MILITARY LIFE

Military Life

By: Maggie A. Escoto

It’s amazing when one becomes part of a military family, directly or indirectly, the perspective of holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day change.  The view is no longer how most people view these holidays: as a long weekend to just unwind, go on vacation, shopping for sales, etc. etc.  Yesterday I asked someone what their family was doing for the holiday and I was at least expecting to hear, “family coming over for bbq” but instead I got, “Nothing, we don’t know any fallen military.” Hmmmmmm…I found that to be interesting.

Not surprising as I used to think along the same lines...didn’t really give much thought about the men and women who have sacrificed not only their lives but also the sacrifice that the soldiers’ families also make that we would take for granted the freedoms that we have been given because of them. By the way, if you compare their sacrifice of EVERYTHING to their pay is nothing to write home about (but that is another story and pet peeve for another day).

In life, people make sacrifices for the well-being of themselves and others. The call of a sacrifice should be a personal decision or life practices for a better coexistence. However, this is not true for American soldiers, their duties call for sacrifices. 

The soldiers sacrifice their lives for the nation and pledge allegiance to the constitution that they will serve with devotion. This makes them U.S. property; they do not have control of their lives like other citizens because the call requires them to be alert at all times. Their social, political, economical, and other aspects of life are controlled and monitored by the government. They go to war and defend the nation at the expense of their lives. Like men and women of the forces who have served the country against attacks in the past wars, the current soldiers still lay their lives for the sake of the nation. American soldiers constantly fight oppression and tyranny, which faces the nation and other nations. Unrestrained, terrorism and the danger of terrorism, whether done abroad or on American soil, threaten our prosperity, our culture, and our means of life. The responsibility for combating and overcoming these evil acts lies with our military services and our alliance allies.

And these are just the basics.

Culture Sacrifices

The soldiers' sacrifices are rarely noticed or given deserving attention.  Did you know that the soldier who goes to fight in other regions sacrifices the culture practices of United State? These soldiers suffer harsh cultural and religious practices, which are practiced in these foreign nations. Some of the soldiers have been executed due to these cultural differences. Women in the American armed forces, who are stationed in Afghanistan and other Arab nations, are sacrificing the protection their Kevlar helmet gives to comply with Islamic ethnicity. These practices are said to protect their existence and save their lives during their duties. This change of identity in order to serve or perform your duty is a call for sacrifice for many. They have been demanded to cover their heads with a scarf known as hijab, so as to be accepted to stay in these nations. This is political correctness, which is creating havoc on the American military. These are sacrifices that affect the individuals so much since they involve changing lifestyle. These soldiers have to forfeit their cultural activities they use to enjoy before joining the forces. They have to form new culture, which take times to incorporate into life style.

Living Standards

The luxurious life, which people tend to enjoy and properly plan for is a thing the military dreams of. The job jurisdictions make them to be alert at all. They sacrifice the living standard because their jobs dictate where they can stay and what particular activities they are allowed to be involved in. The soldiers sacrifice every bit of their living because they have to live in accordance to the code of conduct given to them.  The life style is checked in that everything is timetabled and must be adhered to, from the sleeping hours, eating habit, exercise practices, and social activities. Having the uniform for identification are segregation factors and defining tactics of their existence.  Their social, political, economical as well as other aspects of life is control and monitored by the government. The social life style of an officer is always restricted and checked so as not to interfere with duty.  The U.S soldier is politically restricted from engaging in politics of the nations, and only allowed to protect the constitution of the nation.

And these are to name just a few.

UNFAIR IMBALANCE:

Let’s talk a little bit about the families left behind in the face of deployment.

Many politicians, including the President, over the years proclaim, “I understand what the families of our service members go through,” but with all due respect, they have absolutely no clue, especially if they have never served their country thru the military.

Until you live in their shoes every day for the duration of a combat deployment, none of us can truly understand the full measure of what they suffer. At least those in the military get the pat on the back. But what notoriety do their family members receive for the silent sacrifice they make? There is virtually no recognition.

Most servicemen and women would unequivocally agree that without the heroic sacrifice a spouse makes at home while away in the war zone, they wouldn’t be as effective on the front lines. Military spouses keep the homefront going. We admire your dedication and commitment to your families, your spouses who fight for our freedom, and our country. Not just anyone can do the job that is required of a military spouse. The military spouses are a people that are strong, dedicated, loving, and supportive under the most extreme and stressful situations. They fill the role of both mother and father to their children while their loved ones are deployed. They put their careers on hold due to constant relocation. They have to keep it together all while knowing their loved ones are in a war zone. Under the worse of circumstances, their loved ones come back wounded or pay the ultimate sacrifice. In those situations, the military spouses are thrown into the role of a caregivers to their Wounded Warrior or they become military widows/widowers.

These men and women offer up their goals and dreams, their livelihoods, and their futures on the altar of this Nation. They are every bit as much our Nation’s heroes as those who wear the uniform and their sacrifices must not be swept under the rug when the stories of these wars are told. Nor should we allow Congress or the American people to argue that these men and women who give up their lives to become full-time caregivers to wounded warriors should go unpaid and unrecognized for their efforts on the Nation’s behalf.

Military spouses are our Unsung Heroes!

What can we do for our military families?

There are so many things we can do for them and they are as simple as:

1. Thank them and tell how much you appreciate their service

2. Pay for a soldier’s meal or the families’ meal if resources allow

3. Give the couple a date night and offer to babysit their children

4. Pray for the military families

5.  Give them gift certificates for massages and spa treatments.

There is so much that one can do if we choose to be creative.

Soldiers Payer

Psalm 91 (NIV)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation. ”

Military Spouse’s Prayer

Dear Lord, give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and his/her love for me.  Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls him/her, he/she must go.  Give me a task to do each day, to fill the time when he/she is away. Lord when he/she is in a foreign land, keep him/her safe in your loving hand, when duty is in field, please protect him/her and be his/her shield.  And Lord, when deployment is so long, please stay with me and keep me strong. Amen.

Prayer for Military Families

Father, may the families of our military personnel – their spouses, children, and parents – cast all their cares and burdens upon You.  Instead of being worried or filled with anxiety, may they pray about everything that concerns them and everything that concerns their soldier’s life and deployment.  As You promised, then cause Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Grant all our military troops this same peace, and let them feel the love we have for them even though we are far apart.

1Peter 5:7, Amplified; Philippians 4:6-7