Open Letter To The President From A Soldier

H/T Blackfive
Mr. President

In the scheme of things I am but one voice among many, to include the former Vice President who are speaking out against what I feel is a travesty in the making; our potential defeat in Afghanistan.

I do not speak as someone who has no idea what I am talking about. I have walked the ground and carried a rifle up dangerous mountain roads and lain awake in ambush positions at night in the high mountains of Eastern Afghanistan

I have fought with our Afghan partners; our NATO Partners (Some of them not so willing) and I have buried comrades, both Afghan and American, and saluted comrades who come home for the very last time.

Your continued dithering on the essential issues surrounding Afghanistan that you promised in your campaign has led me, and many Americans, to disregard the veracity of your claims and your will to protect the American People. Your unease with the word “Victory” speaks a great deal to your beliefs about what you think of America and shows how much you do not respect American Soldiers.

In a word sir, you are not credible. And leaders without credibility really aren't leaders at all.

Soldiers see things in very definable terms. Words like "good" and "evil," "victory" and "defeat" have concrete and definable meanings to us. Things in our world are fairly cut and dried. This is because the nature of our business has a great deal of finality to it and because we, the men and women in the fight write the check for the indicated price of victory. We are glad to do it without asking for a bargain on the cost. We are the first to see the cost of defeat in comrades wounded or killed. The price of freedom is etched in the faces and hearts of my brothers and sisters as they salute the flag draped casket of the friend who might have only moments before imparted some nugget of wisdom, told a funny joke, shared their fears and when the going was tough, stood with them shoulder to shoulder on the field of battle.

You dishonor the memories of the fallen and disrespect the families of those who continue to fight on by your continued excuse-making and endless consultation that serves no other purpose than to appear as if you are doing something, while searching in vain for what you perceive to be a better answer.

Mr. President, deciding to do nothing is still a decision.

I demand, decency demands, Americans who believe in victory demand, and most importantly, the American families with family members in the fight, who certainly have the most invested and unquestionably the most to lose demand that the politics, excuse making and dithering end and that you give the necessary support to the men and women who are bearing the battle and taking the fight to our enemies. I am not asking, I am telling you to listen to those with the knowledge and skills that can turn the tide of this rapidly resurgent enemy we face and to give them the resources they ask for.

As an American, I demand that if the leaders that I freely elect are going to commit blood and treasure to the defeat of our enemies, then we do not go about it in vacillating half measures following incoherent policies that lead to indefinable outcomes spread over generations.

We fight to win, or we don’t fight at all.

If you are unwilling or you are unable to fulfill your role as Commander in Chief, then you should tender your resignation.

Many veterans will not forget what was said by many in your party about our efforts to defeat this enemy nor your failure to fully support our soldiers on the field of battle.

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way….

Deebow