HeartsoundPresident of The Hug BrigadeHa...'s blog: "Family Tree"

Suicide rate in Army at a 26-year high By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer Ninety-nine U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year, the highest rate of suicide in the Army in 26 years, a new report says. More than one out of four soldiers who committed suicide did so while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to a report scheduled to be released Thursday. Iraq was the most common deployment location for U.S. soldiers who either attempted suicide or committed suicide. The report, which The Associated Press obtained ahead of its public release, said the 99 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers compared to 88 in 2005 and was the highest raw number since the 102 suicides reported in 1991, the year of the Persian Gulf War, when there were more soldiers on active duty. Investigations are still pending on two other deaths and if they are confirmed as suicides, the number for last year would be 101 instead of 99. In a half million-person Army, last year's suicide toll translates to a rate of 17.3 per 100,000, the highest in the past 26 years, officials report. The rate has fluctuated over those years, with the low being 9.1 per 100,000 in 2001. Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to commit suicide, according to the report. It also found a significant relationship between suicide attempts and the number of days deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan or nearby countries where troops were participating in the war effort. There was "limited evidence" to back the suspicion that repeated deployments are putting more people at risk for suicide, the report said. With the Army stretched thin by years of fighting the two wars, the Pentagon has had to extend normal tours of duty this year to 15 months from 12 and has sent some troops back to the wars several times. The 99 suicides included 28 soldiers deployed to the Iraq and Afghan campaigns. About twice as many women serving in the wars committed suicide as did women not sent to war, the report said. The Defense Manpower Data Center, which collects data for the Pentagon, said in late May that 107 suicides had been recorded in the Iraq campaign since its start in March of 2003. Preliminary numbers for the first half of 2007 indicate the number of suicides could decline across the service but increase among troops serving in the wars, officials said. The increases for 2006 came as Army officials worked to set up a number new programs and strengthen old ones for providing mental health care to a force strained by the longer-than-expected conflict in Iraq and the global counterterrorism war entering its sixth year. In a flurry of studies in recent months, officials found that system that might have been adequate for a peacetime military has been overwhelmed by troops coming home from the wars. Some troop surveys in Iraq have shown that 20 percent of Army soldiers have signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, which can cause flashbacks of traumatic combat experiences and other severe reactions. About 35 percent of soldiers are seeking some kind of mental health treatment a year after returning home under a program that screens returning troops for physical and mental health, officials have said. The Army has sent medical teams annually to the battlefront in Iraq to survey troops, health care providers and chaplains about health, morale and other issues. It has revised training programs, bolstered suicide prevention, is adding some 25 percent more psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to its staff and is in the midst of an extensive program to teach all soldiers how to recognize mental health problems in themselves and their comrades — and encourage them to seek help. The Army also has been working to stem the stigma associated with getting therapy for mental problems, after officials found that troops are avoiding counseling out of fear it could harm their careers. ___ Associated Press reporter Lolita Baldor contributed to this report from Washington. ___ On the Net: Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Questions or Comments Privacy Policy -Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Ad Feedback (repost of original by 'Twiztid Love' on '2007-08-16 06:41:52')

For all the Military Girlfriends out there



Please also stop by my Military Thank You Blogs
http://fubar.com/blog/73734 And say thank you to those who Serve!! And don't forget their Families that support them and have to wait for them while they go off to Protect Freedom Thanks, David WolfEagle1499™
(repost of original by 'WolfEagle1499™' on '2007-08-13 19:51:25')

I had some REALLY heartbreaking news today...that my friend was KIA.This was not just any friend...this was my puppy love boyfriend. The news came from a message that I received from his wife on my MySpace page from her Myspace page. It was a VERY accurate letter as far as she was telling me that his dad had been informed at his job today,naming where he worked and what he did and that he was working out arangments so that I could go with him when he went to go be with her.It was also VERY accurate when "she" said that I was one of the first people she thought of and needed to talk to and she wished I had a phone...but she wouldn't be able to answer the phone for awhile because she was going to be gone today needing to be around friends and not wanting to answer the phone. Well,I called his dad tonight after another friend of mine pointed out some things that didn't seem right in "her" desription of how the military handled the notification.His dad IMEDIATLY put me at ease and let me know that he had talked to his son just 45 minutes ago and he was FINE.His daughter in law has now completely shut down her Myspace page because she was getting calls today about her husband with condolences...she had to turn off her ringer. Well,it seems that someone broke into her Myspace page (it is a whole thing where she clicked on a message she got from them in her email to connect to Myspace and they sent her to a fake sight. People find it really easy to do this with myspace but they usually do it to use your sight to send spam to your friends. I am really tired...it has been a long night.I cannot explain to you the emotions I am going through right now. I don't know who would have thought that this was funny or what they had to gain by doing this...but it is SICK. I wanted to let you all know what was going on.If you are on Myspace make sure that you go directly to the sight and not use a link to get to your page.Her and I are going to work on this tomarrow and see what we can do.She has been spending a lot of time letting friends know that her husband IS NOT DEAD. Watch out for scammers...this one is SICK.

