An army major in Iraq speaks out about "phoning it in" patriotism

I heard this on my way home tonight. It really addresses the phony patriotism that is constantly thrown in our faces.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16579428

sent to any soldiers from anonymous people... only family members can get their letters thru... Apparently they are too afraid of anthrax to sort thru the mail in Iraq and Afganistan... so, sending out Christmas cards isn't the smartest idea.. I guess send them to the VA hospitals wishing them well... stick a phone card in their as well so they can phone their loved one's on the holiday.. No, they don't get free phone calls unlike so many believe.

:shrug:






:sarcasm:

Now, there are exceptions, for example the letter is a bomb, has Anthrax etc., but the Regs have never been changed (that I know of) since Vietnam, when the US Navy ended up in trouble from the Post Office when it refused to accept anti-war letters written to "any sailor" on the ship or in nay section or division of the Ship.

Furthermore how can the Army tell the difference between someone writing to "Any solider of X Company, X Battalion, X Division, Baghdad Iraq" and Private X with the same address. Now once in the Unit, the unit First Sergeant can open the letter (he is an "Any Soldier") and forward the letter as he sees fit (including into the trash). That is legal and nothing can be done about it.

Word of Advice ALWAYS put a return Address on the Envelope and correct Postage. Thus if the letter is called "Undeliverable" it must be returned to you (and thus you have evidence of a refusal to deliver the mail, a federal crime). Now I do not expect the Postal Service to do anything about the refusal to deliver this mail, but you can file a complaint and present the evidence to the Postal Inspectors. You can present the Envelope to the Congressmen who oppose this war, and they can ask the Pentagon about it. You may even be able to file a Criminal Complaint in Federal Court (But I see the Courts refusing to punish the military for this violation of the law), provided you can get around the fact the Federal attorneys will NOT want to take this case at all.

If you add a phone call to the letter, you can say you wanted it to go to THAT UNIT not the Army as a whole AND NOT TO AN OFFICER IN THAT UNIT and thus the only way you feel that can be done is by sending it by mail address to "Any Private" or "Any Soldier" and the units designation. If it is returned you have something to provide your local press (i.e. in the form of a Letter to the editor asking WHY can't you mail Phone Call to the Soldiers?). If the Army response is that it is OK to send Phone cards but not letters, ask then how can that be when the Army will gladly forward Ads (in the form of Junk Mail) to the Soldiers? You are doing the same as the Advertisement, trying to make a point to the Soldier, and that is NOT illegal (and the mail reason the Postal Regs are as their are, i.e. MUST deliver all mail, a Regs enforced when it comes to Junk Mail but not First Class mail?)

He called some troops in Iraq.

and are phoning troops, sending them e-mails and snail mail...Do us all a favor and keep the messages buoyant and clear. Leave out the "patriotism" and flash phrases. After all, if you are of military age, and in relatively good health, you could ease the burden by truly showing your patriotism and enlisting in one of the branches of service we have.

As a Vet, I support our troops, but I am not able to send them plaudits about saving democracy for me, it just isn't true...and believe me, a soldier on the Line knows that better than anyone.The sacrifices these men and women are making is REAL, and all of the "home, apple pie, flag and girl-next-door" stuff is pre-packaged for homefront audiences.

Kind of difficult to hoist a flag w/o hands; kind of hard to eat apple pie when your jaw is blown away, "the-girl-next-door" might lose interest when the legs you lost to an IED also took your scrotum and testicles. As for Home....when some of these service members return, home will be a rehab unit, or a place where they thought they could get respite around family and loved ones. But the psychological problems they face have already made "home" a place that could be a prison, where nightmares are played out each day.

So...for all those who think this war is good...once again, join up...you can tell that yourself after a few months of Basic and AIT.