"Do your younger soldiers know about the possibility of the delayed pay?"
"What?" he asked - his face confused.
"Of the government shut-down? They may not get the next paycheck. They will be delayed." I continue.
His face twists,"They haven't fixed that?" he replies.
"No. Not yet. They may not in time." I forget how much of the day-to-day news they miss over there. "Some of your guys need to be prepared for that." He nods in agreement - clearly thinking about something. I wait to ask my next question.
"What are you going to do?" I ask simply not really sure if that was what I meant to say.
He looks square into the camera, "My job."
I have no intention of getting political here. I am not going to give my opinion on what is happening in Washington and around this country. I have said before that those things are never something I will discuss in this forum.
But please know, that no matter what happens in the next several days or weeks or months those who serve this nation will still lace their boots, and strap on their body armor, and place their helmets, and take up their guns, and fight the battles, and give their lives, without running water, without decent food, without air conditioning, without real beds, without being able to hug their children and kiss their spouses. They will stand to defend this nation - in unimaginable situations and at unspeakable costs.
They will still do what they have sworn to do without asking anything of you.
Not even a pay check.
Yes, they will.
ReplyDeleteI talked to my husband about this today. He seems so unflappable. I'm sitting here worried to death, but he's still doing what's asked of him. As always, I can take a lesson from him.
My fiance turned in his reenlistment papers last week. He could be out in May, but wants to stay even with all that is looming.
ReplyDeleteAll I could think about is how when we were young and enlisted, we lived every day on a tight budget. Some times, a paycheck was just 3 or 4 days away, and we would be DRY.
ReplyDeletePRAYING for our country, our leaders, and our service men and women who will continue to protect us, no matter what.
This is SO like the Revolutionary times, it is eerie. My oldest has been studying early American History, and the parallel situations really blow me away....
I agree with you 110%. My husband is currently deployed and even though we will be financially okay I know others will not and that really saddens me. Those families will be in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI am with ya ... I am VERY concerned for the junior enlisted. I am even more concerned that the info about organizations are stepping up to help is not being put out there by those who SHOULD be putting it out there. I have been posting what I find on the FB fan wall.
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