Dear Military Wife, I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news. I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for. I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband. I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so. I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand. I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home. I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with. And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting. For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes. What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - - I will never have to walk in your shoes. I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America. You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American. I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment. Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America meant to me. Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you. Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down. Military families make this nation what it is today. You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday. I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom. I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable. However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow...Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten. You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely. May God Bless You!

Ok..I can cry now... Specialist Brennan Chris Gibson is on his way HOME... Little did I know that when I posted the picture in my photos of the fallen Marine...that my nephew would be coming home the same way. But there is a sense of relief in my tears right now...We can finally really "cry" instead of "handle it"...he is on his way home.... The funeral is set for Dec 27th...finally...we can get on with it. Thank you for your support here...I have a full life..and keep busy...but when I go home and am on my own it has meant alot...right now the tears are flowing...and I appreciate all that I have...and the best news since we found out that he was killed...is that he is on his way home. I want nothing more for Christmas than for everyone to go thank a soldier.... (repost of original by 'Flamewalker' on '2006-12-20 12:00:01') **************** Ok this is Heartsound...the repost of the original that is at the end of this is who this brave soldier's aunt is.You can see her user number 216886 and her name...Flamewalker...you can use these to find her and go to her page.Please all of you...let's send her our love!

Ok,anyone that knows me knows that the only people that I am a fan of is Our Military past and present. I know that I could make"more points"for becomming fans of more people...but that is not what I am here for.Well,I have also been trying to make friends with as many of them as I can without feeling overwhelmed with to many friends that I can't show proper love to. So...I have some things that I have seen this past week that bother me and I wanted to get this off my chest. First...to many of my wonderful friends that are in Affganistan and Iraq are apoligising to us for not being able to show us proper love.THEY ARE BUSY FOLKS!!! IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO SHOW US PROPER LOVE AND IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO KEEP UP WITH US!! IT IS OURS!!What a wonderful priveladge we have to be in a time when they can share so much with us!I would much rather see the many pictures posted...the blogs of their thoughts... the political cartoons.They can share so much more with us as a whole than they can with us individually.So...to all of you...THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT STAYING SAFE AND COMMING HOME SOON TO US!!! Second...to many of my wonderful friends are defending their jobs!(Example...he is only a clerk,only a...he doesn't see combat.)Well,guess what...watch M.A.S.H. anyone that doesn't know Radar Oreily needs a refresher!!!Could you imagine what would have happened if they didn't have Radar there?EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS CHOSEN TO SERVE IN ANY CAPASITY IS IMPORTANT!!!Where are you as you type your critisism?Safe on American soil? Getting ready to see your family this Christmas? Tucking in your children at night?Hugging your spouse?THEN THANK THEM!!!It is because we have so many wonderful men and wemon willing to volutarily enter the military that we are not in a draft.It is because of them that we are safe.The problem is...you take your saftey and your freedom for granted.Why don't you go on a vacation in say... Cuba...China...Iraq.If you want...you can move out of America...we won't miss you!!!So...I don't want to see any more of these wonderful men and wemon being bashed by any of you. Third...Ok...there are more than one place that our men and wemon are risking their lives for our safety in.Do you remember Affganistan?If not...let me remind you...Benladin...Planes...911.So...I am sorry that we have to have soldierst there looking for a needle in a hay stack...but I am glad they are there.Then there is