Support the troops. It has been a common phrase in all times of war. Every American has heard it or read it in the past year but what does it mean? To support the men and women sent halfway across the world to risk their lives, do I also have to support the reasons they were sent?
I support the troops. When I wake up every day and I get in the shower, there is a moment before I turn my radio on, when I brace for the probability that WBZ will carry the news of another young American’s death. Even more worrisome is that I might hear of a family member’s death. You see, I support the troops by wishing them a safe return with all their limbs intact. I support them by wishing that their families get a break from not knowing; not knowing for months now if they will hear that tragic report — their son, daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister, uncle, granddaughter, son-in-law is not coming back.
Of course, our government supports the troops in any and every way possible. After all, the government would not be able to fight terrorism and keep America safe without the troops. Dick Cheney’s friends at Halliburton would not be able to make millions via government contracts that it did not even have to bid on without the troops. George W. Bush would not have been able to get that jet ride to the aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean and end the war in Iraq without the troops. The government-fearing media would not be able to keep Americans glued to 24-hour news channels and display those cool patriotic graphics without the troops. However, I heard a story last week while I was home in Philadelphia that really bothered me — and as you can probably tell, I have been bothered by the current state of affairs for some time now.
My cousin, a member of the Army Reserve has been in Iraq for some time now, six months to be exact. Six months of sandstorms, six months of oppressive heat, the likes of which we have never felt, six months of sand fleas that, as my cousin wrote this summer, “bite the living hell out of you.”
Understandably, he was excited to get to leave Tirkrit for two weeks. Two weeks to see his wife and young children. Two weeks to see familiar faces and surround himself with the ones he loves. Well, not exactly two weeks. You see, the 14-day vacation includes the time spent traveling home. Three days each way. Most surprising to me, however, is the manner in which my cousin must return to his family. I will let K.L. Vantran of the American Forces Press Service explain the rest.
“Service members participating in the two-week ‘rest and recuperation’ leave program are flown free to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany or Baltimore-Washington International Airport by the Defense Department, but must pay for connecting flights from and back to those ports.”
My cousin lives in Colorado. The government took him from Colorado. So why can’t the government have the decency to return him there? Not to worry soldiers, for your government is doing its best to support you. In the same Oct. 27 press release (found at defendamerica.mil/support_troops.html, the self-proclaimed U.S. Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism Web site), Vantran reports that steps are being taken to correct this glaringly disrespectful dilemma.
Enter “Operation Hero Miles,” a program launched by Maryland Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger that allows you and I to donate our frequent flyer miles to troops stuck in Baltimore or Germany. Certain major airlines, whose names I won’t advertise here, have also joined the cause.
The official site of Hero Miles, heromiles.org, under “Learn how Americans Use Frequent Flyer Miles to Support our Troops,” states clearly that “without your miles, we cannot send our troops home.” Is this really the case? Donald Rumsfeld, do you mean to tell me that the American military can spend $3.9 billion each month on the war in Iraq, but it can’t afford a plane ticket from Baltimore to Denver for my cousin — who has not been to work for six months, remember?
My cousin got home to Colorado to see his family. Good thing the government can support him in his trip back to Tirkrit this week. He can get back to liberating or occupying or whatever he will be doing for the next six months over there — after he gets himself back to Baltimore.
James R. Walton is a senior journalism major.
