Not Supporting Our Troops

Hang on for the ride - I'm bound to piss some people off with this post.

Joel Stein really got the ire of a lot of people with his Op-Ed piece Warriors and Wusses in the LA Times yesterday in which he expressed his opinion on the War in Iraq, and more specifically, whether or not to support the individual soldiers who are fighting it.

Throughout the article, the message was largely that if you don't agree with the war, you shouldn't feel obligated to support the troops. As if to illustrate this, he points out that "we shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea".

To say these ideas upset people would be a gross understatement. For example, reflective of popular sentiments on the topic, Hugh Hewitt writes:

"As I suspected, Mr. Stein really doesn't know anyone on active duty, hasn't been to any bases or any of the service academies, hasn't met with wounded or returning troops, and generally admits to being blissfully ignorant of the military. He could not recount a single book he has read about the military, and doesn't even know how big it is. He thinks the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have died in the GWOT have died in vain. He does not feel grateful for their service."

Many of the comments left at the LA Times were far less flattering and succint. Nevertheless, when did military service become a precursor to having an opinion as a citizen? Is this man not entitled to have his say? Is he a bad guy for having an unpopular opinion? I don't think so.

Absent military credentials on Mr. Stein's part, I'd like to make a few observations as someone who does happen to have modest military credentials.

People have gotten extremely wrapped up with comparing what's going on now with Vietnam, particularly as it relates to how the troops are treated when they return home. Most people are overlooking some important points, though.

It's important to draw a distinction between the troops in Iraq now and those who fought in Vietnam. In Vietnam, soldiers were drafted. It didn't matter what your opinion was -- if your number came up, you had to go. Today's military is an all-volunteer force. Anyone serving is doing so in consequence of a conscious decision to serve, knowing full well the implications of his or her service. This is even more true for those who joined the service after September 11th.

That said, I certainly do not advocate spitting on troops, booing them, or otherwise using our troops as a venue to express frustration with the current administration. The other side of that, though, is that I also see no reason to arbitrarily be "grateful" or "appreciative". Neither of these things define someone as being a great American.

I remember when I returned from Desert Storm on April 1st, 1991. We landed at Pope Air Force Base, which adjoins Fort Bragg. I walked down the steps from the airplane, and I was met by a large brass band playing some military parade tune, and an even larger gathering of people cheering. We were "heroes", or so I'm told.

What impact did this "hero's welcome" have on me as a soldier? What feelings did it elicit from my little warrior heart? In a word: guilt. That's right, I felt guilty.

I didn't have any family or friends greeting me, but I remember this girl -- a complete stranger -- approached me and asked if anyone was there to welcome me home. I explained that there was nobody there to greet me.

"Well, " she said, "I'm not here to meet anyone in particular, so I'll welcome you home."

And with that, she hugged me.

During all of this, those feelings of guilt persisted. Had I been born a mere 20 years earlier than I was, a similar girl might have greeted me, but in a very different way. Further, I don't feel like we went through anywhere near the horrors experienced by most who fought in Vietnam.

You won't find any of those cheesy magnets on my vehicles. Frankly, I find them distasteful. Instead, I express my gratitude on an individual basis. When I meet a Veteran, I shake his hand, introduce myself, and welcome him home.

If you really want to support the troops, do it at the polls. Elect officials who will not place them in harms way unless it truly is necessary. Vote for people like Senator John McCain who have the proper experience from which to draw when making the decision whether or not to send our sons and daughters into harms way.

To those who will no doubt paint Joel Stein as anti-American, I say get off his back. The right to freely express dissent and unpopular opinions is fundamental to our way of life in this country. Those who would silence him need look no further than the mirror to see someone who is truly un-American.