Iraq...I don't care what your view is on if we should be there or not.I am not here for politics...Our soldiers take an oath. Go into any recruiting office and ask to see a copy of that oath.They don't get to choose what orders they fallow...they just get to choose which Country they get to follow.And thank God for them! Thank God they are there for us!!!If you want to give a soldier hell for doing what he has to do... go to a recruiting office...a base...and say it to them in person.They won't be able to hit you or anything...but atleast they will be able to look into the face of the pathetic person that they defend for their right to be stupid!!! Fourth...So far...I haven't found a fake soldier...and then there was yesterday.Funny...he started to attack one of my family members and accusing them of being fake.He started to accuse them of having fake pictures.Of saying he is a soldier for attention.Saying that he did not look like a regulation soldier.yada yada yada...Funny thing...I was on his page rating and commenting on his pictures when he started to shout at me in the shout box about being careful because there are a lot of fake soldiiers and he doesn't think this one if real.So...I sent that shout to this family member who politly asked his fellow brother in arms(my family members words not mine)to come and talk to him.He has nothing to hid and would be glad to share with him information about what he does in in the service for our country and how he could prove to him he was real...Funny thing...this man never wrote him back.Looked at his page...I can't get past the pictures of his abs and the self centered pictures of him being buff.Good for you...the family member you attacked...was my very first family member added. He shares with me more depth in his pictures and more depth in his person than I beleive you have in your pretty abbs.You have used your status as a soldier to pick up chicks(if you really are one)My family member has not.My family member will tell you flat out that he is married...and he has a beautiful wife and baby boy.What do you have?Oh yah...a mouth and your abbs...keep looking in the mirror.I have more important people to pay attention to. Fifth...I am tired of going on the pages of Our military family members and seeing them being attacked.I am also tired of going on a page and seeing that one of my friends that is a mother, brother,sister,lover,wife,husband ect...of one of our bravest sending a public comment on your page to say that you have attacked them.I have seen some very cruel words...I have seen some asshole telling a wife that her husband was overseas cheating on her right now.I saw a grandmother being told her grandson was going to die in Iraq because we are not supposed to be there.I saw a lady who actually was mourning the loss of one of ours...had a comment on her page that her loved one deserved it...chose what he did and to get over it!That person said they were tired of people being on here posting all of these bullitens about soldiers dying. Well,I guess it is easy for you to enjoy your freedom if you can choose not to remember the price that has been paid and is being paid to defend it.Here is the thing...these people that you are attacking...are far better people that you will ever have in your life.You will never have a wife or husband as loyal...you will never have a mother or father so proud...you will never have a friend that cares as deeply as we care for our Military.And the reason you will never have these things is because you are to selfish to look at the wold with empathy. And last...I am tired of being attacked...and I am tired of my friends being attacked because we support Our Troops!If you don't like the attention we show Our Military on our page...STAY OFF OF IT!!!! It is hard to beleive with as many members on Cherry Tap that here are that you can't find people of your own kind to congregate with.You can take yourself to your page and your friends...I will stay here with mine.You can be into what you want to be into...I can be into what I am. In the end...I thank God that we live in such a wonderful time that there is the internet.I would much rather hear about what is happening there... or if the fight is worth it...from our Military than from our press or our Government.I also think it is wonderful that there is a way to talk to Our brave men and wemon as much as possible...for free.We can show them pictures of Our familys,we can share with them what is going on.They can share with us.Just think...a wife can take a video of her son's first steps...post it on here...and daddy gets to see it!!We have many things wrong with the world today...but what an awsome time is this that we can hear from Our Loved Ones in the service more than any other time? So...that is my thoughts...Please keep this reposting for me.I want as many of our Men and Wemon in uniform past and present...I want as many of our friends and family members to see this as possible. And please remember...if you can't stand if front of Our Troops...feel free to stand behind them!! Your Family Member,Friend and or Fan, Brenda Heartsound

