Distortion

While the President gets press this week for announcing plans to bring troops home before the end of the year, he isn't getting (or acknowledging, even) that he is continuing to send MORE troops to Iraq.

On my assistant's birthday Thursday, her husband received his orders. His THIRD tour in Iraq will commence in January. 6 months, which she knows from experience will be longer than that. He will be stationed in the heart of Baghdad and is being required to keep a side arm on his person at all times, this time. Because apparently the M-16 he had to have with him at all times on his previous two tours isn't enough, now. Now it's a smaller, easier to handle, more 'at the ready' sidearm. He's going to training in December(out of state for several weeks) to learn how to fire it. Quickly and accurately.

I can't describe how hard this is for K. I only know that she is the most poised, strongest, self-assured lady I've ever met. If my hubby had told me he was leaving me with 3 boys for 6 months for the umpteenth time on my birthday, I would have been a puddle on the floor - an angry, pissed off, mess of a puddle. She isn't. She's not happy about it, but she's been an 'army wife' for not quite 20 years and she knows the drill. He's been away from home a lot in their marriage...and he will be again, in four months. His 20 years are up in 2 and then he's 'retiring'. And he won't come home anymore with that 'look' - the one K. knows so well now that she doesn't even have to say anything other than "When are you leaving?"

So while you hear in the news that we're withdrawing troops, please remember that is just Presidential PR spin. Some are coming home - yeah for them. Others are shipping out. Still. Seems we can't really 'withdraw' troops without sending more in. And you never hear about that on the news, now, do you??

I will pray for K. and her family and E. (her husband) every night that he's away. And every night before he leaves. As K. said 'I'm just not sure how much more my family can endure'. Three tours for a young man with a wife and kids is a tough thing. It's just too much. And personally, I know E. has skills that are very specialized...I know that. But I still can't fathom there isn't a single other person in our armed forces SOMEWHERE who can do what he does. I just can't believe he's the ONLY guy out there who knows how to do what he does. But apparently, he is. Again.

God Bless America. Just get us the heck out of Iraq. Please. And say a prayer for K. and her family.