Americans can text 'Thanks' to troops

[sabra]

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123076433

<snip>

America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"This is a simple way to connect our citizens to our (servicemembers) using modern technology," Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, said of the text messaging program.

The program officially kicked off Nov. 17 and concludes at midnight PST Nov. 22. Between those times, people wishing to express gratitude to the troops for their service can text a brief message to 89279. Each text message sent will receive a response from an active-duty servicemember in return.

Major mobile wireless providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile, will provide access to the Giving Thanks text messaging program.

"We know that thousands of families will be sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner and thinking about loved ones who are far away from home serving their country," Ms. Barber said. "We are counting on other American families to take a moment during their holiday celebration to think of those families and their family members who are serving and say, 'Thanks.'

[Toucano]

1. For what?

The memories?

I'm totally sick of "troop worship".

[DavidDvorkin]

2. You beat me to it

I agree completely with you.

[Whisp]

4. I don't 'get it' either - the thanks for the service....

I do and yet I don't. I understand that it is extra icky dangerous to even allude to the fact that the kids there are not there for service of american freedom - they are there doing the Halliburtons' bidding. yet we are to thank them? I don't get - it as you said, thanks for What???? for killing a lot of Iraqi's, for what? It's a criminal, illegal war, for cripessakes and I would not want any association to it if I were in service.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

6. You thank them because

They are putting their lives on the line (weather or not you believe in the cause), maybe some stupid ape put them there but they enlisted to protect our freedoms.

Any one of us would thank a police officer who put his life on the line while saving our live, should the troops be any different because they are far from home?

"thanks for What???? for killing a lot of Iraqi's, for what? It's a criminal, illegal war, for cripessakes and I would not want any association to it if I were in service."

They did not choose the war, start the war, or (for the most part) even want to be in the war. They gave up allot of freedom when they enlisted and they did so for the purpose of defending liberty.

In short: If you so hate bush that you let it bleed over onto the troops just stew quielty about the troops and let others who's hate is more properly focused thank them.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. But they're not protecting our freedoms, or defending liberty.

In fact, they're probably making things worse.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

10. But they dont want to be there

They did not enlist for this...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. So I'm supposed to thank them for not wanting to be there?

Or am I supposed to thank them for making a big mistake?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

13. What about the ones who enlisted pre 2000?

It took my bother *years* to get our because of stop loss (Navy). And even after youre out you end up in the reserves where you can just get called up anyway.. Hell look at all the reservist over there.

You thank them because when they signed up they were doing it to defend your liberty. BushCo stealing two elections is *not* their fault..

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. What about them?

What have they done that a person should thank them for?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

18. whatever

... They chose a life to defend the freedom of others with their very lives, *WE* failed them by letting two elections get stolen and then electing in 2006 people with the promise of 'home from Iraq' who have a fetish for dry power. Its not their fault and as much as they will die in Iraq for our screw-ups they would be willing to die for a real cause.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. So, like I already asked...

we should thank them for making a big mistake?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

22. you may think

entering the armed services is a mistake in 1999 with Clinton as a president and Gore lined up replace him but I dont..

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. I think entering the armed services thinking you're protecting freedom...

and then winding up fighting in Iraq is a mistake, ipso facto.

Not that I think enlistees had altruistic motives when they signed up in the first place.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

25. Let me ask you something..

I volunteer to drive you to the hospital for a life saving surgery, there is nobody else and I am giving up a big job to do it. On the way there I'm in an accident and I die, while helping you may have been a 'mistake' would you have the same condescending attitude towards me that you are demonstrating to our troops?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. If you volunteer to drive an ambulance...

because you need money to go to college, and then you get in the ambulance and instead of heading east to where I am, you head west because the obviously drunk dispatcher told you to, and you end up driving into a large crowd of people killing many, and then I die because you didn't take me to the hospital...

then I see no particular reason why I should thank you.

