My Opinion: THIS SUCKS

My husband and I talked on the phone today, he'll be leaving for another mission tomorrow morning. (Seems to be back to back nowadays.) We had an "interesting" conversation, I guess you could call it, or a frustrating on, or an honest one.

I have been sitting here in the cafeteria on campus just thinking. I was going back and forth on whether or not to blog this thought, or just to deal with it in my head, on my own. Haha.

But in my experience, aligned with what I believe it means to be a citizen, a watchdog, a MilSpouse, I saw something that seems so unfair, so wrong... and I want to express my frustration in hopes that someone somewhere, gets it. Or they put me in my place, and educate me. :)

Whatever the case may be.

[TOTAL side note: I am sitting here and a soldier just walked by, I believe he is a recruiter that seems to be on campus ALL the time, but...I just caught myself totally judging him. I look at his chest first, to figure out his rank. Then I look at his right arm... no patch. Then I look at the color of the beret in his hand... it's not maroon. Haha, ridiculous, I am going to stop thinking about my judegmental precepts... I just thought I would share because this is not something I use to do, but being a MilSpouse has made me more "aware" of the service members I meet. (You look at their name tape so you know who you are talking to, and then their chest, so you are more aware of what you can or can't say.)]

So, back on the train of thought-- this conversation with my husband. I told him, "So I read an article that talked about how the ball is rolling on getting soldiers more dwell time at home, cool huh?" And he said, "Yeah? Did you read the part where they said that that doesn't apply to infantry units?" I was like, "Uh no!?" LOL, he was trying to be sarcastic, but I know it's true.

In Italy, Thursdays are Canserma Ederle's "Family Day" all soldiers are out at 3PM on Thursdays so they have time at home to spend with their families... now, ask me how many times DJ was home at 3 on Thursdays... can you say, "Close to never!?"

And when I hear things about USO shows, and the WWE going over to give our soldiers a little show and morale boost, I get tickled inside. It excites me, it makes me wish I were some celebrity with some talent that I could get shipped over there too! Haha, but I have no talents, I am no celebrity, I cannot just hop on a plane and fly on over. But... I bet you with all the money in my pocket that we cannot send Robin Williams to the Paktika Province in Afghanistan. You won't put the Pussycat Dolls on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

That would be so cruel and unusual. They'll be at Bagram.

[In writing and ranting this, I am not trying to discredit any soldier, I do not sit here and try to degrade any type of service to our country, I am a civilian looking in.]

The units that are getting off at 3 in the afternoon, the audiences at USO shows... they're definitely not infantry soldiers. They're the finance officers, they're the logistics people, they're the personnel people. They are people who joined the Army and actually GOT WHAT THE RECRUITERS PROMISED THEM!! They got PT then 9-5, they got Family Days, they got extra time to use their Tuition Assistance.

"The infantry," my husband said, "is made to deploy. We are made to be in it." Then he said, "All we can do is say, 'F... it.' and do our jobs. That's just how things are."

That is what the infantry does.
They "March or die."
No time for perks.

So, more dwell time... amazing, I would love 18 months without deployment, I would love 24 months without deployment. It is a great policy to bring to light, but in a time of war, you need "boots on the ground." (Boots with guns.)

But I fear that the ones who "need" (relative word) it most won't get it.

Well... we'll see how things work out.
Seems premature to get upset over something that hasn't happened.
But, the "state" of the infantry, the "neglect" for those soldiers... still irks me.