Christmas for the troops

Authors note: names in this story have been changed to protect people I love from the consequences of words spoken during a bitterly stressful time that few people would understand

"Those little bitches!" Generally swearing after mail call in Fallujaha is uncalled for, let's face it we lived for a new picture from our kid or a word of love, so we all gathered around Grif to see what was wrong.

Things were hot this trip, it was the winter prior to the surge in Iraq and we were on the staff of the Seabee Regiment tasked with preparing facilities for the upcoming operations. The base itself was mortared or rocketed daily, and we had lost a few troops everyone was on edge.

Grif had received a case of cookies from a Girl-scout troop in his hometown. "Everyone of those damn girls wrote me a letter, now I am going to have to write 30 thank you notes back. Well I am not doing it anymore, I am tired of this shit!"

Now of course we couldn't let it stand at that, so we all took a handful of letters and zipped off a few lines for Grif to sign. There was no way we would disappoint a bunch of teenage girls who were doing a good thing. After all we wouldn't have been there (most of us already on our second voluntary tour) if we ad been the kind of creeps who ignored little girls with cookies.

I am thinking about that now because it is almost Christmas and I am seeing appeals all over the place to do this and that for the troops and I am not at all sure that is what the troops want. We were always grateful for the expressions of support from home, but by the end it was luxury items. The military gave us the basic necessities and that's all a warrior really wants. During my tours in the zone I bet I have given away dozens of pounds of candy to LNs and TCNs who wanted it more then me. Not to mention all the stuff that was left behind or thrown away because we travel light. The best present I ever received from America was when someone sent us a bunch of copies of Playboy for Christmas in 2006, now that was a useful tool!

So what I am saying if you are still bothering to read this is support your troops by giving to a cause in their honor. Drop something in the Toys for Tots bin or write Metropolitan Ministries a check in honor of the U.S. military, but do something to make a solider proud of you this Christmas.