Phenomenal Support To Troops

Although I intend most of my blogging to center Constitutional themes, inevitably occasion will impress me to offer up a thought or two with a military theme. This entry is one of those exceptions.

After making my first post at REDSTATE.COM, Kenny Solomon posted a comment thanking me for my ongoing service and commitment. Quite often, fellow citizens from all over the country who don’t know me thank me for my service after discovering I serve in the military. Candidly, this embarrasses me. I don’t serve for honor or recognition or expect any thanks for what I do, and I admit that I don’t handle compliments well either. Nonetheless, the tremendous outpouring of support and appreciation directed towards service members by grateful compatriots is deeply touching and I dedicate this post to highlight a few personal examples and reciprocate a most heartfelt thanks to all who go out of their way to extend these sentiments.

The first time a perfect stranger ever thanked me for my service was on September 14, 2001. I had been on active duty for just over six years. My family was on vacation in California and September 11 still dominated our thoughts. President Bush had declared a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance and at noontime, Disneyland ceased all activity to observe a moment of silence. I didn’t know exactly what the implications of the attack meant for the military, but I knew there would be some. Evidently, I was not the only one; later that day, a mother and daughter thanked me sincerely for my service.

This experience is now common. Most of my military brethren report a similar trend. However, the surge of support has not just been limited to expressions of gratitude.

Sometime during my first week or two in Iraq, a couple of my Soldiers came into the shop, each carrying a US Postal Service Flat Rate Box (O-FRB1). I marveled that their families were so quick to send them care packages. It turned out that the packages were from one of the many, many organizations sending care packages to troops. Over the course of my tour in Iraq I saw hundreds and hundreds of these care packages distributed. I never had to buy toiletries by virtue of the abundance available from care packages. I can’t think of anything we went without. These packages contained everything imaginable: candy, chocolate, Twinkies, Oreos, chips, dips, cookies, crackers, summer sausages, snacks, knives, scarves, gloves, personal hygiene items, games, books, Christmas cards, Christmas trees, thank you letters…you name it, they sent it!

I regret that I didn’t write down all of the organizations, churches, schools, businesses, and individuals from which I saw a package or letter flow through. The list would be very long if I had. I would like to be able to thank each one by name. There were various Any-Soldier and Adopt-a-Soldier type organizations. Many church groups, community organizations, and schools also contributed. I read several books sent over by knife maker A.G. Russell. His boxes also contained pocket-sized copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution along with an assortment of products (not cheap) from his own business. A box arrived once that was full of handmade scarves. I will always cherish the one made by Marilyn A. Borros of Lakewood, Ohio that I drew from the box.

Finally, let me highlight the U.S.O. Besides sending care packages and entertainers to Iraq, they organized one of the most touching experiences of my life at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. After deplaning, we walked through a long gauntlet of cheering airport workers and passengers on our way to customs. Departing customs towards the buses that would take us to another terminal, we walked through an even longer, more densely packed gauntlet of boy scouts, cub scouts, girl scouts, brownies, athletic teams, veterans, and many other locals. Applause thundered, cheers and thank-yous rang out, cameras flashed, flags waved, hands clapped our backs and shoulders, hands reached out to shake ours, gifts were pushed at us, personal cell phones were offered to make calls home, welcome back and thank-you banners were everywhere. It was all I could do to maintain my composure and I lost it as soon as I was on the bus. I choke up whenever I think of it. A young Soldier exclaimed as he walked onto the bus behind me, “I feel like a rock-star! This makes it all worthwhile.”

You citizens who extend your support to the troops have done more to support the war effort than you probably realize. Some people wonder why Soldiers continue to re-enlist despite long and multiple deployments – I don’t.

So to all who reach out and support us service members in your various ways, please accept my deepest gratitude and know that you’re efforts are not unnoticed and make a huge difference.

Merry Christmas.

(cross posted at redstate.com)

Against All Enemies

‘I, …, do solemnly swear 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; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.’ (US Code: Title 5, Part III, Subpart B, Chapter 33, Subchapter II, Sec. 3331)

This is the oath I took when commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in 1995 and three times since in conjunction with promotions. I tend to agree with Abraham Lincoln who opined that no “transatlantic military giant” would ever invade our country and take over our government. Rather, he said, “if [danger] ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” (Lyceum Address, January 27, 1838)

I’m sure that many who took the oath of office often ponder on the concept of a “domestic enemy” to the Constitution. Thus far, the Army has never called on me to support and defend the Constitution against a domestic enemy. I imagine that insurrection or rebellion of some kind will be the only conditions under which they will do so. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that an armed insurgency will not likely spring up within our borders, at least not during the remainder of my military career.

Yet, the Constitution has always been in need of supporting and defending against fellow citizens who wittingly or unwittingly erode its foundations through political and/or social action. As a citizen first, pledging allegiance to the flag, and a duly sworn defender of the Constitution second, I have attempted to do this my entire adult life. Now, with this same end in mind, I join the blogosphere.

Our Constitution is built on the premise outlined in the Declaration of Independence that all people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” If our Creator intended us to enjoy these rights, it follows that depriving or taking away any of these same rights is an evil pursuit. At least this should be the logical conclusion of anyone who has faith that a Creator did in fact endow us with certain unalienable rights.

The bible details a strategy used by Michael and his angels to prevail over evil pursuits: “ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels…And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (KJV Revelation 12:7-11)

I follow the same strategy, as I understand it, in my efforts to defend the Constitution from all enemies. First, I strive to follow the will of my Creator according to the dictates of my own conscience and importune Him that the blessings of liberty will endure in this land. Second, I unabashedly profess my belief that our Constitution is divinely appointed and that all political action must be consistent with the preservation of our aforementioned unalienable rights. Again, I am initiating this blog as another means to accomplish this. Finally, I am ready to die in defense of the Constitution if it comes to that, and have already sworn to do so.

I’m sure that there are many domestic enemies of the Constitution who purposefully pursue its demise. Lacking a crystal ball, I doubt I will be able to name many of them. Regardless, I don’t have any illusions that my efforts can bring about a change of heart in such, whoever they are. Therefore, my purpose is add my voice to what Samuel Adams described as the “…irate, tireless minority keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men,” to motivate the persuadable portion of our population to embrace Constitutional principles recognize what actions endanger them.

The direct result of Constitutional erosion is a decrease of liberty. Our Constitution will never collapse all at once, but rather by degrees. As frogs boiled alive by slowly heating up water, so can Americans find themselves serving a despotic government unless wide-eyed patriots resist all efforts that will weaken the Constitution and fight to repair damage already inflicted upon it. As a defender of freedom, my writings will center mostly on themes relating to our divinely established rights. These fundamental concepts undergird our form of government and are an important lens through which to evaluate the issues of our day: e.g. abortion, national defense, self-defense, social programs, expansion of government, and even foreign policy.

I urge all defenders of freedom to demand Constitutional justification for all political action, existing policy and law. Likewise, where justification does not exist, I urge you to demand that your representatives take action to abandon or reverse such measures. Further, I recommend that you make every effort to center all political discussions and debates on Constitutional principles. In military terms, we call this Mass, Economy of Force, and Simplicity.

(cross posted at redstate.com)