No one in an American uniform has protected our freedom

[sheshe2]

I read this here tonight. It upsets me.

Lets look at the national guard, men and women in AMERICAN uniform that were called:

The National Guard is a unique branch of the U.S. military that has both state and federal responsibilities. The Guard routinely responds to domestic emergencies such as natural disasters, and it supports military operations overseas.

The National Guard is an integral component of the U.S. military that is uniquely empowered to respond to both domestic crises and overseas conflicts. Over its nearly four-hundred-year history, the Guard has transformed from a loose collection of colonial militias into a well-trained and equipped force of civilian soldiers.

The Guard is also distinctive in that it can be controlled by both state and federal leaders, a command structure that has generated controversy in recent decades. An unprecedented number of Guard members deployed in 2020 to help authorities respond to natural disasters, the coronavirus pandemic, and historic anti-racism protests. In early 2021, the Guard was called on again to restore order after a mob loyal to President Donald J. Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, and an unprecedented number of Guard members have been deployed to secure President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/unique-military-force-us-national-guard#:~:text=The%20National%20Guard%20is%20a%20unique%20branch%20of%20the%20U.S.,it%20supports%20military%20operations%20overseas.

The National Guard, who are AMERICANS, both men and women in uniform, were deployed late on January 6 and cleared the Capitol of insurrectionists so the Congress could proceed in certifying the 2020 election results and PROTECT OUR FREEDOM!!?!!!


Remember all those field hospitals the Army Corps of Engineers built during the dark, early
months of covid?

credit. lapucelle

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2154305/corps-of-engineers-takes-on-28-covid-19-bed-facilities/



Army Corps Races To Repair Levees Excavated During Trump Admin

As hurricane season approaches, the Army Corps are racing to repair damaged levees at the southern border that were excavated during the Trump Administration’s construction on the border wall. NBC News’ Dasha Burns breaks down whether the repairs can be done before the first storm hits and how local officials are reacting.

Don't tell me the military has not protected your freedoms. They were there for Katrina, Marie, the fires and the floods. They are not only protecting our freedoms, they are protecting our lives.

[raging moderate]

1. Yes! Thank you for writing this! You are RIGHT!

[sheshe2]

7. Hey hon, thanks.

You are a raging moderate and the post made me rage.

Boom.

[Eko]

2. I dont even want to know who said that.

Hopefully they read this informative post and get educated.

[sheshe2]

21. Nah.

They told me they stand by their post and will not delete.

[Maeve]

3. Whoever said that is wrong

But likewise those who assert only those in uniform protect us are wrong...lawyers and judges...hell, even politicians( shock, I know) protect our rights. And then there are voters....
Full disclosure...i have two kids in the Air National Guard who work their hardest to protect and serve the republic; they are making a difference and deserve all support.

[onecaliberal]

4. I did not see that. They are on the front lines with FEMA in every disaster.

[Deuxcents]

5. I think of the National Guard as our "well trained militia "

Those in the other services are usually stationed elsewhere while our National Guard are closer to home n us for protection.

[UTUSN]

6. John Wayne certainly didn't- but your Subject title jarred me

[Timewas]

8. Whoever said that

Does not have a clue, maybe they need to be reminded of all those who died in world war II ..If that was not protecting our freedom I don't know what would be... Piss on them,whoever they are that said that, and the horse they rode in on..

[sheshe2]

11. They were only concerned about what happened in their lifetime.

My dad survived WWII, minesweeper Pearl Harbor. One person told me my dad wasn't important because he wore the uniform 80 years ago.

[Timewas]

15. My dad

Was Army Air Corp and was shot down over Germany in one of the last raids of the war and was killed by a civilian mob, I was 4 at the time, never knew him at all....He left a wife and 4 kids to grow up without a father... he died protecting our freedoms and anyone who says differently is a large pile of used food.

[sheshe2]

22. ...

[Peacetrain]

9. Well I missed that post... and it is absolute baloney . glad I missed it

Can't tell you the number of times I have seen the National Guard come in to rescue people!!//

[leftstreet]

10. Isn't this out of context?

I understand the point you're making, however the post you're referring to included "...in my lifetime." I don't know where that thread went, but did the poster confirm his/her age?

[sheshe2]

14. They never told us their age.

So how would anyone know what their lifetime is? You have to be 13 to post here. They signed on in 2004.

[lapucelle]

19. If the person is over the age of 19 months, then that person was alive when the National Guard

responded to the insurrection on January 6, 2021.

https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/2466077/dod-details-national-guard-response-to-capitol-attack/

[sheshe2]

23. Thank you.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

12. Thank You!!!!

This needed to be said.

[sheshe2]

16. Hey my friend.

A Marine Combat Engineer!

Thank you for your service keeping us safe.

