Paul A. Ibbetson
Is somebody watching over you today? Is there someone somewhere that is willing to put your well-being ahead of theirs? Those are powerful questions that we seldom ponder here in America. Why? The answer is that safety, security and most importantly freedom, the delicacies sought in so many places in the world, are things we in America nonchalantly pile upon our plates daily like hungry diners at an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord. Say what you will, but the reality is that even in the worst of times we really have it good. However, America, the magnet for so many people of the world, has been maintained and has flourished by the blood of the American soldier. The soldier’s willingness to fight and if need be, die on foreign soils against vicious enemies for the nation’s survival is often underestimated.
The war on terror brought a realization to most Americans through the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that we had to take a stand against radical Islamic extremism. In one of President George W. Bush’s best moments as the leader of the free world, Americans took an overdue offensive stance against terrorism. American fighting forces, along with others across the world, have been fighting a brave battle against the scourge of Islamic terrorism. Unfortunately, the battle to defeat terrorism has been as much a battle within as on the outside. In a political environment not seen since Vietnam, the American soldier has been placed in the very untenable situation of being charged with finding victory in the battle zone, without being able to incorporate the normal tools by which victory is attained. Political correctness on the battlefield handed down by those in government without the belly for war or simply American victory, has threatened the lives of American soldiers in more ways than one.
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Lt. Col. Allen West: A Voice for the Leavenworth 10″