Thanks for recognizing how hard that was for me to type, even though we are all Freepers!
He was so proud to have served under General Abizaid, in the 82nd Airborne, and has the highest regard for Abizaid. I think the unkindest cut for my son was when the Clinton administration cut the health benefits for the enlisted mens' families, when they were fighting in Iraq...
He said to me once, how do you manage to keep men motivated to face landmines when the leaders of the country asking them to do so have cut health care for their wives and children?
That did happen under Clinton's watch, and we now wonder why there are so many young officers who have left? We can't ask them to lead, when we do not make sure our political leaders do not try to cut the "fat" in DC at the expense of those who are willing to go in harm's way to protect our precious freedoms.
So many of us to not take the time to look beyond the politicians and all the "puff" media. Do not accept what "they say" on the "evening news". Take the time to dig deeper!
I am not saying that Rumsfeld is a bad guy. All I am saying is that we need to be very careful about how we evaluate those appointed in DC. So many of us have seen former presidents make a mess with our troops, trying to call the shots from the White House, or from the "Sec-Def"... and they have not listened to the right military officers.
I am bothered by the number of young Army officers who have recently been leaving... I am also bothered by the Army generals who are criticizing the war in Iraq.
I do not really understand enough to know how to evaluate the present criticism (by some) of the present Iraq situation, but I do remember one thing my son said to me a long time ago... And that is that we (US Army) are not ready to fight in urban areas, like Bosnia, etc...
It isn't what the current crop of Generals trained for, therefore not what they are good at, so the question is...can we trust/expect Rumsfeld to pick the right men to fight the "next" urban gueriila war...
I have no idea, for I am just a mom and a grandma. But I do know this. The lives of my grandchildren depend on the decisions made by the politicians we elect, and those they appoint. May we be guided by His wisdom the next time we go to the polls!