CATHERINE MOY: Change is Coming for U.S. Troops (MAF Article)

Move America Forward ^ | December 29, 2008 | Catherine Moy

[Syncro]

Monday, December 29, 2008

Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

Change is Coming for U.S. Troops

The election of Barack Obama as America’s next president has many of our troops confounded. Six out of 10 active service members are worried about Obama as commander in chief, according to a Military Times poll.

“Being that the Marine Corps can be sent anywhere in the world with the snap of his fingers, nobody has confidence in this guy as commander in chief,” said one lance corporal who asked not to be identified.

For eight years, members of the U.S. military have served under a Republican commander in chief who reflected their generally conservative views and led them to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Now, the troops face change not only at the very top of the chain of command, as Obama nears his Jan. 20 inauguration, but perhaps in mission, policy and values.

Underlying much of the uncertainty is Obama’s stated 16-month timetable for pulling combat troops out of Iraq, as well as his calls to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to allow gays to serve openly in the military, according to survey responses and interviews.

“How are you going to safely pull combat troops out of Iraq?” said Air Force 1st Lt. Rachel Kleinpeter, an intelligence officer with the 100th Operations Support Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, England. “And if you’re pulling out combat troops, who are you leaving to help support what’s left? What happens if Iraq falls back into chaos? Are we going to be there in five years doing the same thing over again?”

It is no surprise that U.S. troops are leery of change. President Bush is a veteran and his father was a war hero from WWII. Bush also shows great respect for the U.S. military, where as Obama has had a difficult time giving kudoss to American troops for the relative safety inside Iraq.

This video shows troops giving Obama a cool reception. It contrasts the excitement of American troops when President Bush visited them in Iraq.

The troops are not alone in their trepidation of our president-elect.

Move America Forward just returned from Guantanamo Bay and, as I have described earlier, the hardcore terrorists live in cushy surroundings. Prisoners in American prisons would give their eye-tooth to go to Gitmo, which the media and leftists have branded as a torturous environment.

Mr. Obama wants to close gitmo - a huge mistake. If he does such a thing without going to Gitmo and visiting the prison facilities himself, he will act in a careless and dangerously uninformed way.

That is not change we can believe in.

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[Night Hides Not]

Thanks for your service! I spent my tour in Germany under the “leadership” of Jimmy Carter. He was a major disappointment as CINC.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I assume you are the mother of these children, and I totally understand your concerns. Our son’s desire to serve in the military came completely out of the blue for us. To say we were stunned is the understatement of all time. We bought time by saying it would be wise to wait until after the elections to see who his Commander in Chief would be.

In the meantime, we have been privileged to host several of his fellow Marine Officers and Candidates in our home. One of his best friends in high school graduated from West Point last June. Our son attended and was greatly impressed — so much so, he made his final decision to join the Marines. ;-)

I can only say that the eyes are the windows of the soul and the eyes I have seen since the election are wary and alert. All those who have a love for this country and would gladly die to defend our way of life and this country’s borders are worried, but (and it’s a big BUT) they love this country more. They all love what they do — would do it no matter what restrictions are placed on their ability to do their jobs. Each and every one of those I have met acknowledge PEBO is cause for caution, but each and every one has said, I serve my country and I rely upon our superiors to serve us.

In the end, your sons and daughters will chose their own path, and you, as their parent, will accept with grace and dignity the decision they make. Caution, admonish, then allow them the respect of making their own way. Believe me, it’s harder on you than it is on them — and that’s saying something.

[Syncro]

Your post isn't worthy of flaming, just correcting.

They showed no disrespect.

There was no need to get to their feet at the presence of faux (he hasn't earned his pay for that job for about 2 years) Senator Obama.

There is no rule that service personnel have to be on their feet to speak to a US Senator anyway.

I guess Senators are too elite and too much trouble to eat with if you have to stand up to say “pass the salt please.”

Of course Obama didn't even do them the courtesy of eating with them, much less serving them dinner when President Bush did.

Your insinuation that they are being discourteous to the Corps or even to an absent Senator in his workout clothes is absurd.

I imagine you complained about the Serviceman who had his picture taken with Senator Hilliary Rodman Clinton with his fingers crossed, huh?

If it will make you feel more justified, take this a a flame.

: >)

[ExGeeEye]

...she was damaged during the campaign...The democrats did a great job of defining her and she fell right into their trap with her Couric interviews...

IMHO:

She was damaged only in the eyes of those who have respect for the democrats and their media machine.

She shone during the Couric interview, and the Gibson interview. It could only have been better if she had reached out and slapped each of them across their smarmy pusses.

She has nothing to overcome, but must hold to what brought her to prominence, i.e. a record of common-sense success in her current job commingled with a down-to-earth reality that would serve the nation well, if only more people would return to it.

Of course, I also thought the turkey abattoir interview was pure gold for a couple of reasons. Maybe I'm just weird.

[Chickensoup]

Congratulations on your son’s decision.

I think we have some of the best men in this country in the military.

