Friday, October 2, 2009

I am fortunate. I am very fortunate that this is my first deployment. There are service members that have seen the mountains of Afghanistan or the sands of Iraq numerous times. That type of selfless service takes is toll on the human soul. The soul however is the last element of a man that the world can see suffering. To the protected, the families being torn apart by combat tours are the sad result of too much time away from home. Then there are the shots that are fired during a battle that is waged within the confines of our mind. These are the scars that are never seen.

For many of our Brigade, that battle began on September 10th as we left home and reported for duty. There will be a lull in the fight this weekend as battalions across the state have farewell ceremonies and soldiers get to spend a few precious days with their families. Loved ones will be reunited only to be torn apart one more time.

The cruelty of these moments are just one of the infinite sacrifices we are willing to endure. We carry the burden of these sacrifices so that the many can benefit from the actions of the few.

There have been many wars in our nation's history but this one is different. The war and its troops cannot be compared to the revolutionary ideals and the Founding Fathers, even a comparison to the Greatest Generation cannot be made. Every veteran or all wars have served admirably but the men and women that don the uniform today are of a different breed. They were not drafted or enlisted because it was the popular thing to do. They serve because it is what must be done to protect our colors, the flag that represents who we are and the legacy of those that fought before them.

As the war continues, our country needs to be reminded of the service of the men and women in uniform. They had a choice and they served when no one else answered the call. They are at times referred to as the next greatest generation but this moniker does not reflect who they are. These men and women served admirably, courageously, and selflessly at a cost to their own well being. They sacrificed when no one else would.

Every generation has it's hero's and this generation now has its own. They truly are a Selfless Generation.

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