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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Jerry Newberry :: Townhall.com Columnist
They Say What They Mean and Mean What They Say
by Jerry Newberry
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Editor's Note: Jerry Newberry, Communications Director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is currently embedded with the troops in Afghanistan.

It doesn't take much time with the troops in Afghanistan to understand where many of them are coming from.

First of all, let me preface things by stating I haven't been here very long. But for the most part, our service people aren't exactly introverts. They say what they mean and mean what they say.

And so it's good to feel reassured that in spite of it all - the weather, long separations from family and friends, the food, bugs, rockets, RPG's, IED's, discouraging polls and political rhetoric back home - the men and women of today's military believe in what they are doing... and they take great pride in doing it.

They wish everyone back home felt the same way.

The sad part is that when it comes to public awareness, the troops serving in Afghanistan have, for the most part, taken a back seat to their comrades serving in Iraq.

Americans have forgotten that "Operation Enduring Freedom" - the initial major assault against the Taliban and al Qaeda - was launched here, and that the fight continues today as service people are still fighting, dying and being wounded.

In their own words: Continued...
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About The Author

Jerry Newberry hosts the country's only talk show dedicated to America's heroes, The National Defense. Click here to listen.

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(9 comments so Far)
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Reply # 1
Date: Sep 28, 2006 - 9:13 PM EST
Gimme a break
Well said, maverick.
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Reply # 2
Date: Sep 28, 2006 - 7:51 PM EST
Give me a break!
A lot of the missions eight other guys and myself went on were done after the sun went down. We did't want anyone to know where we were going and we didn't care if we got recognition from the media. We didn't look in the paper to see if the American people loved us for serving. We had a job to do and we did it. We never went to any type of sensitive training. We went in to get pilots and we didn't care who held them. Sometimes friendly governments held them, and sometimes unfriendly governments held them. We didn't care. The look on the pilots faces were all the thanks we wanted. The total surprise look on their faces said it all. When we got home we didn't run to the papers to see if we were heros. We didn't care. We were old school. Not this give me time out in basic training, it's too tough. When your in the military it's not a 9 to 5 job like in civilian life. It's a 24/7 way of life. It's doesn't matter how long you stay out. It's your job. You stay as long as your needed. Your rotation is up and you have to stay longer what do you do. Your adjust and dig in. You don't send e-mails home to moma crying like a baby because you think what your doing is going unnoticed. Your presence there, says your job is important, someone is relying on you. No one has forgotten you. There are many fronts to operations. Where your at can't be the most important front because you happen to be there. There are reasons some areas are given more attention then others, and there are reasons some areas are made to look like our gurard is down. Command can't run to every enlisted man or woman and personally explain to them their reasons for doing what their doing to make them feel like their job is important. When you go through basic training your body changes, isn't it time for you mentally to change also. You can't be in the military thinking part of you is civilian and part of you is military. When you enlist your whole body and mind is military. When you forget this your dead.
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