Letters - Army Community - Army Discussions - Army Times

Letters

Here’s what stress is

Stress? President Obama suggests Maj. Nidal Hasan cracked under stress. That’s a slap in the face to the men and women who have deployed countless times and have yet to pick up a gun and start shooting their own. I don’t buy the stress defense.

Want to know what stress is? I will take it from the point of view of an Army wife:

Stress is:

• Knowing your husband leaves in a few weeks and making sure you have all legal documents in order in case he doesn’t come back, he’s taken POW or you need his signature to proceed with any number of legal, bank or personal dealings while he is deployed.

• Sitting in a gymnasium for a few hours knowing those are the final moments you will spend with him for 12 to 15 months.

• Keeping your chin up and telling him, “Goodbye” and “stay safe” and holding your tears back because he whispered, “Don’t cry, babe” in your ear.

• Watching the man you love march out with his unit and wave back at you one last time.

• Not hearing from your husband for a week or two until his unit is finally settled in whatever God-forsaken location they are assigned to.

• Coming home and continuing with your everyday life, work, school, children, family, home, pets, vehicles and any other daily activity by yourself and not having the luxury of being able to talk to your spouse about it.

• Living for the brief 10- to 15-minute phone call from him that may come once a week.

• Watching the news every day and seeing the politicians back home tie soldiers’ hands by bringing political correctness into the battlefield.

• Getting a phone call mid-tour telling you your husband is OK but being medevac’d to Germany.

• Calling your husband’s rear detachment and having them give you no further information about where your husband is or how badly he is hurt.

• Quitting the best job you ever had to pack up your stuff and move 18 hours back to the post he’s assigned to so you can have a place before he gets there.

• Having to feed, bathe and care for your husband because he cannot use his arms.

• Listening to his guilt for not being able to come back with his unit.

• Knowing another deployment is just another year and a half away.

• Repeating this cycle two or three or four more times.

I’ve yet to see an Army wife “crack” and go on an “act of violence that is inexplicable.”

— Dai H. Salerno, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Don’t sacrifice values

We as soldiers have to look a certain way to maintain unity and discipline in the Army. It has worked so far and it is amazing that we change now because a man with religious beliefs has to have a beard, long hair and turban [“Regs make way for religion,” Nov. 9].

What else can we get away with? What other values will we get rid of because they make people uncomfortable? We make sacrifices so we can protect this country.

We came into this knowing this and yet this captain, of all people, wants to throw away the regulations. I think that it is an insult to his unit, the Army and this country. If he was willing to raise his right hand and pledge his life to this country, he should have to abide by the rules like the rest of the soldiers do everyday.

This new Army is a joke. I’ve been in less than two years and I know that in the old days things like that wouldn’t stand in the Army. So why now? What makes him different from other soldiers? Bring back the old Army and I will be happy.

— Pfc. Thomas Nobles, Fort Lewis, Wash.

—————

When I read the article about Capt. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi and how he is able to wear a turban and grow a beard while in the Army uniform, I was shocked — as many are, I am sure.

Over the last 23 years of my service to my country, I have never seen anything of this nature brought to light. I have nothing against his religious beliefs. I am a Protestant, and if I changed over to Muslim beliefs, do I get to wear a turban and grow a beard?

The Army needs to look at this further and not decide so hastily on letting this member get away from AR 670-1 (Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia). Aren’t we all supposed to be treated equal in the Army?

— Sgt. 1st Class Craig S. Jones, Daegu, South Korea

A policy of delusion

As news media reported the tragic events at Fort Hood, Texas, I read with particular interest the comments of Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff. He said, “Our diversity, not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as the tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.”

He expressed the legitimate concerns of a senior leader. However, I find his comments ironic at best and hypocritical at worst given that the Army legitimizes discrimination and bludgeons diversity every day as it executes its don’t ask, don’t tell policy, which forces the 65,000 patriots currently serving in our military to hide or lie about their own identity.

It is also an affront to those 13,000 veterans separated under this policy, many of whom were combat veterans or had critical skills. Don’t ask, don’t tell is a policy of delusion that acknowledges that gays and lesbians serve in our military but pretends they’re not there.

In the spirit of his expressed concerns regarding protecting diversity in our Army, I would urge Gen. Casey to aggressively advocate for the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell. Diversity is best supported by the courageous expression of truth.

— Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Laich (ret.), Powell, Ohio

Pointless discrimination

Bravo to 2nd Lt. Shawn Goodin. This is the first time I have seen the don’t ask, don’t tell policy and its surrounding prejudices examined in light of Army values, and he is right: Discrimination against homosexuals in the U.S. military is a violation of those values, and it has always been a violation.

I submit that discrimination against homosexuals is as pointless and ridiculous as the discrimination faced by black soldiers in World War II or the Vietnam era and, if we were all honest, continued discrimination against females.

To claim that homosexuals would destroy unit discipline is a cop-out. Discipline is the result of good training and leadership, not the sexual orientation of the guy next to you in the line. The unit will get over having homosexuals in it, just as it got over serving with blacks and females.

I don’t care about a soldier’s sexual orientation; I care that he or she can back me up in combat.

— Sgt. Alexandra Grey, Fort Sam Houston, Texas