Operation Iraqi Freedom

Today is a sad day for my family and I. My brother will be on a plane today to South Carolina on his way to Iraq. He went over last year right after he graduated from boot camp at Ft. Benning in Colombus Georgia. Then this year he knew he was going but didn't exactly know when, so he volunteered to go knowing that if he did that he would have a set date, not one that is up in the air and always changing. So he is packing up he BDU's, helmet, sand goggles, and comfy socks and on his way to lovely Iraq. Last time he was there it wasn't too rough on him from what he told us, but then again the soldiers that came home didn't really talk about their trip over there very much. He did bring back 17 rolls of film for his scrapbook that I made, I had to start another book to fitt all the stuff in there, so I think I will be doing another one soon. I wonder what is going through his head when he is getting all his stuff packed and ready to go. what he is thinking when he is on the plane headed to a place full of poverty, war, and harm. I wonder what he is thinking when he is on a raide in a house looking for enemies pointing a 9mm pistol or and M13 rifle in their face? What goes through their heads when they are driving down a road that could be covered with suicide bombers or IED's in the HUMVEE that could get blown up because of some terrorists selfishness? What goes through their heads when they go to the schools and see the smiles on the childrens faces when they give them pencils and pens that they have very few of or candy that they hardly ever get to enjoy? What goes through his head when he calls his family, which is very rare when they are over there. What goes through the young kids heads that have babies and wives and husbands at home in the states and they have to call and hear the sweet voice of a wife or husband or cries from a baby who misses their parent who is fighting for their country, and, god forbid, may never come home? What goes through their heads when they encounter an american, or non-american that does not agree with the war and the military personnel firghting for us, and they start ranting and complaining about everything that they think our military is doing wrong? Do thye respond in an argument or do they hold their heads high knowing that they are doing something amazing for our country? Do they have pride in themselves when they see american flags, POW flags, and military branch flags waving in the breeze, infront of our homes? or do they think that the only reason we do it is because we are a nation at war, and that a war shouldn't have to make us show pride in our country?
I wonder what people think when they drive by my house and see the flag in my window signifying that I have a loved one over in the war fighting for my freedom and our country, and that he may never come home to us, he may never see his 26th birthday. He may never see my babies when I have them, may never get to go hunting again, go for a climb in the mountains like we used to, or just lecture me because im his baby sister by a whopping 14 months. It's a harsh reality to think those things, but then again you kind of have to prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best, and talk alot to the man upstairs and hope he answers the cries for help and all the prayers and keeps everyone over there safe as humanly possible when involved with a war. I guess I better end this one, the more I go on the more it makes me want to cry. I guess this is when everyone says that I have to keep myself and my family strong, comes in handy, there is no point to crying about it like i feel im going to, when majority of my family is in the military and been through desert storm, O.I.F and every country, and state possible, I love being a military family, it makes me feel proud and have pride in them. I love seeing the yellow support our troops ribbons everywhere. I couldn't be more proud of my brother, although he has problems, he makes me proud, hopefully he will get his life back on track when he returns home to us.
keep him and everyone in his platoon in your parayers, my family will need as many as we can get. Think Positive Lacie think positive...