There was an article on NPR last week about Reserve families.  I just heard snippets so I know I am going out on a limb by commenting, but it really pissed me off.  Someone commented - why all the fuss about military members and families dealing with deployments.  They all volunteered.

UGH.  Yes.  They volunteered to serve their country in time of need.  They volunteered to uphold the constitution.  They volunteered because they were patriotic and felt that serving was the best way to show that they were American. 

However -that means answering the call - whether or not they agree with the president - the war or the mission.  Once you agree to serve, you serve unless you are released from the military.  Most of the troops that I know do not spend their time arguing about the pros and cons of the mission.  It is what it is.

Part of me is a peace-loving granola type and the other part knows that there are no easy answers.  Reviewing the last 20-30 years of military involvement I would say there are some that I whole-heartedly supported, some where we I wish we had done more or perhaps should have gone in earlier (yugoslavia -darfur) and others - especially in Latin America- where perhaps we could have played a different role.  However, whatever I think, I am always grateful for the sacrifices that the military and their families make.

My husband deployed to Iraq and I had a tough time dealing with being a single mom and worrying about his safety.  Plus being self-employed - there were other challenges.  The fact that there were people out there that thought - you made your bed - now lie in it - really rubs me the wrong way.  I go out of my way now to thank military families for their service.  The service person pays a price -but so do the spouses and especially the kids.  It's tough on them - and if you can help them out in any way - you should.  Babysitting helps :)

What do you think?