Well, I’m back from a week in WESTPAC, the Western Pacific for those who aren’t Navy oriented… Spent some time talking to the Sailors who are spending time in the Gulf both on deployment and Individual Augmentee (IA) duties. I gotta say what I am hearing from these folks is pretty much directly contradictory to what most of the media is saying. These folks are proud to serve, believe in what we are doing, and see the positives of the situation in Iraq and Afganistan both. They see improvements we (the Coalition) have fostered, schools, water, power, hospitals; but agree there are not enough due to politics and the local infighting. To a person, they all agreed we should stay the course.

This makes me wonder even more about the media and today’s crop of politicians… I thought I had seen it all after Nam, Grenada, and the first Gulf War, but these folks just leave me speechless… I’m for, but I’m against, but I was for… timetables for withdrawl, but I support the troops, but I want to take away their money and ability to do anything… Does this make any sense?

Not to me- I am to the point that I believe the pols are posturing (posterioring?) to try to be on both sides of the war. I guess they think we the people are too dumb to remember the last thing they said, or hope we will “only” remember what they say in the sound bites.

If you have the time, take a minute to thank those reservist, Guard and active duty folks you know. These are the folks who are on the pointy end, doing the best they can with what they have. It behooves us to support them in any way we can.