Sailors save young girl’s life By Lance Cpl. Geoffrey P. Ingersoll, 1st Marine Logistics Group CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq — The 9-1/2-year-old Iraqi girl would have died without their help. Riyam Shihan’s cousin was trying to close a heavy, metal door at a home in Habbaniyah when it became unhinged and fell on Riyam, crushing her skull. The bone was fractured and she was bleeding profusely. With each passing minute, rapidly building pressure within her brain was causing more damage. When she arrived at TQ Surgical, her condition deteriorated quickly. Fearing the worst, doctors and corpsmen “launched into action,” said Lt. Cmdr. Pamela C. Harvey, 39 from Muscatine, Iowa and a doctor with TQ Surgical, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward). They medicated her intravenously and inserted a breathing tube. But because of the injury to her brain, she had lost the ability to clot blood. Surgeons sent out a ‘walk-in’ blood bank message. Camp Taqaddum responded immediately with almost two dozen donors. With more blood, Riyam was able to stabilize, but because they lacked a specialized neurosurgeon in TQ, surgeons were forced to send her to a different hospital. In the early hours of Oct. 14, an unconscious Riyam Shihan was flown to a higher level hospital. TQ Surgical’s staff doubted she would survive the required surgery, much less walk and talk again. So when Riyam walked back into the hospital a month later and asked for strawberry bubble gum, surgeons and corpsmen were amazed. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Cmdr. Tracy R. Bilski, a trauma surgeon for TQ Surgical. Upon seeing the girl’s outcome, Bilski, 38 from Bellmawr, N.J. burst into tears of shock and joy. “Back in the states, with an injury like this, the patient would be operated on in 45 minutes,” said Cmdr. Theodore D. Edson, a 39-year-old TQ surgeon from Lexington, Mass. Because bad weather had been blocking flights out of Taqaddum the night of her injury, Riyam hadn’t gotten her operation until almost six hours after the injury took place. “That girl must be someone really special,” said Edson. Coalition forces found out later that she is a very special girl. She is the grand daughter of a sheik, or tribal leader, in Habbaniyah. “The Iraqi people of Habbaniyah hear what the coalition forces have done to save my grandaughter, and they cry. They are very grateful and you have gained them to your side,” said Riyam’s grandfather, 70-year-old Aved Shihan Ghathaib. Since the girl was saved, a ripple effect has taken place, and the Iraqi citizens of Habbaniyah have become increasingly supportive of Coalition forces in the area. “[The sheik] is in charge of 6,000 people and all of them know this story and soon all of their friends will know this story,” said Hameed. Riyam’s grandfather has also informed many other sheiks, who will probably inform their people, he added. “Saving this girl’s life,” said Hameed, “was like saving all of Iraq.” But Riyam’s fight for life is far from over. With a piece of her skull incubating inside her stomach, Riyam currently lives with only a thin layer of soft tissue to protect that part of her brain. Riyam is forced to wear a helmet now when she plays with her friends. Another problem is that Riyam is still growing. Without her skull intact during her growth, she could face problems associated with irregular brain growth, such as a decrease in motor function capability and speech. Within the next six months, she will need a follow up operation to replace the missing piece of her skull. It is a delicate operation that, due to the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure, will be almost impossible to provide in her home nation. The efforts of coalition forces have bought her more time, but without this operation, Riyam’s future still remains stormy.

Pfc Thomas Hewitt, 22, Army KIA - Oct 13 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Temple, Texas ** Thomas died on Oct 13th from injuries sustained during a Sept 26 incident in Baghdad, during which an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Sgt Gene Hawkins, 24, Army KIA Oct 12 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Combat Support Brigade Orlando, Florida ** Gene died from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle. Capt Shane Adcock, 27, Army KIA Oct 11 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division Mechanicsville, Virginia ** Shane died from enemy grenade fire in Hawijah. Sgt Justin Walshh, 24, Marine KIA Oct 11 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio ** Justin died Oct 11, of wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar on Oct 5th. Sgt 1st Class Julian Arechaga, 23, Marine KIA Oct 9 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Oceanside NY ** Julian died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Lance Cpl Jon Bowman, 21, Marine KIA - Oct 9 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Dubach, Louisiana ** Jon died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Pfc Shelby Feniello, 25, Marine KIA Oct 9 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Connellsville, Pennsylvania ** Shelby was died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Pfc Phillip Williams, 21, Army KIA - Oct 9 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Gardnerville, Nevada ** Phillip died from injuries suffered from enemy contact during combat operations in Baghdad. Pfc Shane Austin, 19, Army KIA Oct 8 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division Edgerton, Kansas ** Shane died from injuries suffered by enemy grenade fire in Ar Ramadi. Spc Timothy Fulkerson, 20, Army KIA Oct 8 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division Utica, Kentucky ** Timothy died when a landmine detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Tikrit. Lance Cpl Stephen Johnson, 20, Marine KIA Oct 8 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Marietta, Georgia ** Stephen died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Lcpl Derek Jones, 21, Marine KIA Oct 8 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division Salem, Oregon ** Derek died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Lcpl Jeremy Sandvick-Monroe, 20, Marine KIA Oct 8 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division Chinook, Montana ** Jeremy died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar. Capt Robert Secher, 33, Marine KIA Oct 8 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Germantown, Tennessee ** Robert died from wounds received while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar.

