Freedom isn't Free: Final Project

Behind and Beside: the strength of a MILSO

At this very moment, there are 1,455,375 active service members in the United States. This semester we have all delved deep into the different war stories of the amazing men and women that defend our country. However one thing that I believe is consistently left out of those war stories is the MILSOs or Military Significant Others. We all understand how strong our soldiers are, but this week I wanted to take the time to show you all the reason I believe that they are so strong. This week I interviewed several women asking questions about deployments and being in relationships with someone in the Military.

The first story I want to share with you is my own. I met PFC Nathan Camp in elementary school. Nathan and I grew up down the street from each other and attended the same schools, however, we were never really part of the same crowd. On December 14, 2011, Nathan took me out on our very first date. It was a wonderful evening that ended with him informing me that he would be leaving for basic training in just a few short weeks. Nathan left for basic training mid-January and he spent the next year and a half going through basic, AIT, and some sort of specialized training. He got three weeks off in July this past summer, and we had a blast together, however, while I was packing up and getting ready to head off to college, Nathan was packing up and shipping out. At this very moment, Nathan is in Korea, I don't know how long he'll be gone, when he's coming home again, or where we stand. I've had to face many difficult things in my life, but this is by far the hardest.

The first person I thought of when I wanted to interview other MILSOs for this blog post was my best friend, Carly. Meet Carly and Logan, Logan is a Marine stationed in Germany, and Carly is a college freshman at Kennasaw State University in Georgia.

My interview with Carly started out with the usual formalities and goofiness that exists between best friends  before I got down to the serious stuff:

M: Okay Carly, time to get serious. What is the hardest part about being a MILSO?

C: Most people would probably say the distance, but for me, its knowing that there is so much going on in my life that he is missing out on. I am a freshman in college and I feel like he has missed so much of the past year and a half. The second hardest thing is most definitely the distance though.

M: I've heard you say multiple times, "Well its the needs of the Marines.", what do you mean by this?

C: When you are in a relationship with someone in the military, you have to learn very quickly that they live by a "duty first" code. No matter how much I know Logan loves me, the USMC will always come before our relationship as long as he is in active service.

M: If there was one thing you wanted others to know about how it feels to be a MILSO, what would it be?

C: I feel like people always perceive MILSOs as these stay at home moms and wives that can't have their own careers, and that is 100% not true. I put a lot of time and effort into supporting Logan, but I know that he supports me too. I think that people need to realize that its a two way street.

The second interview I did was with Mrs. Shayna Hale. Shayna is married to EONC Sarah Hale and they will have been together two years on December 29th.Sarah is a United States Seabee with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 while Shayna is a nanny living in Southern California.  They got married four months ago and Sarah was deployed exactly a month later on August 5, 2013. Meet the Hales: 

My interview with Shayna, unlike my interview with Carly, did not begin with joking around. I found that Shayna was very thoughtful in answering my questions and I feel very honored that she was willing to share her story with me.

M: Congratulations on your marriage! This is your second deployment with Sarah but your first as a married couple, what makes this one different than the one before?

S: Thank you. We just got married and heading into deployment so soon ahas so many more challenges than you'd think. Sarah and I are both devastated that we are being robbed of our first year of marriage. While the only papers most newlyweds have to fill out are the ones for their first house, I was signing paperwork for what should happen if she were to die and how the money should be dispersed.

M: What have you found to be the hardest part of this deployment?

S: The time difference has been terrible. We are newlyweds and in separate countries and total opposite time zones, when its noon here in Los Angeles its 4 am overseas. Our biggest struggle is definitely finding time to talk, I work full time and so does she. Between the time difference and our schedules, it seems like one of us is always awake while the other is asleep.

M: How do you cope with being away from Sarah?

S: The God's honest truth is, you just do. People say that you have no idea how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have and I completely agree with that. You can't possibly know what you and your spouse are capable of enduring until you're going through it. We stay connected through Facetime and iMessage, and what keeps us going is our love for each other and looking forward to Homecoming. Eye on the prize, the moment when she steps off the plane and I am finally able to have her in my arms after the countless days, weeks, and months apart makes all of the anger, sorrow, loneliness and pain seem worth it.

