Mark Wright’s Blog

People have mixed opinions about the military.  During the beginning of my enlistment, there was a stigma of being in the military, especially if you were stationed in a military town.  As Desert Storm began, military members were treated much better.  We were thanked for being in the military.  I guess it is one of those things that people don’t really think about until they have to use it.    

There are a group of volunteers in Maine that are showing they appreciate the troops leaving or coming back from service.  The Maine Troop Greeters are a volunteer organization that greets troops leaving and arriving from the Bangor, Maine airport.  Since Bangor is a refueling stop, they see lots of Marines and soldiers.  They provide snacks and cell phone usage as well as just letting them know they appreciate what they do. 

I am happy that there are people that still appreciate what the military does.  Wars are never popular and especially the current conflict in Iraq.  However, U.S. service members do not have the luxury of picking and choosing which conflicts they want to fight.  The Vietnam War was especially unpopular.  To add to this, soldiers were drafted meaning that they didn’t even have a choice of joining the military.  Many of them came home to protesters screaming obscenities and calling them “baby killers.” 

We all want to be appreciated for what we do.  It is human nature to want acknowledgment for doing our jobs well.  Our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen do a very difficult job in which they have long separations from their families and sometimes pay the ultimate price.  It is nice to know that there are people that appreciate what they do.  If you know a member of the Armed Services or just see a military member, take the time to let them know you appreciate what they are doing.