Soldiers make me proud!

The other day, I listened to President Obama give a speech to Marines and Soldiers at Camp Lejeune. He was discussing his Iraq and Afghanistan plans for the next few years. I'm not sure if you got a chance to see it...





I was at the gym on a treadmill at the time....so afterwards I was thinking about life the last few months that Josh and I have been living on base. I tell you what, there are a couple things that Pres. Obama said that really stuck out to me. It was important to me that he mentioned the injuries of war in this day and age. It meant a lot that he mentioned health care and the commitment to helping those who have served. Soldiers that this applies to have names and faces for Josh and I. We see WT (Warrior in Transition) Soldiers all the time. What makes it really hard is when these Soldiers want so badly to go back to the job they love, but the Army can't let them because of the trauma their bodies have already experienced. The second such statement was when he talked about Soldiers deserving great thanks and respect for doing their jobs, and the American people needed to step up and do that. So many times our political views can cloud our view of the military. It's hard to remember that they are real people, who know they are putting their lives on the line for people they have never met (American and Iraqi alike!). When Josh was deployed, I can't even begin to tell you what people would tell me about my husband's job or Soldiers in general.

I must admit, had I not become a military spouse, I would probably have the same tendencies of ignorance and neglect. Living here has opened my eyes even more to what life in the military is like. Especially living on a Basic Training base. A lot of these new soldiers are 18-20 years old, joining the military in a war time, knowing deployments are inevitable. It is so important to recognize selfless behavior and dedication to something other than ourselves. I know that not all intentions are noble when it comes to Soldiers, but noble or not, they are committing to stay the course, and the sacrifices are incredibly numerous. The Marines that live across the street from us are training outside all the time. My house shakes when things blow up, I hear cadences from soldier formations on the nearby streets, see Soldiers driving all kinds of military equipment to practice for when the time comes. It's pretty amazing to witness everyday!

If you ever want a boost of patriotism...come visit us. We would love to have you!