Column: Many local veterans suffered a body blow this week
By Dan Kontos
Right now, here in Portage County, many veterans are watching current events overseas, and are left feeling understandably upset. Especially those vets who were deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The mental, physical, and emotional wounds often run deep. Understandably, many are questioning the impact of their own sacrifice and service, or the service of others who deployed there.
You see, if you have been watching the news at all this week, you’ve witnessed the calamitous and pathetic attempt to pull our troops out of Afghanistan. The absolute unmitigated disaster that was ordered by the man who presumes to hold the mantle of commander-in-chief, none other than Joe Biden himself.
We learned of our troops being withdrawn in the middle of the night, without even a heads up to our allies, without first evacuating thousands of US citizens, without managing the equipment and bases left behind, and apparently without a clue.
What resulted was the rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the take-over by the Taliban, and the stranding of unknown numbers of Americans in that doomed country, forcing us to send more troops back into Kabul than we had withdrawn. Twenty years of US blood and treasure vanished like a puff of smoke.
Despite assurances to the contrary, we watched helicopters evacuating staff off of the roof of the American embassy, à la Saigon in 1975, Afghanis desperately clinging to US cargo planes, and some even falling to their deaths. Meanwhile, our government dithers, apparently frozen by their own incompetence.
To add insult to injury, Mr. Biden had the audacity to cut his Camp David vacation short to jet back to DC for a short address to the nation where he used a twist on the old Harry S. Truman saying when he said, “The buck stops with me.” He then proceeded to blame the government of Afghanistan, the Afghan Army, and, you guessed it, President Trump. All this just before boarding Marine One and flying back to resume his vacation without taking a single question.
His speech was, frankly, pathetic and laced with inaccuracies. Falsehoods like they had no warning this was going to happen, that Afghan interpreters and others did not want to leave, that President Trump had tied his hands, and that his administration had planned for every contingency.
While most Americans believe that we should withdraw our troops, this bungled execution has left our citizens in danger, billions of dollars worth of military equipment in the hands of Islamofascists, our allies seeing us as untrustworthy, and our adversaries seeing us as weak. I wouldn’t take that vacation to Taiwan just yet.
Worse yet, thousands of Americans are trapped in Afghanistan while the most powerful military in the world is told to sit on their hands. What in the hell is going on?
Am I torqued? You bet I am.
But right now, there is another pressing need in our own community. To the vets who have taken a gut punch this week, hang in there. You are not alone.
Hold your head high, you did your duty. The military did not fail, our government did. Your service, sacrifice, and accomplishments were not in vain. You deployed, showed valor and courage, accomplished the mission, and made it home. You answered the call of duty, and we are forever grateful.
It’s normal to feel that way you may be feeling right now, and there is no shame in that. It will take time to process all of this, but you don’t have to face it alone. Talk with your friends and families, reach out to battle buddies, connect with a peer-to-peer group or network, or seek mental health services.
There are lots of resources that can be a great help. Places like the Veterans Crisis Line, Real Warriors Campaign, and our own County Veterans Service Office.
Veterans are a tough bunch; resilient and strong. However, they are also not very good at asking for help. We need to be there for those that need our support. If you know of a vet who could use a hand, please reach out.
For those that never served and don’t understand, that’s fine. Just appreciate that this is a real thing, and people are hurting right here in our community.
So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, unafraid, and with a healthy respect for each other. Please pray for our nation and our fellow citizens now in danger. God bless.
Dan Kontos is a paid columnist for the Metro Wire. He chooses his own topics and his opinions do not necessarily represent the staff of the Metro Wire. He lives with his family in Whiting.
Interested in becoming a columnist for the Metro Wire? Email [email protected].