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Personnel Crisis Looming, Army Spouses Say
Washington Post ^
| 03/28/04
| Thomas E. Ricks
Posted on 03/27/2004 2:54:16 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: GovernmentShrinker
Hey I am retired USAF and been there myself. My partner is also retired USAF and I am blessed to have his consent on giving these deserving families a break. These folks have my unreserved appreciation and they deserve all the credit, I got it easy by comparison.
To: Capriole
My wife has dealt with numerous deployments and separations. My children knew my seabag as Daddys going away bag. My wife is not a complainer and has chided many military wives for acting foolish while their husbands were gone. My wife and I live by a simple adage, "We weren't the first to go through this, and we won't be the last."
I know you didn't mean to imply anything. I just wanted you and everyone else to know not all military wives are wimps. Some are tough as nails. My wife is one tough broad who has help raised 3 tough kids.
As you are well aware of, the press will only highlight the negative and try and pull at heartstrings. I will show this article to my wife, just to get her riled up.
22
posted on
03/27/2004 7:15:42 PM PST
by
dpa5923
(Small minds talk about people, normal minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas.)
To: Jeff Gordon
This article states the sample did not include Reserves or National Guard.
23
posted on
03/27/2004 7:25:56 PM PST
by
CalKat
To: Capriole
I just don't think the sacrifice is so so so so terrible for these military spouses. Really? You're a single parent. Are you doing that for me? Nope, that is just the way your life is. These families are missing their men because their men are busy keeping YOU safe. Sorry that you can't appreciate that.
I guess instead of being compassionate and helping out if you can, we'll just let them struggle so their men quit.
24
posted on
03/27/2004 7:38:09 PM PST
by
Dianna
To: dpa5923
I know you didn't mean to imply anything. I just wanted you and everyone else to know not all military wives are wimps. Some are tough as nails. My wife is one tough broad who has help raised 3 tough kids. I was a Navy wife for 8 years and rarely met wives who were truly whiny. But it can be hard (I imagine) when it seems everything is going wrong, AND your husband is off fighting a war. I don't begrudge these women a few tears or complaints. The second it is out of their system, their spines stiffen and they get on with life.
I appreciate them giving up time with their husbands, birthdays, anniversaries and holidays so that my children aren't forced to be Muslim.
25
posted on
03/27/2004 7:45:27 PM PST
by
Dianna
To: Dianna
. . .we'll just let them struggle so their men quit.My question is, what's the big struggle? Millions of us do it all the time. Being alone is not fun, and it can be hard at time. But it's just not that big a deal, and I do not know what all the whining and hand-wringing is about. They should consider themselves lucky that someday their men are going to come home.
The ones I do feel sorry for are the ones who lose their husbands to death. Those are the women who deserve our assistance and sympathy.
26
posted on
03/27/2004 7:47:46 PM PST
by
Capriole
(DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY.)
To: squarebarb
"Polly, you have to remember this: we didn't know whether or not we would win."
That is very profound, and I'm afraid it is still true today. I'm not sure we can beat the Islamofacists, what with the multi-cluti political correctness, with the victim mindset so well displayed in this article, with the loss of faith in our Judeo-Christian (NOT MUSLIM) culture and religions.
A little more fear and a lot less whining would do us all a lot of good. That and more dead Muslim Terrorists, of course!
27
posted on
03/27/2004 8:49:50 PM PST
by
jocon307
(The dems don't get it, the American people do.)
To: Capriole
My question is, what's the big struggle? Millions of us do it all the time. I can only speak for myself and my experience with a military spouse who was never gone for even 6 months at a time. The struggle is that for most of the time you have someone who deals with the car, takes out the trash, gives baths, etc. Now in addition to having to take on these extra chores themselves, they're also worrying about their husbands being killed and trying to make explanations and excuses to their children.
Your struggle is one that goes on regardless. Their lives COULD be easier, if their men were home. My husband left the Navy, mostly because he wanted to spend more time with his family. I was willing to have him stay in, but I am vastly relieved and have very much enjoyed NOT having to do it all myself. Leaving the Navy was one of the best decisions, for our family, that he ever made. People who CHOOSE to stay because they are dedicated to fight for our freedom deserve our respect. They could easily choose differently, which leaves us all less choices (referring to a draft).
28
posted on
03/27/2004 8:55:48 PM PST
by
Dianna
To: CalKat
This article states the sample did not include Reserves or National Guard. Sorry. I do not "subscribe" thus I was not able to read the article. The pdf file provided did not mention the Guard being excluded.
29
posted on
03/28/2004 1:15:40 AM PST
by
Jeff Gordon
(LWS - Legislating While Stupid. Someone should make this illegal.)
To: Pokey78
I'd say the WP is inventing news. Some percentage of military spouses have been bitching as long as there have been military spouses. Retention rates have not been adversely affected by the WOT, and surveys of the
military personnel, not the military wives, have shown that they probably won't be anytime soon.
But if the WP wants to go find some disgruntled military spouses to interview, they can always do that. They could have done that before Iraq and Afghanistan.
30
posted on
03/28/2004 1:23:39 AM PST
by
squidly
(I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosity he excites among his opponents)
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