they need to get the job done, but they shouldn’t be in Iraq in the first place. I will add your husband to the prayers I say for family and friends overseas, and I hope he comes home soon.

Well…as a veteran…I can somewhat understand where you are coming from. That said I don’t agree with the bitter-tinged, passive aggressive makeup of your article if you truly intended on getting people to sign up. Adding to that it just isn’t a common characteristic of the “every-day” American these days to make such a sacrifice, even in situations where it actually is warranted. Those individuals who have that makeup either have already enlisted (in some form of service; police, fire fighter, military, etc.) or are waiting until they are old enough to.

No, I think, should you actually want to do the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen a service it would be to get the civilian populace to do the one thing they can do and are more likely to do which is vote. As I said, I’m a veteran (albeit a fairly young guy) and my cousin’s husband’s Hummer caught an IED in Iraq. Luckily he lived with minor injuries after a scare and parapeligia (turned out to be a pinched nerve). I get it. I also learned to get over some of my expectations of the civilian population because, as you alluded to, they just don’t and can’t get it until it lands in their lap.

They also get defensive it point that out in a “military blunt” way which you and I are accustomed to. You have to Oprah or Dr. Phil it to them.

I’m an active duty officer and I disagree with your article. It seems that a few military members and spouses feel they’ve cornered the market on patriotism - I see it periodically as a pilot. Ironically and sadly, some of these folks have sacrificed the most for their duty, yet they fail to use their own judgement when it comes to the validity of their country’s actions. It’s ok to be in the military and disagree with your government, but it’s not ok to look down upon those who question their government. Questioning government is how we became a free nation. Spending most of your married life deployed in Iraq doesn’t make you a patriot. Getting killed by “the enemy” (whoever you think that is) doesn’t make you a hero. Standing up for what you know is right is what makes you a hero, and the war in Iraq is far from right.

You ask for others to “pitch in” because you are “tired of the work but not weary of the mission”.

Well, I am tired of the mission - a mission buiilt on lies, misinformation, and, worst of all, ego.

We all have a choice to serve in the Armed Forces or not. I choose not. Your husband, and you by marriage, have chosen to serve. You chose to have children. You chose to place yourself and your family at risk.

We did not make this choice for you. I do not expect others to relieve me of the responsibility of my choices, no matter how difficult. It IS my responsibility to change paths if I believe that myself or my family is in peril.

If you believe that your family deserves a “break” then give it one.

I’m very sorry you’ve been told we’re “war weary” the media needs to shut-up!! I love war, it’s America’s favorite past time. Just flip on the tube and take a look. We just can’t seem to get enough of it. Hell, we’re still doing reruns of WWI & WWII and since we can’t do reruns of the Civil War… we settle for re-enactments. Totally sick society???! YOU BETCHA!!

War is a pitiful answer for a problem. How barbaric must we be? We cant get along so we shoot and blow each other up. Get informed, the government is not your friend and nor is war, unless of course you have stocks in the weapons production business. When will the killing stop?

Three steel buildings have ever fallen from fire…all on the same day, all owned by the same man…

hmm?

I see your point, and I see the civilians point as well. I’m an Army wife too. My husband has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s war weary like everyone else, including me! There’s a lot of questions up in the air about how this war started and why we’re still in it, etc. My husband didn’t like the reason from the beginning but its his job to do it so he’s got to do it.
I understand everyone’s frustration both military /civilain side and its heart breaking. All we need to do is to stop pointing fingers to one another and help each another!
I’ll be praying for your family, for your husband and his Co to return safely to American soil.

I have nothing but support for those who decide to volunteer for the armed services. I chose to volunteer for inner city teaching services in hopes of improving the ever increasing dropout rate, literacy levels, and self advocacy skills for many who come from broken families. However at a time of budget short falls we are having a difficult time retaining teachers, maintaining our health benefits, and reaching many students falling through the cracks. So those who are looking for public service we need more people in education to assist with our growing disparity in education. And remember educational solutions are always better than military solutions in solving local, national and global issues.

I did not understand what this article is all about and what you tried to gain out of it rather then pissed my feeling off while reading it. This is ridiculous. While the entire world is condemning these stupid wars and economy is collapsing because of these unnecessary wars according to the world bank executives and rest of the world, you are still advising to go for it. Interestingly you guys have a child, hmm! What about these hundreds ones that were just killed last week? Are these children your enemies? Do you know how many children and innocent people were killed in the last few years? For what? When was the last time you traveled aboard and had a chance to talk to the people over there? You do not even have to initiate any kind of conversation, just mention where are you coming from and you will face the reality. I am not just war weary like you said in this article, I am sick of those who are still promoting any war. I guess you have different kind of enemy that rest of us do not. How come you do not see the other side of it? What about the 36% children without any kind of health insurance, education system, unemployment, catastrophic economic situation etc. Who is going to pay for it? You asked: “What are you complaining about?” . Who is complaining about what? There is a very serious issues with all those who are still asking the same question. If you still do not have an answer to your question, I would highly recommend you to meet and talk to many good people to see what they have to say about the war. I could spent a day to tell you just opposite of it, but it would be pure waste of time and I do not want to do it. I do pay and I will always pay the highest respect to all killed children and innocent people world wide no matter what. I have a child too and like to see other childrens live and happy. War will destroy many of them and my question to you is: What are you complaining about?”.

