J. David Galland: A Soldier Reports to America

Since the cowardly attack on the United States, weeks ago, most of us have become rather bored listening to so much babble about the American Military's capabilities, or its lack of capabilities, in the view of some. I, as you, have watched while reporters and talking heads have coined the phrase, "a-new-kind-of-war", and an "intelligence war". And "is the American military ready for this new level of warfare"? What new level of warfare do they think they are talking about? Is this a play on semantics, or do they really think that the Intelligence Function is some kind of new concept, in planning for military action? These questions, posed by CNN Reporter, Jonathan Mann, are comic testimony as to how much the world of journalism does not know about the military. From this old soldier's corner of the foxhole, when I hear reporters ask idiotic questions, it sometimes astounds me. They ask dumb things such as one of NBC's news reporters did, "but is this new army up to this, since it is completely made up of young people brought up in the computer whiz-kid generation"? It really makes me wonder what the heck these people think we are doing, when not engaged in war. We do not sit around the barracks in some sort of "Sergeant Bilko" type opera of melancholic repose, waiting to get yelled at, getting drunk, or smoking and joking. Our business is war, and I want everybody in America to know that we do not wait for new, and personal justifications, in order to train for it and if necessary, apply that training. I have patiently watched the endless repertoire of retired Generals, Colonels, and all the sternly resolute self-professed terrorism experts, of whom few of us had heard of a month ago. Everybody seems to be so knowledgeable. None of them realizes how "off-base" they are in their snap judgments and sidewalk assessments. One might wonder, how can these people know so much about today's military and its capabilities, when many of them have been retired for a decade or more, from the glory of their military careers? Many on the rapidly emerging interview circuit seem to know as much about the military and war as I do about redecorating the Vatican. I would like to take a few lines to the record straight, once and forever, right from the horse's mouth and where the rubber meets the road. Out of the heart of a career soldier, broad on experience and combat duty. The United States military is entirely capable and frankly, not all that much challenged, by what appears to be the task before us. It is not a routine undertaking, however it is not far from it. I can assure you, one and all, that the solidarity and team spirit that has been energized within America's sinew, is a much stronger factor and motivator amongst soldiers. It is an intense bond which those who may not have had experienced it, would be challenged to understand. Out here, in the real world, apart from the prying eyes of the news anchors, the interviewers, and the social analysts, there is an incredibly capable military force that will, and can, make all America proud. Standby and watch, my fellow Americans, and you will be most pleased, and somewhat astounded, at how capable your military is. You may soon observe how wrong it is to challenge the United States and endanger its beloved Freedom. Across the board, I don't know one soldier, who does not equate the attacks on New York, and Washington D. C., as one that may have been launched on his own family or homestead. Please understand, we in the military are not under the mind control powers of our Commanders or leaders, we saw the terrible conflagration as did you. We here in uniform, do not like what we witnessed either. With cool professionalism, and incredible strength, we are here, America's military, and we are not some misguided force of neophyte-untrained kids, who have narrowed our spheres into the production of a laptop program or an email sub-folder, as NBC news-persons would have you believe. So it is with pride and assurance that I report back to the great citizens of our country. Yes, your military is ready, stalwart, capable, and resolute in its conviction to protect you from all enemies, foreign and domestic! With the grace of the almighty, we will do just that. We accept the challenge in order to ensure that freedom is not tainted; by the recent bruising it took. We will leave our homes when we must, we will leave the warmth and love of family, we will venture into both the uncertain and the dangerous, we are soldiers and we are volunteers, to the last of us. As the call has come, and will come again, "whom shall we send, who will go for us", you will call me, the soldier! We will go for you, we will keep you safe and we will ensure Freedom. We assume the inherent risks because Freedom is the higher calling which clearly justifies the adversities we may face. Freedom will not perish nor shall it falter.