Supporting the Troops without the Spirit of the Bayonet

Roughly a week ago “Wake Up America,” posted regarding presidential hopeless, John Edwards and his new effort at redefining Support the Troops. The former senator has launched a new website, “Support the Troops. End the war.”

Not willing to stomach the site; a quote as quoted by Wake Up America (bold mine):

“Throughout our history, military men and women and their families have sacrificed for America. The troops in Iraq and their families continue to sacrifice today. So this Memorial Day Weekend, John Edwards is asking the American people to give some part of their weekend in return—to honor and remember all those who have gone before in service to our country, and to let our government know we want to honor our troops by ending the war and bringing them home.”

As has been said endlessly, this is not support for the troops; it is slick marketing for the support of ending our participation in the Iraq Theater in the war on terror. The Democrats have spoken and voted for quite some time now, promising to end the war; de-funding or no longer funding the war is not ending the war; that is more accurately described as retreating, running away or escaping and evading. The Democrats like to “imply” an end, but that will only lead to a new beginning, as voting is easy but ending something like what is going on in Iraq is not simply done in ink.

What is the Spirit of the bayonet?

To KILL, KILL, KILL!!!!!!!!!

Our soldiers are in Iraq and elsewhere doing what they have trained to do; Some of the skills/subjects the infantry recruit trains to:

Survive on the NBC battlefield (Nuclear Biologic Chemical), Train for Land Mine Warfare, Marksmanship (oddly the M16 is the basic tool of the infantry soldier), Rifle Bayonet Pugil Fighting, M203 Grenade Launcher (familiarization), M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (familiarization), M240 Machine Gun (familiarization), Introduction to burst fire mode and firing in Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) protective equipment, Infantry tactics proficiency, Hand Grenade Training, Night Infiltration, Fire Team, Urban Operations, Mortar Training, Defensive fighting positions, Squad tactics, FTX.

Supporting the troops is supporting them in the efforts they have been trained for and are involved in now. Our soldiers do not practice the skills above to be treated as mere children, nor are the skills above related in any way to a home economics course/class in high school. Their skills are honed on the battlefield for the antithesis of what the Democrat party represents.

The U.S. Army Values

• Loyalty
• Duty
• Respect
• Selfless Service
• Honor
• Integrity
• Personal Courage

These values are something the Left, msm and Democrats are lacking. The soldier does not likely wish to leave the battlefield as innocent Iraqi civilians are butchered. Nor do they likely wish to desert their fallen comrades in what to them is their duty and honor to defend and support in their efforts to vanquish the enemy. Supporting the troops is not guaranteeing their failure, which by pulling them out before the singing of the fat lady is heard is a failure over which they have no control. This is not ending the war, this is a lack of support for that which they do each and every day.

Old news from Washington

As a continuing example from Democrats and the msms definition of victory; CNN published an article this morning entitled, “Iraq funding deadline fails but gains more support.”

In the article, CNN acknowledges (they have to) that the Anti-war Democrats “failed,” but of course there is a silver lining as the:

“lopsided bipartisan vote that masked growing impatience within both political parties over President Bush's handling of the four-year conflict.”

The talking point according to Russ Feingold and taken hook, line and sinker by CNN was to Feingold the “fact” that stopping the war, ‘”was considered absolute heresy four months ago."’ A heresy one might note not really uttered by the Democrat minority prior to November.

Four loser Democrat presidential hopefuls actually stuck their necks out on this one and voted for the sad, misguided legislation. They were; Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Hillary Clinton, who said:

“has adamantly opposed setting a date for a troop withdrawal, and she gave conflicting answers during the day when asked whether her vote signified support for a cutoff in funds.”

Conflicting answers? Do you mean like:

‘"I'm not going to speculate on what I'll be voting on in the future," she said at midday. But a few hours later she said: "I support the ... bill. That's what this vote ... was all about."’

Far be it for Senator Hillary Rodham (Clinton) to indicate anything resembling integrity prior to the latest poll.

Support the troops by supporting the spirit of the bayonet; it’s what they’re trained to do. Don't follow the Left...

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Wednesday Hero

Ellicia Stanley & her husband SPC Reid Stanley


I received and email from Wednesday Hero Blogroll member Mary Ann in which she suggested that I profile the spouse of a soldier. Seeing as I'd profiled one such spouse in the past, I though this was the perfect opportunity to do it again. I hadn't read the entire letter before I said yes, but after reading it I'm glad she sent it to me.

I think military families, especially the spouses, while they sign no contract, serve our country just as much as the service member. They give up familiar home ties and relocate all over the country, all over the world. They give up their civilian lives for something bigger than themselves. Ellicia was a military wife for only two and a half years. Before they married, but after 9/11, Reid came to her and told her of his desire to enlist. He wanted to do his part. He tells part of the story in his blog post
http://kafstorm.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-i-joined-army.html

She encouraged him, pushing him so he could meet his goal of serving his country. He did and took his oath in October 2002. By the time they were married in July 2004, Reid was already stationed in Germany. It was 3 months before she could join him there. In a move that, for someone who'd seldom left her hometown in South Carolina, must have come as quite an adjustment. But she did it, as do so many other military wives.

Then came deployment to Afghanistan in May 2005. They spent their first anniversary apart. Reid writes about that anniversary in this post
http://kafstorm.blogspot.com/2005/07/my-hero.html

It was in the sixth month of deployment when Ellicia received the news — she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Devastating. However, in an email to me on the day she received her diagnosis, the phrase she used was, "not stellar news". Understated, calm, steady, no hysteria, it was another challenge to face.

I came to admire her because, I too, had been away from home, (not to a foreign country), with a one small child (not three), and my husband traveling (not in a war zone). Knowing what my experience had been like, I was amazed at how she took it all in stride. Even when faced with a
terminal diagnosis, she faced it all with grace, dignity and humor. All the while supporting her husband, the mission and the country.

Reid was given compassionate leave back to Germany in November 2005. For the next thirteen months they fought their own personal war with cancer…breast, lung…and finally eleven tumors in her brain.

In November 2006 the Stanley's took compassionate reassignment back to the U.S. to Ft. Eustis, Virginia.

On 31 December 2006, Ellicia lost her battle. But her spirit lives on in her husband, her children, and the many people she inspired with her courage.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.