The third MILSO that I chose to interview was an obvious choice for me. Growing up, two of my best friends were my cousins Tiffany and Heather Page. Over the years as we grew up and grew apart, Tiffany became someone that I looked up to. Tiffany met her husband Matthew Lockridge on May 17 of 2007, Matthew joined the United States Airforce in November of 2010, and they were married on May 21, 2011. Matthew is an E-4 also known as a Senior Airman and is on a Remote Tour outside of Gunsan, South Korea, while he is deployed Tiffany has moved back home to Glencoe, Alabama. So y'all, I am proud to introduce my family to you, meet the Lockridges:

Because I know so much about Tiffany and her family, my interview with her was so much more personal. 

M: I know that you are really close to your parents and Heather, how hard was it for you to move away from home after y'all were married? 

T: The first couple of months after we moved away from home were very hard. (They moved from Glencoe, Alabama to the Malmstrom Airforce Base in Great Falls, Minnosota.) It was very emotional adjusting to living together as a married couple and being away from home for the first time ever. We were 23 years old and away from our families for the first time. It was hard adjusting to the military way of life, especially sinve we moved three times while we were stationed there. I felt like I couldn't call it home. However, Matthew and I learned to lean on each other, we became each other's rock, and that helped more than anything. 

M: What have you found to be the hardest thing about being away from Matthew?

T: I would have to say that the hardest part about being separated is the adjustment of not going to bed and waking up together and having to get creative with our communication. I used to think that the special occasions, such as Christmas, holidays, and birthdays, were going to be the hardest part, but it is actually the time in between. When the little things happen, like a funny story or watching TV or cooking together, or just having someone to go to the movies with is the hardest thing ever. Being away from Matthew is a day to day struggle with a lot of ups and downs along the way.

M: Okay Tiffany, last question, if there was one thing you would want others to know about how it feels to be married to someone in the military, what would it be?

T: That's a hard one, I think I would want someone to know that its a huge sacrifice for us both. We give up so much of our lives for a cause because it is bigger than ourselves. He sacrifices his time with his family to be in the military because he believes in freedom and in our country. Most people think that spouses have pity parties for themselves and that is the exact opposite, I have learned to look within myself for the strength to carry on and be strong for him on his rough days. I have learned to put myself and my feelings aside for the needs of the military because that is what you do for someone you love. 

I know that this is yet another blog post void of an "argument", however I wanted to point out how truly inspiring and strong I find the MILSOs of our United States Military. So often we hear of the strength of the men and women in uniform, but I am a firm believer that they wouldn't be half as strong without the people that stand behind and beside them. 

  

The Medal of Honor

       On December 9, 1861, a senator from Iowa introduced a bill that would “promote the efficiency of the Navy” by distributing “medals of honor”. Then on December 21^st the bill was passed and 200 medals were produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen,landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry inaction and other seamanlike qualities during the present war (Civil War)." This was the birth of the Navy Medal of Honor. Two months later, a similar bill was introduced to the Senate by Senator Henry Wilson, only this Medal of Honor was for the Army. Then in 1876 after the influx of candidates from the Battle of Little Big Horn, the criteria changed so that "the conduct which deserves such recognition should not be the simple discharge of duty, but such acts beyond this that if omitted or refused to be done, should not justly subject the person to censure as a shortcoming or failure."

Medal of Honor- Present day-
Army

Medal of Honor- Present Day-
Navy

                                           

     

                    Medal of Honor- Present Day-
         Airforce

        






    On September 27, 1942, SFC Douglas Munro earned the Medal of Honor for going above and beyond the call of duty. Munro’s mission was to rescue a battalion of marines trapped by Japanese troops at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, and “aftermaking preliminary plans for the evacuation of nearly 500 beleaguered marines, Munro, under constant strafing by enemy machineguns on the island, and at greatrisk of his life, daringly led 5 of his small craft toward the shore.” Munro was killed in action before his mission was complete. Fast forward to modern day and 19 soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor since September 11, 2001, the most recent being Captain William D. Swenson, USA, War on Terrorism (Afghanistan). Captain Swenson received the Medal of Honor for risking his life to help save U.S. troops and Afghan allies and retrieve the bodies of four Americans killed in the Ganjal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan on September 8, 2009. This was a rescue and retrieval that was captured on video.

