[Our man in washington]

Thanks for posting this. I thought it deserved its own thread.

And now, I have a brief story to tell.

I'm in the reserves and I've been recently told that I'll probably get called up soon. I've let people know it's a possibility. A lot of friends and family have said things like "I hope you don't get called up." "Are you scared?" "Could you go to Iraq?" These people who said these things meant well, but I allowed the comments to skew my thinking on the whole reserves experience.

I've also had some conflicts with members of my unit, so I had gotten soured on the whole experience. I had been counting down the reserve weekends until I could get out. I realize that's hardly noble. I had another tough drill weekend this weekend, and was so happy to be done so I could relax at a Super Bowl party.

Anyway, that ad opened a flood of emotions for me. It reminded me I had to look past the petty comments and disagreements to the bigger picture. Okay, many people I know think I'm a fool or naive for joining the reserves, but millions of people in America would think my decision a good one. If I do get called up, it's good to remember that many people support the troops and wish them well instead of speculating about the worst that can happen.

I really appreciate Anheuser-Busch spending millions to say what needs to be said. I sure needed to hear it. I don't consider myself a hero--all I do is show up one weekend a month. But I needed to be reminded that serving in dangerous circumstances for your country is a heroic thing. I needed to be reminded that if I do get called up, I need to consider it an opportunity to serve rather than curse my bad luck to be sent to wherever I'm sent.

[StarCMC]

Thank you OMIW...thank you for doing what you do. And yes, there are some -even on FR- who seem to thing that Reserves and Guard are sub-standard soldiers. That's BS. Don't let the turkeys get you down... and stop by the Canteen sometime.

[goodnesswins]

THANK YOU for your service.....YES, there are millions who support you (and pray for you)...today was one of those rare times when the MSM actually HAS to show that on the TV!!!!! Godspeed!

[nicmarlo]

If I do get called up, it's good to remember that many people support the troops and wish them well instead of speculating about the worst that can happen.

Yes, we do. Thank you! It's human nature to want to live. Putting oneself in harm's way for a loved one is not a lighthearted gesture. The willingness to substitute your own potential harm in place of theirs is nothing less than heroic. And to willingly place oneself in harm's way for a country full of "strangers" to yourself...well, that's even more heroic, IMHO. And some of these strangers for whom you enlisted to protect are even obnoxious strangers the likes Ted Kennedy and his ilk--to equally ensure their rights to continue fouling the airwaves with their puke; that's even more amazing, to me. The media does our military no service, nor do the Rats. Turn a deaf ear to the naysayers and the na'er do wells. You are protecting your family and those who will always be thankful that from America comes men and women such as you. How can you not think of yourself as a hero? We do. And we thank you.

[fatima]

I am proud of you.

[an amused spectator]

Things have changed from the days when the media could p*ss on the troops and get away with it. Lots of Americans understand that all of you are in harm's way, for the sake of the rest of us.

Thanks for your service, and take heart! :-)

[an amused spectator]

Dude! That was YOU, with the "out-of-a-job Saddam Hussein" and "the 72 Virginians" bits? I'm impressed, and I don't usually get impressed easily. You the Man (in Washington)

Islamofascists beware. We're sending one of our best into the fray.

[Zacs Mom]

My husband & I joined some friends at a sports bar here in Dallas to watch the Super Bowl game ~ the bar was pretty packed and about evenly divided between Patriot and Eagle fans. Everyone had brought potluck dishes and, although we were all there over six hours, I didn't see or hear a single drunk in the place!! Pretty amazing, in and of itself.

But what was even more amazing was that when this commerical aired, the entire bar began to clap along with the people in the commerical and when it ended the roar of applause and hoorays from the sports fans in the bar was deafening! The fans there this evening ranged in age from 21 up to 90 and, as I glanced around at my fellow viewers, I noticed there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I also noticed that Patriot fans and Eagle fans for that moment in time became simply fans of the brave men and women who serve this nation!

(((((((((thanks)))))))))
a big Texas thank you, with a cyber hug for good measure

[Psycho_Bunny]

I'm the IT director of a private athletic club in downtown Seattle.  One of our personal trainers is a Sergeant in the Marine Reserves and, right now, sitting at some base somewhere getting geared up for his second deployment to Iraq.

I'm sure you can well imagine the negativity he's put up with, being smack-dab in the middle of liberal hell.  I sh!t you not:  it's so bad at work that after the election a couple liberals filed a human resources complaint against a woman I work with because they found out she "voted for Bush" when they were sitting in the lunch room saying things like "The military coup has started" and "Can you believe that idiot won?" and she'd have none of it.  Basically, she politely told them that if they didn't have anything civil to say, they should keep their mouths shut.  (I report directly to the CFO and VP of Human Resources so I can say there was a happy ending:  he threw the complaint away after laughing at it)

In any event, even here in Stupidville there were people who genuinely support the Sergeant.  Several of his clients cut him some nice checks.  I bought him a bunch of equipment he wanted above and beyond the standard:  Kevlar goggles and one of those water humps.  His other co-workers got him stuff and threw a party for him.

Despite your doubts, I think you'd find that deep inside most people understand there's nothing more honorable than keeping your word to strangers:  which is what a deployment essentially is - to swear to Do This even though you may be killed or maimed.  Even though you're placed to stand against the worst of Man.

I'm sure most of the trepidation you feel has more to do with the waiting than anything else.  Knowing that your life could change forever at anytime isn't something most people think of unless there's a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.  Other than that, we all pretty much go on about our business, lying to ourselves about our inevitable meeting with the omnipotent hand of Fate.

I think the best you can do is just try to be relaxed about the situation, and know that if you're called to serve, there's millions of us - beyond your family and friends - who genuinely respect and admire you for Keeping Your Word:  even if you just end up pushing paper at some backwater post.

[maine-iac7]

You are the stuff that keeps this country strong...without the many "yous"['plural' of you :O) ] over the decades, we would not be a free people, indeed, there would little - if any - freedom in the world.

Thank you and God go with if you are called...