Is this the answer? ABC News: EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon Considers Extended Tours for All Soldiers.
The surge doesn't seem to be making a difference, so keeping these men
there longer than they were told they would be is the next step. If
Pentagon decides to go this route, they better figure out how they are
going to make up for the morale dip that can be very dangerous. Those
men and women want to serve their country and they are proud, as they
should be. But they also want to come home when they were told they
would be able to.
Has this war hit home for you? We are all disgusted when we hear the week's worth of 18 year olds who died in Iraq. It's so difficult to think of American men and women dying this way, but not seeing anything change. These are sons, daughters, mommies, daddies, brothers, sisters. These are members of a family that loses a part of themselves when one member dies. For all these 3,000+ there are more thousands who mourn more than we do.
A little over a month ago, I met someone through one of the programs I run. She informed me that her son was in Iraq and she'd been trying to reach him. She was getting worried and she wanted me to know that she couldn't turn off her cell phone like we requested because if he called she would have to take it. Later in the afternoon, he called and she talked to him for a good while.
Her son was in Iraq for a 2nd tour. It was voluntary. He was a Sergeant and he said he didn't want his guys to have to adjust to a new leader. They needed him. So he went back. She recently called me to tell me he had been killed. He was 24 and he was her youngest child; her baby. I felt empty for the rest of the day. I have never laid eyes on this kid and I barely knew the woman outside of the program that she was calling to take a leave of absence from. Still, I felt sick to stomach about it and its nothing compared to what his friends and family are feeling. 24 years old.
Has this war hit home for you? We are all disgusted when we hear the week's worth of 18 year olds who died in Iraq. It's so difficult to think of American men and women dying this way, but not seeing anything change. These are sons, daughters, mommies, daddies, brothers, sisters. These are members of a family that loses a part of themselves when one member dies. For all these 3,000+ there are more thousands who mourn more than we do.
A little over a month ago, I met someone through one of the programs I run. She informed me that her son was in Iraq and she'd been trying to reach him. She was getting worried and she wanted me to know that she couldn't turn off her cell phone like we requested because if he called she would have to take it. Later in the afternoon, he called and she talked to him for a good while.
Her son was in Iraq for a 2nd tour. It was voluntary. He was a Sergeant and he said he didn't want his guys to have to adjust to a new leader. They needed him. So he went back. She recently called me to tell me he had been killed. He was 24 and he was her youngest child; her baby. I felt empty for the rest of the day. I have never laid eyes on this kid and I barely knew the woman outside of the program that she was calling to take a leave of absence from. Still, I felt sick to stomach about it and its nothing compared to what his friends and family are feeling. 24 years old.