          

  

         

  Over the years, the recipients of the Medal of Honor have changed, however the reason for being awarded it have not. The soldiers that receive the Medal of Honor go above and beyond the call of duty, and that makes me, for one, more than proud to be an American. So why is it that we don't hear more about these men? Why is it that when it comes down to it, all we hear about is national debt and what big scandal is going on with a congressman this week? Our soldiers risk their lives so that we can sleep peacefully at night, and it is not right that they do not all get the credit they are due. I, for one, am growing increasingly angry over the fact that our country seems to be ignoring the fact that we are indeed still living in war times. We are all in this English Composition 101 class together, meaning that we are young. I bet that you are all thinking that there is nothing we can do about this, and if you're thinking that, you are wrong. During the Vietnam War, most protest took place on college campuses. That means that when we think of all the emotions stirred and all of the hatred of the war that we think about began on a college campus. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but we live on a college campus. We have the power to remind people what is really important, we have the power to speak up and raise awareness for our soldiers. We have the power to change the way people see this war, we have the power to remind them that freedom isn't free. 

Kill or Be killed?

This past week while watching The Hurt Locker, I noticed that Sandborn, Elridge, and James never took out a possible threat. Take for instance, the scene where James is attempting to defuse a bomb and there is a man with a camera pointed at the Team on the roof of one of the buildings. The men did not know why he was there or what his purpose was. That man could have easily killed them without a second thought. This stuck out in my mind and when I was researching why, I came across Marcus Luttrell and his story.

June 28,2005, Luttrell and  SEAL Team 10 set out on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah. Shah was a high-ranking Taliban leader who was responsible for several killings in Eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains. Luttrell was part of a 4 man team, he and Matthew Axelson were the snipers, Danny Dietz was in charge of communications and Michael P. Murphy rounded out the team as Team Leader. The men came upon a group of goat herders, fearful of what could happen if they allowed the men to leave, they discussed what to do with the herders. The team took a vote and Murphy made the decision to let the herders go. Luttrell believes that the herders betrayed the team’s location to the Taliban immediately and the team was under attack within the hour. In the ensuing battle, the other three members of Luttrell’s team were Killed in Action. An MH-47 was sent to retrieve the bodies and Luttrell, however it was shot down before it could reach the team killing all 16 members of its crew. Luttrell then crawled 7 miles to avoid capture and was taken in by a friendly Afghan Tribe who alerted American forces of Luttrell's location. After healing from his wounds, Luttrell returned to Afghanistan to complete one last tour saying, "I will never quit. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight."

The article tells us that, “Team leader Michael P. Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, and Marcus Luttrell were awarded the Navy Cross." Marcus Luttrell’s story is heart wrenching. Why did Murphy allow the herders to go free? The article says that he was just following protocol. Why is this protocol? Why is it okay for American troops to allow possible threats to walk free? Three men died in a battle that could most certainly have been avoided. Was it worth it? Were the sheep herders lives more important than the lives of ¾ of SEAL Team 10? Personally, I say no! I say that these men should not have had to lay down their lives because it all could have been avoided. I don’t have the answers to these questions, and I wish I did. However, this has been another week for “food for thought”. Let me know what you think!

Forever & Always,

Me

Marcus Luttrell

President Bush awarding Luttrell the Navy Cross

My problem, your problem?

    This past week while watching Black Hawk Down, one of my classmates posed a very interesting question. Why is it that the United States insists on intervening in other country's problems? In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington said, "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible." So why is it that America continues to refuse to heed the warning of one of our all-time greatest presidents? 

    On Wednesday, November 28, 1984, the Honorable Caspar W. Weinberger (pictured below), Secretary of Defense, addressed the public, saying, "In today's world, the line between peace and war is less clearly drawn than at any time in our history. When George Washington, in his farewell address, warned us, as a new democracy, to avoid foreign entanglements, Europe then lay 2-3 months by sea over the horizon. The United States was protected by the width of the oceans. Now in this nuclear age, we measure time in minutes rather than months." I don't know about you, but this goes a long way in answering my questions. When George Washington spoke of staying out of Foreign Affairs, we really had no reason to even begin to get involved in them to begin with. In those days, the United States was completely isolated, there was no United Nations, and the actions of other countries could not and would not directly affect the United States. Today, things are very different. We now live in a world where communication with another country can happen in mere seconds. 

