A Soldier's Wife

Washington Post ^ | July 4, 2009 | Georgie Hanlin

[La Lydia]

My childhood friend of 31 years visited my home on base, in Quantico, a few months after I gave birth to my first baby. As we took a leisurely stroll one evening through the lingering humidity of early September, I explained to her how different military life is from the world in which we grew up in San Francisco. We passed rows of colorful houses on the tree-lined, manicured blocks and gazed at the playgrounds around the neighborhood, ready to welcome the children of the officers who live there. American flags hung from virtually every front door. The occasional "My daddy fights for your freedom" bumper sticker adorned some vehicles. As we looped around the bend toward my house, my friend turned to me and asked, "How do you accept what your husband does for a living?"

I glanced at her, startled. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I guess I just don't know how to accept it. I don't believe in war," she responded, matter-of-factly.

My husband is an infantry captain for the U.S. Army. This week, he left on his sixth combat deployment with the 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker Brigade...

[La Lydia]

The friend sounds insufferable.

[DuncanWaring]

That’s like asking a policman’s wife “How do you accept what your husband does for a living?” because you’re opposed to burglary.

[LongElegantLegs]

Well, *I* don’t believe in cancer, but that belief is not enough to make it go away...

[Cloverfarm]

I would tell the writer’s friend — “You might not believe in war, but apparently our our enemies do.”

[CTOCS]

While I don’t question this lady’s veracity, a few things in the article do not make sense.

Quantico is a Marine Base. He’s in the Army. Living in the MOQ. What’s he doing there?

He’s in the Army. Why is he going to a Marine Exp. Warfare School? I thought the Stryker brigades had their own school (on Army bases).

He’s been deployed 6 times?? Nobody is required to do six tours.

Is it just me, or doesnt’ this smell right?

[GreyFriar]

ping

[dersepp]

I always ask my liberal friends if they believe in the expression, "Never Again." They always answer, "Yes."

I then ask, "Is it possible to believe in 'Never Again' without at some point, somebody has to use a gun?"

Silence.

Most recently when I did this at a dinner, my Rwandan friends took over and skinned the pacifists there with a history of the good pacifist intentions and how they served Rwanda in the 90's. These friends operate orphanage missions there who are still picking up the societal mess from that time.

[dersepp]

Smells right. I lived on Air Force (Air Defense Arty assigned) and Navy (JFORS assigned) bases while in the Army. Depends on where Uncle Sam still has housing.

[jwparkerjr]

I don't know of anyone who believes in war. I know a lot of people who will use it if necessary, but they don't believe in it as a first resort.

Whey can't the Left understand the basic difference in the way America see, and uses, its military might and the way those opposed to our way of life see and use their military.

I'd have to send this friend packing, back to the la-la land she lives in where your beliefs dictate the behavior of your enemies. Unlike the real world where your behavior or your enemies dictates your behavior!

[Guenevere]

When my husband was in the Navy (Vietnam War) we were housed on an Army base.

[La Lydia]

Well, there is always the fact to consider than San Francisco has been taken over, conquered and colonized by foreigners. So I figure La-la Land lady doesn’t know the difference, or doesn’t mind the regime change.

[Free in Texas]

Perhaps the Army wife's naive friend believes in Gulags or concentration camps. It's because we have professional soldiers that are willing to die for the rest of us that this person has the freedom to mouth such trite platitudes in the first place.

[ottbmare]

Is it just me, or doesnt’ this smell right?

Yes, it's just you. There are all sorts of special circumstances in this war. I have a friend who is a Navy officer serving with the Army and living in Army accommodations.

[paterfamilias]

Sometimes the WaPo really surprises me.

However, the warm and fuzzies immediately disintegrate when you read the comments at the link beneath the article.

Happy Independence Day to all, and thanks to all who serve the Republic, past, present and future.

[CTOCS]

I guess I’ve been out too long to understand what they are doing today.

