It was just a few days after September 11th and I was sitting in my shrink’s office for my weekly appointment – hey, I’m from New York and everyone has one – when my shrink told me she had thought about me that week because of the death of the Special Forces soldier in Libya. She wanted to know how I was doing and if it affected me. Then almost out of curiosity she asked how the 9/11 anniversary affected me personally, if I tend to feel very angry on that day.
Seems normal a shrink asking her patient how they are feeling right? But the interesting thing was, even though she has known me for quite some time and knows I am a journalist and military wife, she has never brought up current events in any past sessions. And although I do speak of military related things, current events is something I would rarely bring up in an appointment. So my answers were probably not what she expected.
Out of sight, Out of mind
I suddenly knew that the brazen terror attack on our Embassy and subsequent murders of our U.S.Ambassador to Libya and three former U.S. soldiers on the anniversary of 9/11 had finally forced the general public to pay attention. But the thing is I already pay attention, my anger doesn’t rise and fall just because of an anniversary. The anniversary of 9/11 to me, is a day to feel the great sadness for all the victims families and their losses. A day to honor the heroes lost and the ones who since then, have tirelessly fought to uphold our freedoms and have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is a day to acknowledge a loss of innocence for so many military families, who like me, have had their lives turned upside down for the past ten years in ways many could not imagine.
I told her sadly this news is normal for me, there are soldiers getting killed almost everyday, that’s my reality. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that the death of this former Navy Seal is not important – but the death of any American soldier, unfortunately is just another gut wrenching kick that leaves me with a sick feeling throughout anyday. One is no more or less important than the other. And the outrage that I feel when one of our boys (or girls) get killed is not only towards the psycho extremists behind it, but towards all the people in this nation who keep their heads in the sand because it’s easier than facing the hard truth. And that includes our own government, definitely our liberal media, and of course the average citizen who can’t be bothered paying attention to what happens outside of their own cushy lives and the Real Houswives. And nothing against the Real Housewives, I watch all of them, but you can pay attention to both, that’s what the DVR is for. Oh, you complain,my life is not that cushy. I was out of work for a whole year and had to move my entire family in with my folks. You mean that 4 bedroom house in the suburbs with a backyard pool, a stacked fridge, HDTV, and full A/C?. You mean your kids have to share a bedroom, you can only golf once a month and your car is now five years old? Try being an 18 year old kid away from home in a hostile country living under the constant threat of being shot in the back by people you are actually sacrificing your life for.
Blinded by hope and change
Oh, you haven’t heard about the ‘Green on Blue‘ attacks that have been steadily and alarmingly increasing since 2009? You know, when President Obama announced to enemies that we would be pulling out of Afghanistan? Green on Blue? That’s when the Afghan security forces we are training and equipping with AK-47’s, turn their guns around and shoot our U.S. soldiers dead in cold blood. Four of them just three days ago. Actually its any NATO soldier killed as the Brits and Aussies have also fallen victim to this new tactic of our enemy. The latest stats show already 51 deaths this year caused by Green on Blue attacks, and that’s not including the wounded. Before Obama announced his brilliant foreign policy withdrawal, those kind of attacks constituted 2% of all deaths per year, now its up to 15%. And ain’t it just grand that our commanders still can’t figure out how to stop it. Requiring all U.S. military personnel to be armed at all times, even in so-called safe zones, adding an eight stage vetting process did nothing. In fact the weekend before the brutal attacks in Libya, Green on Blue murdered two U.S. Marines and caused over 200 million in damages completely destroying six U.S. fighter jets during an attack on the Royal Prince Harry’s base. That same day four U.S. troops and two British troops were also killed in separate Green on Blue attacks. in the same attack. U.S. commanders are so verklempt they’ve pretty much given up, announcing just this week they have suspended all joint exercises with the Afghan army. What a sign of strength I tell you! I am all for the safety of our troops, but at this point the Taliban pretty much has officially bullied us out of the playground. And don’t think the rest of the Muslim world hasn’t noticed.
Media, media where art thou media?
U.S. Military to Media? Can you hear us? Copy? Can you hear us? We’re still here, why can’t you see us? Oh that’s right you don’t report about us unless it is something that will benefit your savior and leader President Obama. Oh there I go again with religious references. I have been wanting to write about these Green on Blue attacks since I started reading about them on various military news centric websites last year. Somehow the topic never seemed to gain traction with the mainstream media. Yet funny when George W was in office they couldn’t report how many soldiers were killed fast enough. Since Obama has been in office, it’s all about the warped soldier with PTSD who’s gone on a killing spree or has “harmed innocent civilians on the battlefield.” (future article, I promise). And to my continuous outrage, until last month, almost all the reporting of Green on Blue attacks in the media only listed those killed as NATO soldiers, when over 100 of the deaths since 2011 were American. It’s the dirty little secret kept undercover from the public. Lets face it, if you don’t see U.S. soldier in the headlines, the average person will probably skip it. Now I can’t say it was only the media and not the U.S. Command disseminating information, but even if the Democrats’ media mistresses refused to report what was really happening, it may be that the glare of injustice to our soldiers would have been too bright for the public to see anyway.
I hate to repeat history, but did you ever read the first article I ever wrote as Lipstick Conservative? Frighteningly not much has changed, except for a few players in charge of our troops and more American lives lost in the boondoggle of NATO rules of engagement. I said it then and I’ll say it again now, “our soldiers are dealing with a self-destructive system of rules on the ground… rules designed to aid the enemy instead of our troops.”
Those Taliban are clever I tell you. Bide your time until you know the Americans will definitely leave, then ramp up attacks you know they can’t properly retaliate to, and you can make them look weak in the eyes of the Muslim world. And if the U.S. military looks weak, so does the United States as a nation. Weak economy, weak military, weak stomach, weak resolve – the makings of defeat…an Obama foreign policy sundae topped with a big ole dollop of weaksauce. Take that Jay Z and David Letterman. Oh I’m sorry, I got distracted by some liberal star power for a minute. What was I saying? Oh Yeah, OUR SOLDIERS ARE DYING, OUR U.S. AMBASSADOR WAS MURDERED IN A TERRORIST ATTACK COMMITTED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION IS TALKING CIRCLES AS USUAL TRYING TO SPIN THE BLAME TO ANYONE BUT YOURSELVES.
For more detailed information on all Green on Blue attacks, including breakdowns and compiled statistics, visit
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