I read in Tuesday’s Iowa State Daily that the College Republicans have begun collecting sundries for U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Why? Doesn’t the U.S. Army victual its soldiers? Don’t their families send them yuletide goodies? Aren’t GIs paid enough to buy what they need, and even what they want?
Iowa State lecturer Thomas Walker
1. While I think it’s wrong, soldiers are often NOT given many of the resources they need in the field. They certainly don’t go out of their way to provide them with luxuries. If we don’t step up to provide them those things, no one is going to.
2. Not every soldier has a vast and wealthy support system back home. In fact, a lot of soldiers enlist because they need the money. So while I’m sure their families try their best, they can’t possibly keep up with the needs of a soldier in the field.
3. Some soldiers have no support system at all back home. If we don’t embrace them and support them, they have no one else.
4. Sure, soldiers get a paycheck, but where are they going to spend it? There’s no fucking Walmart out in the middle of the desert. They’re not ordering shit off Amazon and having it sent to their tent.
5. Soldiers leave wives (and husbands) and children behind at home who rely on the money they make (you know, the money they’re paid for risking their lives) and shouldn’t have to spend it on something I can easily stick in a box and send there for a mere $10.
The soldier I just started sponsoring doesn’t just need “goodies.” These guys need helmets and other essential equipment. He’s a k9 handler and needs special items for his dog.
There’s another soldier who requested nothing but toiletries because they were recently moved and couldn’t take all their belongings with them because of weight restrictions. The dude just wants some fucking deodorant.
Even if soldiers were already provided with everything they could ever need or want, why would it be wrong for me to express my appreciation with a package to let them know I support them?
You know, if I was living out in a remote area of the desert in a hostile country, I might just want to know there were as many people out there as possible who support me.
Thomas Walker might want to get his facts straight before he spouts off about how great soldiers in the field have it. Perhaps we can take up a collection to send him out to Afghanistan with nothing but a tent and see how luxurious he thinks it is then.
(Source: abqryan)
