I'm an Army battalion commander currently serving
in the heart of Baghdad. Its difficult for me to express how important
this election is to those of us currently in harm's way. First, let me
say that my brigade combat team has been here 6 months. In this time, we
have lost over 25 soldiers and had over 300 seriously wounded. Yet, in
my battalion alone I have reenlisted over 100 soldiers. I have less than
20 soldiers a day go on sick call out of over 600. Amazing when you consider
the oppressive heat during the summer. I you tell this because our soldiers
know they are making a difference, and absolutely believe in this mission.
We don't give a rat's ass about WMDs and know we are not fighting for oil.
Truly, first and foremost we believe that we are defending America by attacking
the enemy on his turf. For God's sake what do people think the likes of
Zarqawi/OBL would be doing if they were not on the run trying to prevent
us from establishing modern states in the Islamist world? There is no safe
haven! This is only true because the US Army and Marine Corps is in his
back yard. Also, we are providing hope for people who have been brutally
oppressed for a generation. What an insult to tell those of us who know,
and are doing the fighting and dying, that this is the "wrong war, wrong
time, wrong place". Imagine the effect on our military if we have a commander
in chief that believes our brothers and sisters have died in vain. Like
you I am more liberal than the President on most social issues, but these
issues can wait, and probably will seem irrelevant if a nuclear devise
is exploded in NYC, or we experience a couple of Breslan's in the United
States. I beg, plead that my friend's on the left or undecided, cast there
ballot for the President this election, on only one issue, the war on terrorism.
Ask yourself what does Ed Koch, an east coast liberal Jew, know that I
don't know. Sorry for the length, be proud of your military.
LTC B.H.
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