I have no issues with the troops.

The leadership however, concerns me deeply.

[Antoninus]

My youngest son loves the idea of serving and really wants an ROTC scholarship. I’m not thrilled with the prospect of him serving under the obomination, and I don’t think he is as excited anymore. I think the volunteer military is really going to suffer over the next 4 years. I’m worried.

Bill Clinton is the reason I never served. I just couldn't do it with him as CiC. I wonder how many other young men are thinking the same thing with Obama.

[Syncro]

Your condescending, degrading and misrepresenting FR mail to me was out of line and my statements here on this thread highly misconstrued.

If you wish to post to my comments, do so here.

If you choose to lecture me in FR mail anymore, I reserve the option of posting all of them here.

[Crystal Cove]

I watched the video too, but all I saw of Obama with the troops was a still shot that was shown for a number of seconds. There was no video, as was shown for President Bush’s visit with the troops. Did I miss something? If not, the clip is misleading.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

You have every reason to be concerned about your children serving in the coming years.

To begin with, with Hellary as Sec. of State, out Military will be handed over to the U.N. again like they were under Slick. Funding will also be severely cut off at the boot laces. They will be forced to go back to sharing body armor. (The few who will be left.)

There will be World crisis like we haven't seen since the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. Probably a mushroom cloud or two on the horizon as well.

[VigilantAmerican]

What they SHOULD have done is spat their food into his face, kicked the living shit out of him, then shot or hung him for treason.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Senators who refuse to salute the flag, or honor the troops, deserve to be shunned.

Just because they serve their country does not obligate them to reward disrespect from traitors who choose to call themselves Senators but refuse to face the flag and place his hand over his heart as CIVILIANS are required to do.

For Senators, it goes beyond protocol. For Obama to violate his duty to honor his country, America's finest are completely justified by refusing to show their respect.

[Syncro]

No, they shouldn’t have.

They gave him the proper minimal respect.

None of those things should have been done by our fine diciplined troops.

And a person should only be shot for treason after a fair trial

[Warriormom]

I thought the Couric interview did her a great disservice - especially when Couric showed Joe Biden answering the same questions. I would have loved it if she had let Couric and Gibson have it, but I think that McCain’s people were sitting on her pretty hard.

I don’t agree that she was only damamged in the eyes of those who have respect for the democrats and their media machine. There are a LOT of stupid people out there and, unfortunately, most of them vote democrat. I hate that there are not enough on the left or right to win elections and that the idiots in the center do the choosing. My 12, 14 & 15-year old children are more informed about politics than most voters.

I think that Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air in the political world and I hope we see her again on a national stage. I think that if she had been at the top of our ticket we could have won. My secret hope was that McCain would have won and then not been able to serve.

John McCain chose her to shake up the race and boy did he! She was the only true maverick on the ticket. McCain and his people tried to put a bit in her mouth and were unsuccessful. Part of me is thankful that McCain didn’t win because I think he would have drug her down. Look at how he has treated her since the election. Heck, look how he treated her during. She was meant to be at the top of a ticket, not second.

[VigilantAmerican]

Sure, sure...and the Gitmo detainees should be coddled and given better medical care than our own troops, then released so they can return to the battlefield and to the public squares where they can kill our boys and slaughter/behead more innocents!!

Oh yeah, and diversity is our strength, right??

[Warriormom]

I forgot to mention that I thought the turkey interview was great on so many levels.

[Warriormom]

I forgot to mention that I thought the turkey interview was great on so many levels.

[Syncro]

My comment of “shot after a fair trial” referred to something happening in the USA.

You know, good old anti-American treason.

There should be no “detainees” at Gitmo.

They should have been shot in battle as they pursued their terrorist activities. Dern shame they weren't.

Yep, I'm also fed up with the political correctness that is rampant at Gitmo.

Take away all of their privileges and fancy meals and various accouterments and let them wait there like normal prisoners eating normal prison food.

If they want to refuse to eat, let them starve.

The ones that flew into the Trade Center had no qualm about eating cocktail olives and other forbidden foods or watching strippers.

All their religious crap-rules are just for show anyway.

The ones who's country of origin we can determine---and that will properly punish them---send them back.

Especially those that say "No, don't send me back to my country!"

[jacquej]

Wow, you really want to get these fine young men into big puppy trouble, don’t you!

[VigilantAmerican]

No, my agenda really is to see justice for a traitor like Hussein!

[Syncro]

Quotes from Barack Hussein Obama:

We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
Barack Obama
Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

In which case, he should not close Gitmo.

I didn't see the weapons of mass destruction at the time, I didn't think there was an imminent threat from Saddam Hussein.
Barack Obama

Thank goodness he was just a community organizer back then.

Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction.
Barack Obama

Unfortunately his moral compass points towards Mecca.

Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”

Source:   http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/opinion/06kristof.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I'm afraid if Obama goes to Gitmo that when he hears the "prettiest sound on Earth" 5 times a day that he may sing along with it in perfect Arabic.