Heart Dilemma ( Friend in the Military )

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

A friend of mine may be sent to Iraq in the new line up of soldiers that Rummy is shipping over . I am being hit with a heart dilemma . I try not to think about it but he tells me he thinks his unit is going to be sent ... Should I :

A) tell him that I am worried about him

B) should I just suck it up and keep my views to myself , hug and tell me that I love him and that I can't wait for when he comes back ( if he has to go . )

C) Break his legs so he stays ... ( I will do anything to keep friend out of harms way . )

[commander bunnypants]

1. A and B

Hang in there

DDQM

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

2. He said that he thinks this war is BS

but my mom told me that I could bring his morale down . He told me that he trust's his buddy to cover his back but come on , this is a very dangerous situation .

[commander bunnypants]

3. Support him

Yea, this war is BS.

I dont know whjat els e to say. Orders

DDQM

[Supormom]

4. You won't bring down his morale

by telling him that you are worried. Our soldiers need to know that we care when they are put in harm's way even if the war is BS.

[Warren Stuart]

5. You're a gem!

Support him all you can, send him lots of mail, keep him up on what's going on back home, it may sound stupid but the day to day stuff is important. Send cigarettes and body armor (actually, what he would really appreciate is beer and girlie magazines).

I know a guy in Kuwait who asked one of his buddies back home to empty out a listerine bottle and fill it with scotch.

Just knowing you are there and that you care, is worth more than gold.

Please don't hurt the guy, he's got enough issues.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

6. Thanks !

I plan on writing a letter for everyday that he is gone ( if he has to go ) . Not sure how I will look going to the store to buy girlie mags . But whatever makes him happy !

[geniph]

7. It makes me nuts when people say

that you'll lower a serviceperson's morale by telling them the truth. What, we want ignorant, gung-ho, trigger-happy soldiers on duty in a volatile region? I think not; I think your best troops are going to be informed, calm, and ready to do their duty. They don't have to be brainwashed. They don't have to think we're perfect, just trying to do our best. It's not going to bring down troop morale to tell them the Commander-in-Chief is lying to them; if that's a concern, maybe the Commander-in-Chief should try NOT LYING to them. If we have to be so concerned that, if troops know the truth, they won't be motivated to fight, maybe that isn't a battle we should be fighting.

Anyway, tell your friend you care about him, you'll be thinking about him, and write him regularly. Send him care packages. I think that's better for morale than a steady diet of jingoism and bullshit could ever be. If we want to protest this occupation effectively, then we have to let the troops know we haven't forgotten them and we still care about them.

Unlike resident AWOL frat-boy...

[Frangible]

8. Option D, buy him body armor if he goes

Nothing says "I want to see you return safely" like 25 pounds of kevlar and ceramic rifle plates.

Unless of course he's issued it, but as I understand it, only about half of the troops do...

Sorry, not really an emotional response. And I'd think it's only normal to be worried about him-- there's nothing wrong with being compassionate.