COMMENTARY A Soldier's Plea: Honor Our Sacrifice in Iraq When Sgt. 1st Class James Martin deployed to Iraq, he had firm, negative opinions about the Iraqi people. Now, the Army National Guard soldier's perspective has changed. By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Martin 230th Forward Support Battalion BAGHDAD, Iraq — Today I was sitting in the foyer of the clinic in Iraq. It had been a fairly busy day: a couple of cases of pink-eye, a few upper respiratory infections, many muscle strains, a broken leg. We treated about 50 soldiers and one Iraqi civilian who was trying to get something out of a car just before it exploded. I am not convinced he was not a bad guy. One thing is for certain, he would be dead by now if not for our medics, who gave immediate care to his injuries, and our providers who had given subsequent care for weeks now. When he was first brought in, I thought he would lose his hands, but today it appears he will be all right. The look in his eyes tells me that he knows it too. He may have been a bad guy, but now he is a thankful man, happy that he met American soldiers. Two men, Iraqi nationals — one a soldier and the other, his brother, in the typical white robe — came rushing up to the entrance of our hospital. As the platoon sergeant, it is one of my jobs to explain to Iraqis that they cannot be seen in our clinic unless it is a matter of life, limb or eyesight. When I started toward the door to issue my explanation for about the fifth or sixth time this week, I noticed a small boy about 7 years old in tow of the man in the robe. In the arms of the soldier was a crying baby wrapped in pieces of cloth. Neither man spoke English more than a few words, "Baby, no good. Please." I unwrapped the baby to expose a terribly distended belly, feet and legs that looked like filled water balloons ready to explode. His cry was pitiful. I told a medic to call for a physician and the surgical team. I escorted the two men and two children to our exam room. It was evident that there was a serious problem with this tiny baby. After assuring the men we would try our best to help, I was able to ascertain that the baby was 3 months old and that the civilian hospital in Baghdad had sent the soldier away, telling him they could not help. I saw a man who very much loved his son begging us to save his baby. He frantically tried to soothe his cry, gently kissing his cheek. My heart went out to him. I took the baby's vital signs as the physician assistant examined him. He determined that we needed to get the baby to Baghdad to our larger military hospital as soon as possible. We had the father get out of his uniform and put on a scrub top so he would be a little less conspicuous — Iraqi soldiers are often targeted in Baghdad. The baby and his father were on their way to hope. I came to this country hating Iraqi people. I did not want to be here. I have a 14-year-old son that I have raised alone. He needs me more than this country does. I have a 21-year-old daughter who has been having problems, and I want to be there to help her. Just over a year ago I married my true soul mate. I did not want to put my life on hold and come to this God-forsaken desert, full of people who have been suppressed for thousands of years and, in my opinion, would never be able to run their own government because they had been told what to do for too long. Their spirits are broken beyond hope. As the sole custodian of my son, I was told I could get out of the deployment. And I had been denied the re-enlistment bonus offered to medics because I was in a non-deployable unit. "Non-deployable" meant I would never have to leave my son and wife. But non-deployable unit does not mean non-deployable soldier. I thought about it. If I did not go and my replacement was killed, I would never be able to forgive myself. And I have the peace of knowing God has a plan for me. If this is where He leads, He will protect me or bring me to His presence. I remember as a kid learning about freedom and the sacrifices our forefathers made to grant us that freedom. Now it was my turn to do my part. Today, I sit in Iraq, my family and loved ones in America. But I have new friends and loved ones here who serve with me. I think of the look in that soldier's eyes as we helped his baby. The look in the eyes of the children as we provide medical attention and toys. The smile from a mother who knows that there is truly hope for a better life for her children. This road we are on is long and by no means without pain. I have had friends killed. I have seen children blown to pieces. We are here fighting for their freedom while some of their own set bombs in front of schools, knowing we would be less likely to suspect danger in these areas. Many times I wonder if it is worth it. Then I think of the 3-year-old boy dressed in a suit watching his daddy graduate as a new Iraqi soldier. As he runs toward me, I am in battle uniform and ballistic armor, with weapon at high ready. He smiles big, waves and says, "I love you, American!" Yeah, it's worth it. Many would have you believe this operation is a failure. Easy to say when they are sitting in their air-conditioned office, speculating about something they know nothing about. There are many awful things about war. Many parents will not be returning to their children. Many husbands will not return to their wives. Sons and daughters will not return home. Don't let their ultimate sacrifice be for naught. If you hear someone talking about the senselessness of this war, politely remind them of the price. I cannot think of anything worse for a child than to hear that his or her father died without purpose in a land of no importance. Do not allow others to forget or lessen the heroism of our fallen soldiers and those who have sacrificed a part of their lives to help our brothers and sisters in God. My heart has softened for the Iraqi people, and my resolve to rid our world of bad guys has increased. Do not allow politicians to convince you that we need to leave before the mission is complete. I do not want my son here in 10 years starting over. Sgt. 1st Class James Martin of China Grove, N.C., is a medic and platoon sergeant with Charlie Company of the 230th Forward Support Battalion, Army National Guard, out of Goldsboro, N.C.