    
    I'm not an expert, but I believe that the United States continues to have a strong military presence in the world because we are protective of those that, in our eyes, cannot protect themselves. 

    The picture above shows all of the military bases around the world in 2002. It shows how strong of a military presence we have around the world, but I believe that it also shows the strength of our actual military. For years, the United States has prided themselves in being a strong military force and protecting those whose rights are being infringed on, we fight to protect our home, but we also fight to protect the home of others. This is something that works for us, so why should we change that?

       When enlisting in the military, each person is required to take an oath. This oath reads, "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." What exactly does this mean? How far does "defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies" go? I don't have these answers, and I don't think anyone does. When I began this blog post, I was determined to prove a point to all of you. I was determined to prove to you that it is important for the United States to have a strong military presence. However, now I'm not so sure that that is something that can be proven, by me or anyone else for that matter. Do I believe that it is a good thing? Yes, but that's my personal opinion and I can't prove anything on that basis.

       I don't think that this ended up being a topic that could be argued, take it as food for thought. Take what I've said, and form your own opinions, because if we can not learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat it. 


Forever & Always,
Me

       Dictionary.com defines fear as "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined". I don't know how many of you have actually thought deeply about the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, and the events that have occurred since then, but I have. Fear is always at the forefront of my mind when I remember the terror of that day. Yes, life goes on. Yes, we fought back. However, if that could happen to the United States during a virtuous and rich part of our country's history, what could happen to us now?

    Most Americans will tell you that they have never been more afraid than when they heard the news that a third plane had collided with the Pentagon. The Pentagon is supposed to be the "strong hold" of the United States. Housing all of our military commanders, the Pentagon is the symbol of the strength of the United States of America, so for it to be demolished on one side, it strikes fear in the heart of Americans, it strikes fear in my heart.

         I believe that in some way we, as Americans, will always be afraid of what is out "there"; meaning the threats to our perfect little world. Although I am afraid of another attack like the one that occurred on September 11, 2001, or even the attack that occurred on December 7, 1942, I agree whole heartedly with Lee Greenwood when he sings, "I am proud to be an american, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men that died, and gave that right to me."

  

   The men and women of the United States' Armed Forces have always and will always fight for our freedoms, but they also fight for the freedoms of those around the world. Fighting for the freedoms of others is the exact reason why the United States joined forces with South Vietnam in 1954. Over the past few weeks during this unit, I have spent many hours wondering why exactly we should care? Why should we, as Americans care about the freedoms of those around the world as long as our are not being threatened? Then I realized that although we spent years in Vietnam fighting a war we knew we could not win, we had to have given hope, if not to the Vietnamese people, then to those else where facing the same issues. Yes, people died. No, we didn't win. However, in some small way I like to think that we may have decreased others fear to speak out against their own Communistic Governments. We are still afraid, but maybe we have a reason to be, maybe we are afraid because we know we have something to loose. 

So, yes I am proud to be an American, and yes, I do proudly proclaim "God Bless the USA!"

Forever & Always,

Me

Siempre Danielle, Forever & Always, Me

         Hey English 101! I'm Danielle Jones and I'm 18 years old! I was born and raised in Union Grove, Al but my family moved to Douglasville, Ga when I was about ten! I graduated from Douglas County High School this past spring along with 489 of my closest friends (yeah right).

          When it comes to me, my family comes first. I have two sisters, a twin, Morgan, and an older sister, Ashley, who's 28. My momma is not only my biggest fan and supporter, but one of my closest friends. I come from a big family, I am one of eight grandkids on my momma's side, the oldest, Alex, is 19 and plays football at Shorter University (Go Hawks!), the youngest, Averi, just turned 11 and is beginning her first year of middle school. With all of us growing up so close in age, the 6 of them are my best friends. Yeah, we fuss and fight and wrestle till we bleed, but there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them or that they wouldn't do for me. This is us this past winter on our family vacation to Jackson Hole, Wy! 

   

            I guess that's all you really need to know about me for now. I can't tell you how excited I am about this class and this semester! 

Forever & Always,

Me