It's been a year since the last time I wrote something for our troops, Active duty, Veterans and the Fallen and their families. The thing is this time I am writing really late, it's still Veterans Day, just late in the day, and there is SOOOOOOOOOO many things going wrong with our Military and especially our Government that frankly I have no idea where to start without going into a full blown Rant (yes a capital R rant).
Our Military leaders are spectacularly failing in their duties to their Troops, Rape is still (maybe not) rampant but it's bad enough that it seems to make the News 3 or 4 times a year. And the shocking part of that issue is that the person that was responsible for updating the Code of Conduct that deals with rape, and sexual harassment, got in a world of trouble for violating those same orders. Then not long after, the person responsible gets Court Martialed for doing what he was tasked to prosecute. Rape and Harassment is still going on in our Highest Military Academies. The same Academies that are Supposed to be teaching about honor and Military Conduct. How the hell can the troops trust their officers or even the newly minted Officers have any faith in or trust that their Leaders look the other way or even violate the very things they are supposed to make sure their people understand.
Oh and I almost forgot! Our Nuclear Deterrent System was manned for a long time by a Staff od Officers and enlisted that kept their posts by cheating on tests and or were lead by Officers that didn't care even when they had proof of the cheating! And our people in harms way are supposed to believe that they are lead by people that care about them, and make sure they are taken care of?
And now after being told that they would be taken out of the Middle East by the end of the year, Their Leader's are in the process of sending them back, because the Administration has changed it's mind yet again. They don't let the Armed Forces to actually finish a job that the other guys started, only to be told they have to go back and protect them same people that kicked them out, and looted our bases as fast as we turned them over to our now "Allies". Who were busily taking every dollar they could get beg. borrow or steal with one hand and letting the "Bad Guys" back into the country with the other hand. And blaming the "failure" of the US to train their people properly. And we as a country simply sit here in our homes and pretty much just through up our hands and say "Here we go again, fighting a war we have no business fighting in.: but actually doing jack all to stop the cycle.
By now I expect everyone is thinking what the hell kind of Veterans Day editorial is this?!?!? Actually it bites, but it's the truth we as Americans simply don't want to face. Our Troops, are being misused, mishandled, and lead by "Brass" I wouldn't leave alone with a dollar bill. The people that should be making sure that our Troops and Veterans are getting the very best medical help they can get, aren't, and because of that our entire Military Medical Service is in worse shape than ghetto hospitals when it comes to care and caring. That is about as shameful a thing as I can think of other than the sexual abuse, our Troops are subjected to on a daily basis. I Personally have been in 3 Veterans Hospitals (Bethesda, the VA in New Orleans, and one other in NC that I wouldn't take my cat to for treatment and I hate our cat.)
Anyway, yes this has been pretty damn negative for a Veterans Day editorial but it's been almost entire negative towards the conditions our Troops have to serve under and with, It's been hard on Officers, and rightly so, since they are REASPONCIBLE for the Men and Woman that serve under them! And they are failing miserably. Nothing can be fixed from the bottom up, it has to be fixed from the top down. Until that happens our troops that put their lives in harms way, will be forced to continue dealing with sub standard health care, sub standard leadership.
In the mean time, as always I want to take this time to say THANK YOU ALL!!!! For your service and dedication in the face of all odds stacked against you. Every last person Active or Vet, or Fallen, deserves our undying thanks not only today but every day.
And just to be clear. I took our leadership both Government and Military to the woodshed, and so may take offence. If you are one of those people then don't bother to reply cause I don't want to read your sorry ass excuses. However, I do honestly think that for ever hog at the trough, there are countless Officers that are doing the best they can given the people they take orders from, to do the right thing, look after their people, and try to make our military the best it can be. To the fallen I bid you Rest In Peace, and to those they are doing or have done their duty again THANK YOU for all your efforts. And may what ever Deity you believe in look over you and your families.