[CRK7376]

13. Excuse me!!!!

This former Army Reserve and National Guard officer spent 38 years, 21 of them on Active Duty and 17 in Guard/Reserve units protecting America and her allies. Seven months after the fall of the twin towers I was Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. Not a fun place, surrounded by hostile locals and corrupt Afghan government officials. When I finally got back to NC, Uncle Sam sent me for another year away from family and home to South Korea. No complaints from me, that's the profession I chose to be part of, but don't tell me your freedoms have not been protected. They have, and are still being protected by young men and women from across our nation who volunteer to go in harms way, to help flood and fire victims, to serve in combat, who are separated from their families at a moments notice. Your statement about your rights not being protected is infuriating to me and the Soldiers I led and to their families. Especially for the families who lost a son, daughter, mother, father, or friend, be it in a combat zone or a weekend Battle Assembly (Guard/Reserve). They were protecting your freedoms!

[sheshe2]

18. Thank you!

Thank you for you and the rest of the National Guard that helps us everyday. You have always been there for us. While donnie tossed paper towels you were rescuing people then helped them rebuild.

[gratuitous]

17. For $2 billion a day, shouldn't we be a LOT freer?

If practically all we're getting for that is disaster relief, there are far more efficient and cheaper ways to go about it. Of course, here in Portland, we're well acquainted with how federal law enforcement "protected" citizens who were demonstrating peaceably.

[maxsolomon]

20. I can split hairs, too.

It depends on how one defines "Freedom". Since WW2, the US military has not defended US territory from an invasion.

Instead, it has projected our vast Power across the globe: Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq again, Libya, etc. You can make a case that several, or all, of these conflicts were necessary, but you can also make a case that none of them specifically defended our "Freedom". Our "Freedom" isn't particularly under threat from foreign invasion - that threat comes from the Fascist Right.

I didn't see the post you're refuting, but was that their point?

[A HERETIC I AM]

27. Yes, I think it was.

I would say that the last person that FOUGHT for my freedoms did so in 1945. This OP is suggesting that the National Guard performs the tasks they do under the guise of “protecting” our freedoms. I suppose that’s arguable, but whatever. They aren’t fighting an enemy set on taking away my freedoms as spelled out in the Bill Of Rights.

That’s already happening with the militarization of the out of control police departments in this country.

As you stated, we haven’t been under threat of invasion since WWII

[maxsolomon]

30. It's amazing how defensive Americans get about our military.

I know it was 2 decades ago, but does DU not remember how "Support Our Troops" was used to stifle criticism of the Iraq Wars? Being against the war was equated with disrespecting service members &/or veterans.

"Protecting our Freedoms" is used the exact same way. It shuts down debate over how our Military is used and, importantly, how much we spend on it - half the discretionary budget.

I'll give the OP their point about 1/6 - the NG put down an insurrection - eventually. That is actually protecting our "freedom" - per the Constitution.

[A HERETIC I AM]

33. It is one of the more sacred of the sacred cows in this country....

And certainly on DU.

My father served this country in WWII and Korea, and worked for the CIA for 25 years. I was a week away from signing on the dotted line and going to Army boot camp back in the 80's, but a stupid decision on my part nixed that. I mention those things to make it clear I have nothing personally against the military, but the idea that we have to hold them in this absurd level of esteem seems to me to be....well...absurd.

I understand the point the OP was trying to make and I appreciate it, but I think this thread was born out of a simple misreading of another post.

Wouldn't it be nice if this country stopped pissing off so many other people on this planet that we didn't NEED to spend as much as we do on "Defense"?

But many will always defend the idea that we need a "Strong Military", in spite of the fact that the Pentagon's budget is one of the most mismanaged and rife with corruption portions of the Federal Budget.

Sure, I'm glad there are people willing to sign on the line knowing it could mean giving up their lives, but if we are ever to truly advance as a civilization, we must come to terms with the fact that the United States is one of the most war loving nations to ever exist in the history of humanity. This unreasonable love for all things military is part of the reason it continues.

[leftstreet]

34. +1

[inthewind21]

31. Bingo

[William769]

24. Yes they have!

Great OP sheshe.

[sheshe2]

25. Thank you, Bill 🙂

[Hekate]

26. Thank you, She. Whoever said that was dead wrong.

[MineralMan]

28. Anyone who says that is either very young or very stupid.

Feh!

[maxsolomon]

32. NEVER make black or white statements

about "The Troops". Someone might come after you with self-protection kitty keychain.

[BannonsLiver]

29. Which dope wrote that?

I guess it doesn’t matter. Dumb is just as dumb anonymously.

[Dysfunctional]

35. Our military protects our freedom every day.

I am not saying we need to spend as much as we do on our military or always use our military wisely, but how free would we be without a military?