"The Troops Also Need to Support the American People" - My Take on William Arkins' Article

There is so much I would like to say about William M. Arkins article in the Washington Post that I can't begin to think of where to start. First, I object vehemently to I and my brother and husband and father and generations of relative who chose to serve this country since the Revolutionary War being called mercinaries.

Second, I don't know who Mr. Arkins has been talking to but he is sadly mistaken about military pay. No one serve this country for the pultry amount they earn as a soldier, sailor, or airman. When my father served, the fantastic pay he earned as a TSgt (E6) plus his wife's salary gained us the wonderful achievement of qualifying for welfare. He chose not to accept this benifit but there would have been no trouble if he wanted to. By the time I married things had improved some. My husband, an E5 when we married, only qualified for food stamps.

That doesn't take into account the long hours, seperations, and missed holidays. My husband missed the first six months of our eldest son's life. If you want to watch a man brought to tears, have his child scream in terror when he tries to pick him up because he or she thinks their father is a stranger. That doesn't begin to talk about all the holidays we spent appart. During my husband time in the Army we spent more holidays apart than together as a family. No one stays in the military because of the fantastic pay, great benifits, and wonderful working conditions. If you're looking for a 9 to 5 job pass the military by and look elsewhere. People stay with the military for all those old fashioned ideas that most people laugh at now days; things like Duty, Honor, and Love of Country.

Yes, there are those wonderful packages from home. The cookies are nothing but crumbs, the cakes are squashed, it's all stale from 2 plus weeks of shipping; but it tastes like manna because it contains the love and respect of the people back home and it is not an MRE. The news paper is out of date, but there on page 20 is your little brother getting his 4H award for best calf. Who else would request that when you record Law and Order to send over, that you be sure to include the commercials as well. All of that and a hundred other thing mean that for a few brief seconds you're not there, you're really back home.

It angers me that men and women who give up so much are called criminals, and selfish mercenaries by a man who has no knowledge of the military what so ever. I could go on and on but I believe Rudyard Kipling did a much better job than I ever could. Read on if you're not board:

Tommy

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,

The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."

The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,

I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";

But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,

The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,

O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,

They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;

They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,

But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";

But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,

The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,

O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep

Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;

An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit

Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"

But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,

The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,

O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,

But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;

An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:

Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"

But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,

There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,

O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:

We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.

Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face

The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"

But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;

An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;

But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

This was long and a bit of a rant. I'm sorry it's not the usual, but I was more than a little angry and this is where I come to vent some times. Come back tomarrow; I should be better by then.