Back Home and the forgotten WAR

Well a month back home and things are going pretty well for my family. We got a new house and did the moving process within the first couple weeks of being home so things have been busy and finally settling down and getting bored with staying home and I guess getting ready to go back to work, then there are times I want to continue to be lazy. I plan on starting back the 11th and will receive a promotion to full time reporter by the end of the month and I'm looking pretty forward to that.



I was planning on waiting awhile to do another Blog until after I started back to work. I decided last night I couldn't wait to get a few things off my chest. I have seen and heard a few things that I just wouldn't let go without saying a few things about it, because I knew you guys would give me a few words of encouragement and would be just as upset as I was when I experienced my recent rants.



I guess there are somethings I shouldn't gripe about or complain about but I feel I've earned the right to gripe about this and I've been very disappointed in all the people back home after all the wonderful support I got from all of you guys. I guess I got spoiled by you guys, sending all the kind words and great encouraging emails. I just returned home and things were so different with how the people treat the military and how they show their appreciation.



Here are my examples..



My disappointments started the day I flew home, we were sitting in the airport at Colorado Springs and one of the Flight Attendants asked if we were coming back from Iraq. I leaned over and told her "No we just spent a year in Afghanistan and where heading home." She leaned back over to ask me without skipping a beat "whats going on over there?" WOW I was stunned and when I started to explain a little thing called 9/11 an elderly couple stepped in and proceeded to tell her what was going on over there and did so ever so kindly!!



A few hours later I landed in Oklahoma and was as happy as I could be for the next few minutes. Well let me back up a few days, my wife didn't know what day I was actually planning on coming home. So I wanted to surprising my wife and daughter. I had made all the plans including renting a car and driving down to Ardmore to surprise Jodi and Bayleigh. Well now I can fast forward to the day I landing in OK. I was greeted at the airport by one of my best friends Jake. It was great being able to see a friendly face as soon as I landed in beautiful Oklahoma. I grabbed my bags and headed to get my rental car from a "wonderful" company Enterprise. I spoke with the clerk at the front desk and he started getting me ready to head on my way.. Well that wouldn't be the case, after showing my ID the clerk as for 2 utility bills because I was returning the car to the Ardmore Enterprise lot. I stood there wondering what 2 utility bills I would use considering I had just got back from Afghanistan. I tried my best to get past the request and after 15 minutes of no help from the clerk I lost my cool. The week long trip home and spending the day flying from Colorado was just a bit much and I lost my cool. But please give me a break where do you expect me to get a bill or how could you even expect me to bring one or expect to show one. Maybe I was just stressed or to excited to get home..





After the next few days passed and I got home I would notice things more and more, one day it was the local paper The Daily Ardmoreite. They had several articles about the Iraq War and how people needed to support the Troops over there and how so much needs to be focused on Iraq. A couple days later in the same paper a local car dealership was taking thank you cards and care packages to send to Troops in Iraq.



Please forgive me if I sound a bit jealous or even mean or just whatever you think I might mean. I am having a huge problem right now with all of the support for Iraq and not an ounce for Afghanistan. I know its an American War and Soldiers are Soldiers but Iraq is not Afghanistan and by far not the same War by any means. We need to be in Afghanistan and I'm leaving that one there.



Anytime a Soldier is home its from Iraq every time a Soldier dies its in Iraq, every time a Soldier gets deployed its to Iraq. There is another War out there and we have our Americans losing their life over there as well. I can't see how things are so forgotten and just passed over like there is nothing going on.

I'm not sure if these Wars are turning into Vietnam but things are not the way they should be. These last 2 weekends have really bothered me and just adding more to my rants and raves.. The Memorial Day weekend was more about sales at the mall and parties than it was about remembering our Hero's. My Mom planned a welcome home party for me just for that weekend and it seemed that there was nothing going on around town to remember the Troops. This last weekend just pushed me over the edge when my wife and I went to a concert. While we were at the concert Jodi decided to ask one of the ushers if there was anything they could do since I just got back home a couple weeks ago. The lady was nice with Jodi and got back with us to inform us that she told the Promotions Director and he would see what he could do for us. So they allow some people backstage for a meet and greet and hand out some free meet and greet passes and we sit there. The show starts and a DJ from a local radio station comes out and says "I just found out that we have a couple Soldiers in the audience who just got back home from Iraq and I just want to welcome them home." Half the audience stood up and gave us a standing ovation and that was it. So I didn't just get home from Iraq and that was all they could do for us. I don't expect much and I'm not complaining about not getting things. I just know what we've seen and what we've done and I think Soldiers deserve more than a small amount of appreciation. I've always asked for just a simple thank you and that was it and it seems like that's even a very big price for some people to pay considering the price the Soldiers have paid for them.

Anyway I will stop the complaining and move on and just see how things go for the next few weeks. We get about 6 months off from drill so as much vacation from the Army will be pretty good and Monday I will start back to the TV Station. My vacation is coming to an end but its been a good one and I hope to keep people up to date and write at least one blog a week about our life and how things are going. Thanks again for continuing to read my Blog and I hope you all continue to enjoy it.