WAR IS BAD!

doesn’t matter how we got there “x” amount of years ago, we are there. THe armed forces are there. It was all the headlines until a month or so ago when the media got the new story “the economy”. How fast the wars become back page news.
whether you think we should be at war or not we are and the military families are taking the front lines. No matter what your side is the common thread is everyone whats it over sooner rather than later. So don’t continue to rehash how we got here (thats for the historians). Just allow the military to do there thing. They have done it countless times in the past (succesfully) and will do it again. Because they themselfs prefer to be home with the their families

Four years in Naval Special Forces earned me the right to an inside opinion. Killing foreign nationals for political gains is not protection. This has not been a defensive conflict, it is politics alone. Anyone who has an appetite for this kind of killing should be marked as a violent participant. People who have learned the value of a peaceful coexistence are weary. Many more people fear the fascist government that is building around us, in the name of safety from terror. Perhaps one day your soul may feel peace.

I’m weary of the war. Weary of having to pay for a lesson in futility.
I want your husband home, my cousins, my friends.

On the front lines, what would it mean if you saw no value in what we’re doing. I believe in some ways, we do a great good, but in the most important ways, we have damaged a volatile region possibly irreprobably. We should not have gone into Iraq, and so of course I’m weary.
No one disparages the people in the military, but I dispise the arguement that we cannot disagree with the actions taken in Iraq because we are “un-patriotic whiners”.
We all serve ma’am, but apparently my service as a school teacher is not the right kind.

Thank you for putting me in my place.

God bless you and your family, and your sacrifice is one that none of us could even begin to imagine making.

Our forces belong in Afghanistan, not in Iraq finishing off the family feud between the Husseins and the Bushs..

First of all, I, nor my sons, will enlist in an army that is led by these morons. I will not suffer for the mistakes of the commanders of the last 8 years.

Second, you denigrate every person that does an honest day’s work. Where do you think the money and material comes from for your husband. That’s right, a laborer on the home-front spent their day stitching together the body armor that will keep our soldiers safe.

Third, there isn’t a special “Military” class citizen. You’re a citizen. You have the same rights and responsibilities of any other citizen. We are citizens that all have the same stake in our governments decisions. If you or someone in your family volunteered to join our armed forces, I respect that, and I thank you for your service, but that doesn’t mean I respect you any more than the bus driver that helped me get to work this morning.

Thank you for writing this. I am a 0311 grunt in the Marines and finally someone has spoken for us. All of you who are bashing her and are saying, “paid by the Army” and BS like that dont know anything. Until you have been there and seen these people and realized that you need to help them you wont understand. Of course you civilians are entitled to your own opinion but your opinion is based on things you see in the media and what you read on the internet so you are extremley ill imformed. Thanks for this article it speaks for alot of the men in my company.

I think that I speak for many, many Americans when I tell you that I am sick to hell of spending the money. This war costs us billions and yet rarely do you hear the connection made between the ever worsening economy and the vast amounts of money, with no hope whatsoever of any return ever, that we spend on the war. I speak mainly of Iraq here, the Afghanistan situation was far more necessary, and has cost far less. And for what it was worth, I suspect you are wrong about most americans not knowing anyone in our military. The american military is over 1 Million strong, even if the force in Iraq and Afghanistan is only a fraction of that. Most of us know many soldiers. I am young, so I have many friends in Afghanistan and Iraq, who have been there or are there at this very moment. But I have never supported the war in Iraq. Stop spending my money to kill.

War and the “collateral damage” of dead innocent I think it what some American’s of weary of. That and the fact the premise for War in Iraq was false.

You have an American commander in Afghanistan stating that we can not kill our way to victory there…and to many Americans the “just” war is the one in Afghanistan.

What I would like American Military Families to keep in mind is that, even though many Americans are against the War in Iraq, they are supportive of the troops. There have not been ugly protests against the troops likw America saw during the Veitnam era. That is something to be thankful of.

Troops don’t make policy or make the decision to wage war.

The American people in general have become extremely spoiled. By and large we don’t know the meaning of the word “sacrifice”. Think back to what the general population had to go through during WWII. Most people today would start screaming at the very thought that they would be asked to sacrifice similar to the WWII era restrictions. By and large the only people who have sacrified anything for the ongoing war are the members of the military and their families. A smaller and smaller percentage of our population is carrying the responsibility for defending our country. How much longer can this go on? Too many young men and women think they have better things to do than serve their country. That is a sad state of affairs. One day down the road we are going to need our young men and women to fight a future war, and they may not be there. What happens then? As someone who has worn our country’s uniform for almost 30 yours, I find it remarkable that everyone, even Democrats, have forgotten John F. Kennedy’s famous words: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.

