Random Lines A World Away

I’m writing this because I’ve made a realization within the past couple weeks.  I hadn’t made this realization, because I had never been deployed.  There is a huge disconnect between soldiers and civilians.  This disconnect has made the transition from soldier to civilian extremely rough, even traumatic, in many ways.  I leave the military in January because it has always been my plan to do so.  I needed a launching pad for my career path and the military has created many possibilities for me.  Due to this deployment, I will leave the service completely transformed in my thought process.  I will do everything in my power to help those veterans who need it.  One of the small ways I can help is by making trips down to DFW airport to welcome soldiers back on leave.  This is one small reflection of my thanks for the sacrifices they make.  I’m not putting myself up for induction into the “Hall of Saint-hood.”  I’m doing this because I now understand the disconnect a soldier experiences in his career.  Its not the same rift men in uniform experienced during the Vietnam War, but it is a complex divide.  The simple fact is: the average civilian doesn’t understand those who are serving.  I’ve been asked a lot of questions since I’ve been out here, and I often feel overwhelmed.  Have you killed someone?  What’s it like to shoot at someone?  Have you been shot at?  Do you worry about dying?  I guess they are all relevant questions but they frustrate me in their ignorance.  I shouldn’t expect anyone to understand what I’ve gone through, but that’s apart of the divide from society that soldiers experience.  A soldier’s job is not to destroy everything in his path.  His job is to create peace and stabilization where it wasn’t before.  I don’t go around seeking to destroy every living creature.  If I see a threat to the sanctity of life then its my job to eliminate that threat.  Simply put: we do what our country tells us to do.  We don’t enjoy killing or even the thought of killing a living being.  In fact, doing so often weakens our mental toughness.  I hope that I can help educate those who have not experienced the rigors of wearing the uniform.  I never expected this to be easy, but I now understand the tribulations that a deployed soldier experiences.  Never hesitate to thank a soldier for what they have done.  Sometimes its just the boost we need to make it through that day.