The Wages of War

We are still at war. I am sure days go by that you do not think about it. Honestly, I try not to, but then I think about my brother, Danny. He is serving in Afghanistan. Right now, he is working long hours on a base on the other side of the world. I feel like we have been at war so long now, most people do not even care any more. I understand the apathy. Really I do. I personally have this frustrating relationship with the military. I am proud of my family members who have served and support our troops, but I hate how war and service tears families apart. I understand why it happens, but that does not make it any easier.

My entire life someone in my family has served our country through military service. My father retired after 31 years in the Navy. He served in Vietnam and ended his career as the Chief of Staff of all Naval oceanography operations. He served on Navy ships and submarines for much of my childhood. My brother and his wife have both been officers in the Air Force. My brother retired, but returned to serve as a civilian. He is now in the middle of a six-month tour of duty in a war zone. His wife and two children speak with him once a week by phone or Skype.

My father tried to recruit me into military service. This happened daily while I was in his home as a teenager then continued into adulthood. I respect his perseverance, but this particular career path was not for me. (My current long hair may be an indication how that whole military career would have worked out for me.) What I, and every military dependent, knows -- I have served, in every move, in every day my dad was out of town, in the moment I did not recognize my father as a small child, in lost opportunities and experiences. In no way was my service as challenging as my father’s, but I personally would not wish to repeat it.

My mother was never an employee of the U.S. Navy, but she most certainly served in every moment of my dad’s career. Today, she waits anxiously for my brother to return. If you have had immediate family members serve, you know that deep feeling in the pit of your stomach that one day the knock at the door will be someone in a uniform giving you the worst news possible. For most people, moments like that only happen in the movies. For military dependents, those moments happen in nightmares and in real life.

More than 1200 military personnel have died in Afghanistan. I know because I keep seeing that number in news reports regularly and randomly. I hate those reports for my family and all the other families with someone over there, but at the same time it is important for us to know and remember. We are still at war. Almost every day someone loses a father, mother, brother, son, or daughter over there. I do not care if you support or oppose the war. I even understand the frustration and annoyance with the often insincere, manufactured rah-rah support of our troops. But, I am asking you personally to please remember the men and women serving over there and the families back here at home. Maybe if you have never even prayed before, you could say one for the first time. There’s healing, hope, and encouragement in prayer which transcends the worst circumstances, even war. I pray God will end this madness, and bring the majority of our troops home.