Leslie,

It’s a little callous of you and your ilk to attack Rebekah for her view. Do you really have a personal stake in this war? Have you held you son or husband (or daughter or wife) just before they stepped on a big bird to take them away to a place where people are trying to kill them? If so, go ahead, you have a voice, if not, shut up and listen. Can you really say that the world is not a better place without Saddam? Can you really say that the efforts made in Iraq to bring peace and tolerance are bad? Yes, there have been mistakes and as a result, Iran gets a little more attention than it deserves (little piss ant country).
Do you understand that there are large numbers of people who WANTED TO KILL US even before we went to Iraq? Do you know that the only thing they understand is FORCE? Do you think you can talk a fanatic trying to convert you with a sword into going away? Call me a hater, but I am not the one doing the hating. My religion has learned that forced conversion is no conversion at all. Instead, we use a “hearts and minds” approach, much like the efforts in Iraq that is largely ignored.
Deny that our troops are not working to improve the quality of life for the people of Iraq. Deny that they are not working to provide a voice to ALL Iraqi people. Deny that our troops don’t have a strategy.

I”M TIRED OF ALL THE RHETORIC TOSSED AROUND BY PEOPLE THAT DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.

BTW, my “voice” is coming from 21 years in the USN… I know a thing or two about hanging on to my loved ones for that extra second or two.

Rebekah,

Thank-you for your enormous sacrafice and thank your husband for his extended service to our country. No matter what our views, we remain grateful and extremely hopeful for peace in that region. I can understand why you feel the way you do and I can tell you that being so close to the situation, you will naturally hold a different perspective than alot of us.

I’m just going to say, we probably should not have entered into this war in the first place. We were misled. In fact, everything we were told in the beginning has turned out to be a lie. The death toll continues to rise and the cost is more than any one of us could ever imagine. Then there are the other very unpopular issues that surround the war–the politics, shall we say?

You may think no one understands, but take a minute and think about something. Almost every generation has had it’s war. I was growing up in the Vietnam era. My father served in WWII overseas. I know this affected him throughout his life. His father served in WWI, WWII and Korea. He lied about his age in WWI–something many did so they could serve their country. My husband served in combat in Vietnam. He still to this day has flashbacks, nightmares and nightsweats. So far, we have had only one family member serve in Iraq, but it’s not over yet. Now I am not saying I have ever quite experienced what you are going through, your strength is something I truly admire. It just seems to me that it is so unfair for so few to carry this burden and to be continually sent back again and again. If we’re truly committed to this cause then it’s time to share the burden and reinstate the draft. Then it has to be fair and accross the board–no deferments except for medical.

We should be investing in our military and provide the best of training. We should take good care of them when they return. That is a small price to pay for their sacrafice. We need to be very selective and chose our battles wisely and never get into a situation where reasons change on a daily basis. That way, we can all avoid becoming “weary”.

Just because we citizens are “war weary” (tho we have no right to be, you say), doesn’t mean we don’t value and honor the sacrifices the military family has made. Personally, I’m also very weary of having legitimate criticism (also called free speech) equated with dishonoring the military or being unpatriotic.

You say your children are emotionally damaged (and I don’t doubt that) but you’re not “tired of the mission”. Perhaps it’s time to re-think your priorities. “I was just doing my job” has not been acceptable for many decades now. Blind, deaf and dumb service benefits no one, particularly the military.

I as well understand why you are upset with the American public in general, however, how are we supposed to sit around and believe that we can win something that was a lie to begin with. Wars are started and controlled by people that profit from both sides. History has proven this over and over again and until we decide as humans, not Americans to stop this behavior from happening anymore we are doomed to an existence of pain and suffering. I am war weary for the American soldiers as well as the over 1 million Iraqis that have been killed. I may not be directly involved in these conflicts but my heart aches for the innocent and I am sick to death of the war criminals, military industrial complex, and bankers that are responsible for these times. I feel for your family and hope that you will all be together again soon.

Rebekah,

Thank you for a well written, heartfelt piece. My son, Thank God, is sailing back to the States as we speak after his second trip to the “NAG”. You are EXACTLY right about the “sacrifices” of our fellow country men.

What I want to say, however, is how many armchair quarterbacks out there that can now, say the war was a mistake. History will determine if O.I.F. was a mistake..many years from now. But for all you that never had a family member that had to go…don’t EVER call the effort a “waste”. Rebekah, your husbands service was not a mistake.

Allen

“We need to ‘win’ in Iraq, or my husband’s time will have been wasted.” Selfish.

P.S. If we find Osama or WMDs in Iraq, I’ll buy you a coke.

Good lord, could you BE any more smug?

“Many of you believe that fighting this war is optional. You seem to think our nation could make everything okay by just sitting this one out.”

It WAS an “optional” war. It has NOT made anything “better”. And the minute our country is truly threatened by a nation or group that can actually be