Dear Mr. President, my daughter just came home, please don't kill her.

blackascoal

The Force is With Me
Yesterday I saw my daughter for the first time in 3 years. She's a SFC in the Army and watching her walking towards me at the airport in her uniform brought tears to me eyes. Sergeant First-Class .. imagine that. Some spend 20 years in the military and never attain E-7, yet she did it in 12. She's coming home from a year in Korea and she's going to be stationed right here in Georgia.

When she joined the Army I was so mad at her it took everything I had to keep the top of my head from exploding. After all my emphasis on grades, education, and college, how could she do this to me? After spending her entire life with a politically active father who constantly talked about the evil of war, how could she do this to me? I raised her alone and saw this as my failure as a parent. Some father I was. Perhaps men shouldn't raise daughters alone.

It took a long time for me to accept that she wasn't doing this to me, but for her .. something I always knew but couldn't accept. But watching her walking towards me yesterday released a hurt I hid deep inside me since she joined the military. Perhaps I didn't do so bad after all. Perhaps men can raise daughters.

Mr. President, my daughter has served three tours in Iraq, and like most people who have loved ones in combat zones, my nightmares were horrific. As I listened to you today talking about your new Afghanistan/Pakistan strategy I could hear echoes of Vietnam and Iraq. One of the biggest reasons why I did not vote for you is because I fear your need to look presidential by talking and acting tough. I fear that you will lead America into another disastrous war with consequences worse that our misadventure in Iraq.

You're sending 17,000 more US troops to Afghanistan with another 4,000 to follow soon. You're calling for more civilians in Afghanistan who will become targets for the opposition. Other nations are reluctant to send anymore troops there, so it will, as was Iraq, remain basically an American war with American troops doing most of the dying.

Your plan appears more of the same, pouring more troops and more money into an unconquerable region. Your plan seems contingent on America running the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, both of whom have come to accomodation with the Taliban, and both with populations that have no desire to have their country run by Americans.

I recognize my daughter has willingly taken an oath to serve as she is commanded to serve, and by her rise in the ranks, she has proven it is an oath she takes seriously. But as a father bursting with pride as I look at my daughter, I only ask that you consider what if it were your daughters.

Our military is made up of sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers of every stripe all across America. Their lives are valuable, much too valuable to continue to waste in unneccessary war.
 
What is her MOS? The extra 4K are to "teach" the Afghan military and police forces so they'll likely need to be MPs...
 
Yesterday I saw my daughter for the first time in 3 years. She's a SFC in the Army and watching her walking towards me at the airport in her uniform brought tears to me eyes. Sergeant First-Class .. imagine that. Some spend 20 years in the military and never attain E-7, yet she did it in 12. She's coming home from a year in Korea and she's going to be stationed right here in Georgia.

When she joined the Army I was so mad at her it took everything I had to keep the top of my head from exploding. After all my emphasis on grades, education, and college, how could she do this to me? After spending her entire life with a politically active father who constantly talked about the evil of war, how could she do this to me? I raised her alone and saw this as my failure as a parent. Some father I was. Perhaps men shouldn't raise daughters alone.

It took a long time for me to accept that she wasn't doing this to me, but for her .. something I always knew but couldn't accept. But watching her walking towards me yesterday released a hurt I hid deep inside me since she joined the military. Perhaps I didn't do so bad after all. Perhaps men can raise daughters.

Mr. President, my daughter has served three tours in Iraq, and like most people who have loved ones in combat zones, my nightmares were horrific. As I listened to you today talking about your new Afghanistan/Pakistan strategy I could hear echoes of Vietnam and Iraq. One of the biggest reasons why I did not vote for you is because I fear your need to look presidential by talking and acting tough. I fear that you will lead America into another disastrous war with consequences worse that our misadventure in Iraq.

You're sending 17,000 more US troops to Afghanistan with another 4,000 to follow soon. You're calling for more civilians in Afghanistan who will become targets for the opposition. Other nations are reluctant to send anymore troops there, so it will, as was Iraq, remain basically an American war with American troops doing most of the dying.

Your plan appears more of the same, pouring more troops and more money into an unconquerable region. Your plan seems contingent on America running the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, both of whom have come to accomodation with the Taliban, and both with populations that have no desire to have their country run by Americans.

I recognize my daughter has willingly taken an oath to serve as she is commanded to serve, and by her rise in the ranks, she has proven it is an oath she takes seriously. But as a father bursting with pride as I look at my daughter, I only ask that you consider what if it were your daughters.

Our military is made up of sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers of every stripe all across America. Their lives are valuable, much too valuable to continue to waste in unneccessary war.

