Feeling Guilty.What can I do? I'm so proud of what our soldiers are doing for us overseas.?

Question

I feel guilty for living this fairly easy life over here in the states. What can we do as respectfull citizens to make this world a better place.I'm to old to join the military. Even if I could join I would'nt have the guts.

Answer 1

By supporting their actions by keeping your beliefs strong and being on here answering the people who critise our boys

Answer 2

Soldiers are guardians of the freedoms and liberties we all enjoyed. They are tasked with the burdens of the security of this great nation good or bad and they do it because they understand what lies before them mostly the danger of many of those jobs whether it's combat arms or combat support. A soldier is a mindset, not what you wear, so serving and /or supporting is of itself 'being a soldier". You 'have to' be a soldier of a marine 'before' you get to boot-camp and not the other way around. We need the support of the general public, families and churches to support a job only 0.2% of the population takes the oath of office to serve. The mindset of a soldier is biblical given the many examples of soldiers like Moses, or Gideon or the great apostle Paul, the slaying of the Philistine by the shepherd boy Daniel. So, support is a testimony of your courage, commitment and what's in your heart, that is what makes a soldier!
1SG (Dr.) Candi O. Belle
Atlanta, Georgia

Answer 3

What we all can do is try and educate ourselves on different cultures and religions and then pass on that knowledge to others so they will be educated as well. The reason alot of fighting happens is because people are not educated enough about a different culture or religion. I am not saying that you have to be a proffessor in religion or every culture in the world, but if you know a little about one, and hear somebody bad mouthing that culture because they are backwards, you can step in and say that they are not backwards, it is their culture or religion that prevents them or makes them do a certain thing.
Education is the key to ending all wars. If more people learned about their neighbor instead of hating them because they are Jewish or Muslim this world would be a more happy place. I spent 20 years in the Navy and traveled to all over the world except Africa. During my travels, I saw things that I could never forget and don't want too. I have witnessed the poverty of a country where children would dive into sewage for a quarter, but would wash up and go to church and not be late. I have seen the beauty of a mosque in Kuwait and the temples in Thailand. I have eaten food that makes my wife and kids squirm, but actually tasted pretty good (even sober).
We need to stop fighting in the name of a god or possession of land and learn to get along in this world and work together to end the tragic problems in this world (hunger, AIDS, cancer). The world would be alot better place that is for sure.
So my advice to you my friend, is to get educated on a different culture or religion. You don't have to practice it, just learn something about it. The internet will provide you with more information than you could possibly read. Then share that information with somebody and ask them to learn about another culture or religion. The chain would be started where ever you live and could circle the world.
Good luck.

Answer 4

There's so many things you *can* do!

1. Pray for the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in the service and encourage others to do so. They're in harm's way and need our support no matter what our politicians say or do. They're underfunded, don't have the right protective equipment, and do the job without complaining.

2. Volunteer in your own little corner of the globe. Donate a bag of groceries when your local supermarket has a food drive. Work a couple hours a week at a soup kitchen or a food bank. Pick up stray bottles and cans for the deposit and donate the money to your church or to the Salvation Army. Donate your gently used clothing to Goodwill or Amvets.

3. Send a care package to a serviceman... here's a website for the Marines. I'm sure the other services have similar programs
http://www.carepackageproject.com/

4. Be good to your kids and grandkids. Treat them with respect and lots of hugs and listen to them. Teach them to love others more than themselves... it'll pay huge dividends for their future.

Answer 5

The military seems to play a big part in our every day lives recently, but everyone has to remember the best way to live in a better world is to continue to educate yourself - on current events mostly, and try to live less selfishly.

Then it's important start focusing on your own community. The military fights for "our freedoms", but I swear a lot of our country forgets about their local issues... pay attention to who is representing you in your community, county, and state. I strongly feel in a roundabout way you'll be helping our soldiers out.

Here in PA there are an amazing amount of National Guard Troops being sent overseas - mandatory 2 terms there... So they ship out ALL the freaking time and take them straight out of high school (which isn't unusual for around the country). Funny how the duties of "The National Guard" are suddenly including caring for other countries... so pay very close attention to your own community and see how they treat Vets in your area as well. It's great to send them care packages and things while they are there, but a great deal of soldiers come back to CRAP and have a LOT of changes to cope with... THAT's where they need our support... for them it seems the war is never over.

Answer 6

I work with a couple guys who have served in Iraq. The absolute best thing you can do is just to let the troops over there know you support them, and haven't forgotten them. There are several websites you can go to and get messages to the troops....wherever you log on to, don't use some site that sends out pre-written boilerplate messages, use one that let's you compose your own message of support.

If you are thinking of making a contribution, the USO is a very worthy organization. They do an awful lot for servicemen and women everywhere. They serve and support the troops, even in combat zones, putting themselves in harm's way.

There are organizations that raise money to provide the troops with used cell phones or phone cards so that they can call home and talk to their families and friends on occasion. My co-worker says those things mean the most to them.

The big thing is just to find a way to support the troops, whether you support or oppose the war in Iraq. Our military people do amazing things everday; they are true heroes, and deserve our support.

Answer 7

Anything to help them and let them know we appreciate what they're doing for us and the whole world.

There are tons of sites for contributing. For example, my mother donated money to send an air conditioner over there through Home Depot a few years ago.

I've seen websites where people send supplies and toiletries etc. Do a google search and I'm sure you can come up with some ways to contribute.

PS: don't feel guilty. They're doing it because that's what they want to do. It takes some very special people to be military these days. Instead of guilt, keep feeling pride and respect.

Answer 8

Stop feeling guilty and do something. When this all started, I vowed to thank personally all soldiers and vets that I could. I see people in uniform frequently. I go out of my way to go shake their hand and thank them for their service. Most of the time, sadly, they are shocked. Hopefully more people will do this and our soldiers won't have to be shocked that someone non military is thanking them. There are web sites that will send a postcard to a soldier for free. I just learned of this and sent one today. Get off your duff and DO SOMETHING for our Troops!

Answer 9

It's nice to see a post from someone that realizes that war, albeit tragic, is a necessity to maintain our freedoms as American's. Those rights include the rights of unpatriotic people in this post to express their viewpoints. Don't let those people deter you from your wanting to do your part for this country. If you can't serve, then help by donating your time or funds to support organizations like the USO. I have been deploying to both areas for the past five years, and I can say that your assistance, in any capacity, is greatly appriciated. It takes a special type of person to serve, and everyone should be graetful that young men and women are willing to fight to defned those who won't.

Answer 10

You can donate supplies that they really need to them and send them letters. I am the Treasurer for a military unit out of Chicago, IL and we are always making care packages for the guys and sending them. You can go to your local military unit and inquire about donating items to the soldiers, you don't have to give money, but if you do you can put that on your taxes. If you have any other questions or would like to donate to my husband's unit you can email me at [e-mail]. The troops really appreciate the support of kind people like yourself.

Answer 11

My daughter is over there in Baghdad and am constantly worried about her. The best support that she has seen is one time when her and one of her friends (both were in uniform) were standing in line at a fast food restaurant. One of the patrons, stepped forward and said that he wanted to pay for their meals. That meant more to her than anything. To show your support, fly the american flag, put a yellow ribbon on your car. Shake the hand of a soldier next time you see him/her.