Im not sure how to really answer this...I do believe we need to pull out troops out , things will only go back to how they were once we are gone anyways....I have a son-in-law that has joined the army hes active duty and is about to welcome his first child into the world, I just pray that hes not sent away...Im sure if he is it will be devastating to my daughter...The killings need to stop , we have lost so much already and what have we actually gained I must ask ???
United States needs to worry about our own country during our time of recession, so many are losing everything they have worked so hard for all their lives and our governments wasting money over in another country..I do thank our troops for all they have done and feel sorrow when we lose one of our men or women...

As a mother of a soldier and a wife of a veteran my heart goes out to all those who have served and that are currently serving.

As a mother it pains me to see my beautiful son come back broken in spirit and mind. To look at him he looks fine, but being his mother I see and feel his pain. I do not want any parent to experience this.

To all those that have served and died before me I owe you my life and that of my family. May God have mercy on you and bless you for all you have done. Saying thank you just does not seem like enough. I will never forget and I will always carry that gratitude forward. God be with you all.

Thank You to all our men and women that are fighting for this country and to the ones that have fought for this country!

I agree. I liked your assessment about how Afghanistan is different from Vietnam and Iraq. I have a son who wants to go into the military but, they won't take him for medical reasons. Instead, he is going to college to get his BSN and go into the medical field. Like I said earlier, I would rather go there and fight so the younger ones don't have to experience the war. Non-veterans don't really grasp how this experience can change your entire outlook on life. Some go off the deep end and never make it all the way back. Others, learn to cope with it over time. Having to see your enemy dead or your buddie, clearly changes you. I lost my best friend when I was 21 years old. We were like brothers, and there is not a day goes by I don't remember something we use to do and laugh about it. I guess that is the healing process. I have a deep amount of respect for these young soldiers coming home today. Thanks for your post.

A proud veteran

It's kind of sad that the only posters on this topic are combat vet and a mother of a current service man.

I'm sure if the country needed to re institute the draft to support the war in Afghanistan people would be interested in this topic. For now it's up to vets and current service people like Military Momma's family to worry about apparently.

Here is an excerpt of a NY Times editorial today. It's not my opinion but presents an educated viewpoint on the issue...

Amidst all the problems, the NATO coalition has a few things going for it. First, American forces have become quite good at counterinsurgency. They have a battle-tested strategy, experienced troops and a superb new leadership team. According to the political scientists Andrew J. Enterline and Joseph Magagnoli, since World War II, counterinsurgency efforts that put population protection at their core have succeeded nearly 70 percent of the time.

Second, the enemy is wildly hated. Only 6 percent of Afghans want a Taliban return, while NATO is viewed with surprising favor. This is not Vietnam or even Iraq.

Third, while many Afghan institutions are now dysfunctional, there is a base on which to build. The Afghan Army is a successful institution. Local villages have their own centuries-old civic institutions. The National Solidarity Program was able to build development councils in 23,000 villages precisely because the remnants of civil society still exist.

We have tried to fight the Afghan war the easy way, and it hasn't worked. Switching now to the McChrystal strategy is a difficult choice, and President Obama is right to take his time. But Obama was also right a few months ago when he declared, "This will not be quick, nor easy. But we must never forget: This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. ... This is fundamental to the defense of our people."

Yes.

Is this a rhetorical question?

My son and nephew just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Two months after my son returned home from a 15 month tour they wanted him to return to Iraq. I thank God this did not happen.

Now they are sending more troops back to Iraq and even more to Afghanistan. Once again my son is on the list to possibly go back over. The military stated that the troops would be back in the states for one yr before being redeployed, this is a joke.

I gave them a healthy , happy, well adjusted young man and what they gave me back was a young man with anger issues, nightmares, and a unknown illness that they are unable to diagnose.

I really do not know what the answer is, I just pray for there safe return. I hope that everyone would pray for the troops and there families.

My heart says, "Nuke'em". But my mind says, stay, fight, and win this war. Else, all the other men who have died there have done so in vain. I am a veteran with 11 years experience in a combat unit with special ops expereince. I left active duty in 1981 and spent 5 more years in the reserves. On the other note, I also can argue the other way and say it is time to pull out to cut our losses. I sure wish I could go there and fight, so the younger ones don't have to. I would rather give my life to save the younger ones and end this war now! I would like to thank all veterans for their service, now and in the past.