I'm sure many people think of Memorial Day as just an extra day off work, and, even after spending over eight years in the Air Force, I probably fall into that category most of the time. But at the same time, my tenure in the military, and especially deployments to Pakistan, Qatar, and Iraq, has brought a lot of things to light. We've lost thousands of troops since we invaded Iraq. Civilian deaths are in the tens of thousands. I'm not going to get into a bunch of politics and ethics about pointless pre-emptive invasion, but I will say this: no matter who you are, whether you support this war or not, if you have a single American bone in your body, you have to admit your desire to end this conflict as soon as possible and bring our troops home. It IS possible to support the troops without supporting the war. How?
1) Go to Any Soldier or other similar website and send a care package to a troop in harm's way.
2) Write a letter to your congressman or representative telling them not to vote for any legislation that lowers the pay and benefits of our military, especially in war zones.
3) Volunteer at your local USO.
4) Whatever you do, DON'T get one of those ridiculous yellow ribbons on the back of your car. The money made from those doesn't support troops in any way, and plus, they're just annoying. Everytime I see one, I just want to stop the person and bow down in front of them and say, "Oh, WOW! YOU ARE SO PATRIOTIC!!!" If you want to support the troops, do so in words and deeds. Not in magnets.
5) Pray. This probably sounds the most cliche, but it's also the most effective.
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