The War on Respect

I respect our troops.

As a family member of a retired Air Force pilot, I feel an emotional connection with the military.

As someone who doesn’t have any immediate connections to the military, I never understood the need for it.

Pride for our country is what I value.

Love and peace throughout the world is what I value.

I respect our troops.

I see military soldiers as everyday people who have endeavoured unspeakable things in the name of protecting their country. I constantly tell veterans “Thank you for your service” because of all they have done. They are indeed brave and courageous but sometimes in my eyes seem like pawns in the government’s hands. I have never thought of joining the military for numerous reasons; the main fear factor is lawless death. There are no rules in war meaning merciless ideas can be utilized. War has always been a factor in society but why?

I see military soldiers as brave, courageous heros. Every time I would go to work with my dad and see what they all do on a daily basis, my respect for them would grow even greater than it was before. As I get older and come closer to picking a pathway for my future I am deciding I want to give back to the troops that have risked their lives for mine. After college I plan to become a Physical Therapist for wounded troops in the Air Force.

I respect our troops.

Military spending in America is budgeted to be $886 billion. We need to cut this down.

And it’s worth every penny.

I believe that there are so many more uses with our economics that could benefit us in numerous ways.  Funding education and clearing the amount of homelessness in our country seems more necessary to me. Spending money on fighting other groups of people for dominance or power doesn’t seem like the best option. Every second our debt increases and if you’ve ever seen the debt clock, it can be so stressful watching the military spending go up each millisecond. I am not a “hippie”, I just believe in conflict free lifestyles and peace. Okay that does sound a little hippie-ish. Yes I am aware of the need to defend our country against those who want to harm our way of life. I honor and acknowledge all the devotion that each soldier dedicates to protecting our safety.

Our troops volunteer to fight for our country and we should support them in the best way possible. All the fathers and mothers who go into war and fight, risking their lives, should have the most advanced way to protect them so they will feel the safest they could possibly be on the battlefield. Many people can’t even imagine what kind of horrors go on during a battle. Imagine not having the advanced weapons that our enemies have and not being able to protect yourself because your weapon doesn’t even compare to theirs. That is the most frightening thing and it should not be happening to our troops. 886 Billion dollars may seem like a lot of money but it’s is worth all if it increases the chances of someone’s family member coming come safely.

I respect our troops.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects numerous individuals across the globe. PTSD is a tragedy where it’s true effects can often be suppressed to the knowledge of the public. War can often cause this mental struggle due to the intensity of battles. 50% of PTSD victims do not seek treatment due to the stigma around mental illness. If we hold veterans up to this glorious standard, then why are 39,471 veterans living on the streets at any given night?

We need to work together to lift this idea around not being strong enough to handle mental illnesses. You are not weak for dealing with a disability no one can see.

We need better options provided to our troops that suffer from PTSD. There should be places people can go, where they feel comfortable talking about what they are dealing with. PTSD is not something that can be ignored. It is something that needs to be recognized and supported. Soldiers with PTSD should not have to deal with it alone.

I respect our troops.

Learning in various history classes about the draft made me confused. I didn’t understand why people were essentially eing forced to fight. Those who were truly dedicated to fight should be enlisted, not just every able-bodied man or woman needed. Thankfully, we no longer use the draft system which has changed the dynamic of American life.

Many people do not believe the draft is something that should be restored. Luckily today our troops all volunteer to be a part of the military and no one is required to be there due to their name being picked during a time of combat. I believe that everyone who is put onto the battlefield should have the desire to fight for our country. I believe the volunteers who have been training for battle should be the ones sent out. It is not fair to pluck people out of their homes and force them to join the battle, but if a war ever gets to the point where we are in danger due to the lack of volunteer soldiers, there should be a draft so we could get more people to try and help us be successful in the war and make the battle over as soon as possible.

I respect our troops.

I have no living relatives that were involved in any wars. This means that I have my own personal bias towards those who serve in our military.

All my opinions are due to the fact that I am a part of a military family, which creates a bias between my opinions and someone´s who doesn’t have the same connection to the military that I do.

Even though we come from two different backgrounds we continue to respect our troops.

A veteran dependant.

And a citizen with no military connection.

We can still see the strength and courage in soldiers. We respect, honor, and thank for all they do for us and our safety.

Work Cited Page

Amadeo, Kimberly. “US Federal Budget Breakdown”, 2 May 2018. Web May 15 2018.

Krans, Brian. “Younger Soldiers in Combat Are Seven Times More Likely to Develop PTSD,” 28 February 2013. Web May 15 2018.

“Veterans statistics: PTSD, Depression, TBI, Suicide.” Veterans and PTSD. September 20, 2015. . Web May 16 2018.