Our View: War lessons transfer to our home front
Eight years and nine months later: The war in Iraq is over.
In his weekly address, President Barack Obama “expressed the gratitude of the entire nation to the brave men and women who have served in the war in Iraq.”
Here in the High Country, we share and echo that sentiment — although we know that no words could express the depth of gratitude due to more than 4,500 U.S. families whose soldiers paid the ultimate price of war, freedom and security.
Even as this war ended, questions lingered. Two in particular are on our minds: Was this war worth it, and will the government we leave behind remain loyal to the U.S., or fall in line with Iran?
For those answers, time will tell. But today there is no question about the valor and determination with which our military members served. During this almost nine-year period, more than 1.5 million Americans served with honor, bravery and skill in Iraq. Families sacrificed and watched as their personal heroes deployed not just once, but in many cases multiple times during the war.
To watch a family member march off to war is to live in fear — fear that a loved one will not be coming home, or the fear that they may not be able to help that loved one adjust when he or she does return.Adjustment will be a cornerstone to the successful return of our military heroes. After rebuilding a country, our veterans deserve an opportunity to rebuild their lives through home and work — and our lawmakers must be sensitive to this as they struggle to help our nation rebuild our economy.
From those who served in our military we learned much about patriotism and coalition building. We hope those lessons translate to those who are now on the front line of our nation's difficult battles.
In his weekly address, President Barack Obama “expressed the gratitude of the entire nation to the brave men and women who have served in the war in Iraq.”
Here in the High Country, we share and echo that sentiment — although we know that no words could express the depth of gratitude due to more than 4,500 U.S. families whose soldiers paid the ultimate price of war, freedom and security.
Even as this war ended, questions lingered. Two in particular are on our minds: Was this war worth it, and will the government we leave behind remain loyal to the U.S., or fall in line with Iran?
For those answers, time will tell. But today there is no question about the valor and determination with which our military members served. During this almost nine-year period, more than 1.5 million Americans served with honor, bravery and skill in Iraq. Families sacrificed and watched as their personal heroes deployed not just once, but in many cases multiple times during the war.
To watch a family member march off to war is to live in fear — fear that a loved one will not be coming home, or the fear that they may not be able to help that loved one adjust when he or she does return.Adjustment will be a cornerstone to the successful return of our military heroes. After rebuilding a country, our veterans deserve an opportunity to rebuild their lives through home and work — and our lawmakers must be sensitive to this as they struggle to help our nation rebuild our economy.
From those who served in our military we learned much about patriotism and coalition building. We hope those lessons translate to those who are now on the front line of our nation's difficult battles.