"would you have the same condescending attitude towards me that you are demonstrating to our troops?"

Why do you hate America?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

29. Nothing to do with hating america

Its that you think you're better than some inspired by the US military helping stop a genocide in Bosnia who is not in a hell hole because *WE FAILED*. Go ahead and walk away from this one with your nose head held high in victory.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

30. Head held high?

I take no particular pride in winning an argument with you. It's not saying much. Believe me.

But if you want me to thank the troops for Kosovo, why didn't you just say so at the beginning?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

31. many of the troops who went in for / because of kosovo

are now in Iraq. The job of soldier is one should honor almost as highly as a teacher..

Fine you won, *and* you're way smarter than me, whatever floats your boat. Your'e also way smarter those morons who enlisted to defend the bill of rights..

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. So?

[Bluebear]

9. Welcome to DU. I don't think texting "Thx! Rlly m3an it 2!" is all that meaningful.

This whole thing sounds gimmicky and totally out of proportion. For the danger these people are in, a throwaway text message almost strikes me as an insult.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

12. I can agree with

'its a gimmick why bother'

but not 'thank them for what', see my other post lower in the thread..

[Whisp]

16. I am not stewing..

or bleeding over onto the troops. I and others here ask a valid question, - what exactly should they be thanked for?
They should be HOme, they should not Be There, why thank them for sticking it out - it's like they are prisoners and we must thank them for it? They are not preforming a service to the people of america, they are stuffing cash into Cheney's and blackwater, and etc., pockets.

another one of those damned if you do and damned if you don't topics. impossible to discuss - as is intended. can't get too rational, now can we?

[liberalsoldier5]

24. "I'm totally sick of troop worship"?!

Please, at the very least, don't spew that shit in public. I actually want to win in 2008.

We as a party cannot allow the extremists ("there's nothing to thank the troops for"...?!...give me a f*cking break) within our own party to destroy our chances of winning big next year in any way whatsoever. Decent DUers: please join fellow Democrats around the country and speak up to denounce this anti-troop bullsh*t that only makes the GOP right about us. (And if you've got the time, shoot our troops a "thanks" as well!)


Note- I've now texted them twice, once for me and another for "Toucano". They deserve to hear it from all of us! :patriot:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

28. Why do these people hate America?

I agree, the troops will love this empty, hollow gesture. It'll make their holidays.

[Toucano]

34. Thank them for what?

The troops in Iraq are not serving our national interest or defending the country. They're helping the neocons dismantle civilization because they have no choice.

What am I supposed to be thankful for?

I'm tired of being expected to kiss the ass of anyone who puts on fatigues. It's a job. They volunteered for it. They're being paid. Just like postal workers.

Individually, of course I have sympathy for them and their families. Collectively, however, its beyond nauseating.

[shadowknows69]

3. Anyone know texting shorthand for

"Thanks, but you guys should really commandeer some planes and get yourselves the fuck out of there because your commander in chief will never bring you home."

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

17. Here

thx, bt u guys shd realy boost sme planes n gt yrselves d fuK outa der coz yr cmdr n chief wl nvr brng u hom

[shadowknows69]

27. Thanks

now I have to go buy a cell phone. Shit.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

33. Buy a cell phone?

people still do that, Im forced to have one ;)

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

5. Or, and here is a funny thought

You can call your congressman to fight so they can come home..

[endarkenment]

8. So if I text:

Out Of Iraq Now

That will go directly to a soldier in Iraq who will then send me a personal response?

I'm betting not.

[AlCzervik]

14. it's feel good PR for the wireless companies.

send them a care package, wtf are they supposed to do with a text message? Nothing says "I care" more than an impersonal text message, am i right or am i right?

[liberalsoldier5]

19. I did it! It's a very bipartisan way to say thanks.

It's not that hard to understand, either.

:patriot:

[Ezlivin]

21. How about penciling it in on their toe tags?

N/T