[Guenevere]

They were doing this during the Vietnam War too.

We were housed on the Army base the whole time (not in the US)

It was whatever was available.

[chris_bdba]

That person is *NOT* your friend.

[oldenuff2no]

As a retired Ranger I understand exactly what you are writing. Thank you for supporting this American hero.
I don't understand how those who so fully utilize our freedoms refuse to respect those of us who have secured them, and maintain them. The right of descent and the ability to criticize our government exist only because of those men and women who have served and who are still serving in our military. These military personnel are not the government, and are not the politicians. They are the rock solid wall between our way of life and the many threats that would take all that away from us.
Every American should enjoy our freedoms but should never forget who procured those freedoms for us and who maintains them to this day. Our military heros do not chose what they do or when they do it. They follow the orders of politicians elected by the citizens of this country. By proxy it is those citizens who are directing the soldiers every deployment. That is our constitutional way of doing things. So do not blame the military if you do not agree with what is happening. How many people do you personally know who routinely risk their life so that you and your decedents can continue to enjoy freedom? Why don't you try thanking them and their families for the sacrifices that they are making.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Thanks for an excellent post.

... those of us who have secured them, and maintain them.

This correctly states what the military and patriots do. I love Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud to be an American" but one line irks me. That is the one where he says he will gladly stand up for " ... those who gave that right to me." Our rights were bestowed upon us by God as living human beings. People like you and yours secure and maintain them and for that we thank you.

It is sad that many citizens and politicians no longer appreciate what those rights are, how they were recognized and secured, and what it takes to maintain them. However, I know that you and I will support our troops on the front line as we try to secure and maintain those rights here at home.

[fire4effect]

It must be terrible luck for an army infantry captain to be deployed six times. Especially since we have only been fighting for a little more than seven years. Perhaps he is an SF guy who has done a lot of 6 month or shorter tours? I dunno; that is one scenario that makes sense.

Also, I have never seen a bumper sticker that reads “my daddy fights for your freedom.” That is a little too in-your-face for the humble selfless service that most military men embrace. Yet there are several of these stickers in this lady’s neighborhood.

[North Coast Conservative]

Pray for Peace, Prepare for War.

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. This is a good article.

[RobinOfKingston]

" ... I don't believe in war," she responded, matter-of-factly.

That is an unbelievably ignorant statement. "She" is able to revel in her ignorance only because better people than she can ever hope to be stand between her and death or servitude.

[paterfamilias]

Cafe Press sells this one:

[Stonewall Jackson]

A few weeks ago, I was down at Fort Campbell, seeing my brother-in-law off to Iraq, when I ran into one of my high school friends who is now a captain in Special Forces. While he couldn’t tell me where he has been in the WOT, he did tell me that he has only been in the US for nine months since 9-11.

[GHanlin]

To put your mind at ease, what I wrote is in fact accurate. I am Georgie Hanlin; I wrote the article. My husband is in the Army and attended the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Warfare School as a joint service officer. As such, we lived on base at Quantico for the academic year.

In the article, I wrote that he served with the Army Rangers for 2 1/2 years; they are a special operations unit and deploy more frequently. He completed 4 tours with the Rangers and is on his 2nd with the big Army.

[jude24]

It must be terrible luck for an army infantry captain to be deployed six times.

It happens. Figure you deployed to Bosnia in 1998, Afghanistan in '02, Iraq in '04, Iraq in '06, and in '08. That'd be five deployments, assuming a one-year reset period. A lot of units only got 9 months or less during the nadir of the Iraq war.

Also, I have never seen a bumper sticker that reads “my daddy fights for your freedom.”

I have, but I work on a large Army base.

[GHanlin]

I've only seen it on cars on base at Quantico. It's a sticker with the famous Iwo Jima flag raising with the words, “My Daddy Fights for Your Freedom” around it.

Here's the link to it that shows its picture:
http://www.ioffer.com/i/30395536