AWOL

Okay, so you joined the Army because you don't know what else to do with your life or perhaps for the money you could use for school, or you thought it would be an adventure. You sign your life over on the dotted line and have all kinds of rules and regulations drilled into your head. Yet, deployment time rolls around or perhaps you meet some little hottie online and want to take off to see her, knowing you cannot get leave you simply take off... guess what? You just busted up my saturday evening with my husband! Yeah, you did that! I don't have many saturday evenings left with him before he takes off for Afghanistan. That's right he is preparing for this instead of running away from it, because he is a real man and knows what he signed up for!

Yes, you read that right. Some lesser man decided to go AWOL and here I sit waiting for my husband to get home because he got called in to give this guy a physical before he gets tossed into confinement. He will probably get court-marshalled and kicked out of the Army and lose all those benifits now, all for what? Yes I realize my husband getting called into work is a speck of a problem in all of this, but it is still annoying. And my rant is not solely based on this fact, it is also based on the fact that this happens often enough. MAN UP! You joined the Army, now LIVE IT! Don't hide under a rock because you don't like what they are telling you to do, thousands of men and women have to deploy, and be away from their families; you don't see them running away. They are a disgrace to the Army, and to men everywhere. They are cowards! I would HATE to see how many people would run for Canada or Mexico if they ever brought the draft back! HA! How many people appreciate their freedom but are not ready to fight for it?

My family and I are making a sacrifice this year for everything we hold dear, everything you hold dear. My husband will be away for a year, and I have to help my soon to be five year old understand why as well as try and help my 19 month old cope when he will have NO idea what is going on. You don't see me begging my husband to run away or get out of the Army... do I have my bad days where I want to complain a little? sure! Do I have my rough days where the tears just keep flowing even though he hasn't left yet? OF COURSE! This is something we expect when in the Army, but it doesn't make it any easier. But it is how you cope with it that tells the world what kind of a person you are. When a soldier goes AWOL he not only becomes a coward but a liar, because he took an oath to defend our country and our flag; and now he is taking that back.

I will end my rant on this note... if you have older children who are contemplating joining the Military, please; sit down with them and have a good talk, make sure they undrestand what all it entails and that they understand what it means to take that oath, make sure they are good and ready before they walk into that recruiter's office and that they aren't going to backdown when the going gets tough.