Very well written and touching, glad to see your daughter is back and you are reunited man.
I always thought the worst that can happen with Iraq is ends up being some clusterfuck like Nam.
But (and this is where Democrats scare the crap out of me) they seem to fail to realize just how dangerous what they are doing with Pakistan is, a nuclear country, with a population several times what Afghanistan and Iraq are combined along with a hardline Islamic political faction that could easily come to power should America really anger them.
And Obama and Dems are all gung ho about escalating there. Insane.
 
That's great you got to see your daughter BAC. I can only imagine the joy. If this is not to personal do you know what made your daughter want to join the Army (especially considering, as you said, what she heard at home from you growing up)? I know it wouldn't be the first time a child did something against their parents wills or desires but i'm sure that doesn't make it any easier.
 
What is her MOS? The extra 4K are to "teach" the Afghan military and police forces so they'll likely need to be MPs...

She's in the Quartermaster Corps, but it's not the 4K going there now that I'm worried about .. and honestly, it isn't just my daughter I worry about.

I fear that we're following the path to Vietnam, and soon it will be my daughter and lots of other daughters and sons being shipped off to fight in another unnecessary war.
 
That's great you got to see your daughter BAC. I can only imagine the joy. If this is not to personal do you know what made your daughter want to join the Army (especially considering, as you said, what she heard at home from you growing up)? I know it wouldn't be the first time a child did something against their parents wills or desires but i'm sure that doesn't make it any easier.

Not too personal at all good brother. In her own words, she has my sense of adventure. She wants to see and be part of the world.

When she left Iraq the last time, she went to France for R&R .. by herself. Then she went on for her tour in Korea so I didn't get to see her .. which I selfishly thought she owed me.

Forget about what you want, come see your father. You owe me. :)

Sometimes fathers are stupid.
 
Very well written and touching, glad to see your daughter is back and you are reunited man.
I always thought the worst that can happen with Iraq is ends up being some clusterfuck like Nam.
But (and this is where Democrats scare the crap out of me) they seem to fail to realize just how dangerous what they are doing with Pakistan is, a nuclear country, with a population several times what Afghanistan and Iraq are combined along with a hardline Islamic political faction that could easily come to power should America really anger them.
And Obama and Dems are all gung ho about escalating there. Insane.

Thank you brother.

.. and I agree with you on the dangers of Pakistan .. and the attitude of Obama and many democrats about it.
 
Not too personal at all good brother. In her own words, she has my sense of adventure. She wants to see and be part of the world.

When she left Iraq the last time, she went to France for R&R .. by herself. Then she went on for her tour in Korea so I didn't get to see her .. which I selfishly thought she owed me.

Forget about what you want, come see your father. You owe me. :)

Sometimes fathers are stupid.

LOL... you can't blame a father for wanting to see his baby girl!
 
So glad that you got to see your daughter.

I have battled my son for years now because he wants a military life.

I think its perfectly honorable and I would have been proud as hell if he had joined if we had a sane world.

I very well may not be able to talk him out of it next time.
 
BAC, I am glad you daughter made it home. And I am grateful for her service.
 
Not too personal at all good brother. In her own words, she has my sense of adventure. She wants to see and be part of the world.

When she left Iraq the last time, she went to France for R&R .. by herself. Then she went on for her tour in Korea so I didn't get to see her .. which I selfishly thought she owed me.

Forget about what you want, come see your father. You owe me. :)

Sometimes fathers are stupid.

thats not stupid man... thats a fathers love for his daughter trumping all other emotions.

Glad to hear she is doing well and that you got to see her after all that time.
 
So glad that you got to see your daughter.

I have battled my son for years now because he wants a military life.

I think its perfectly honorable and I would have been proud as hell if he had joined if we had a sane world.

I very well may not be able to talk him out of it next time.

I battled myself on whether I should post my personal story here, but if my story helps you with what you're facing with your own son, then I'm glad I posted it.

They are our children, but they have their own lives to live.

With you as his mother, I have no doubt that he is fully equipped to face the challenges of the world.

Don't do as I did and spend years questioning and down on yourself. One day you may have to pick him up from the airport and you won't be able to hide or contain the pride you feel for the person he's become as you watch him walking towards you.

I'll thank my baby for you.
 
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She's in the Quartermaster Corps, but it's not the 4K going there now that I'm worried about .. and honestly, it isn't just my daughter I worry about.

I fear that we're following the path to Vietnam, and soon it will be my daughter and lots of other daughters and sons being shipped off to fight in another unnecessary war.
I hope not, friend. I think Afghanistan in particular is poking the hibernating bear....
 
The little one is mine .. before her latest promotion.

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Great picture BAC.

Just got off the phone with her .. she was pleased to hear that everyone here wanted her to know they appreciated her service.

She said, "Really? Tell them I said thank you very much."

No harsh words from me about anyone here ever again.

Uhh .. at least until tomorrow. :)
 
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